Review Conf. on Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – Nuclear-weapon-free zone – Report submitted by the Netherlands

---

---

New York, 2-27 May 2005

Steps to promote the achievement of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and the realization of the goals and objectives of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East

Report submitted by the Netherlands

1. At the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly, the Netherlands supported a resolution calling for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East (resolution 59/63). The Netherlands also voted in favour of the resolution entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East” (resolution 59/106). At the United Nations, the Netherlands, on behalf of all members of the European Union, has called on Israel to accede unconditionally to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a non-nuclear-weapon State. It has furthermore called for full compliance with the NPT by all States parties in the region. It has urged all States in the region that have not yet done so to conclude and bring into force comprehensive safeguards agreements, as well as an additional protocol, with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as soon as possible. It also urged all States in the region that have not yet ratified or acceded to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to do so without delay and without conditions. The Netherlands supported the adoption of a resolution on the application of safeguards in the Middle East by the IAEA General Conference in September 2004.

2. The Netherlands shares the serious international concerns about the scope and nature of Iran’s nuclear programme. The Netherlands has regularly urged Iran to secure the early ratification of its Additional Protocol and has actively supported IAEA safeguards activities in Iran. The Netherlands has welcomed the Paris Agreement of 15 November 2004 (INFCIRC/637) and it supports the ongoing negotiations between France Germany and the United Kingdom, supported by the High Representative for the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, and Iran.

3. The Netherlands welcomed and strongly supported the decision on 19 December 2003 by the Government of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to eliminate all material, equipment and programmes that lead to the production of weapons of mass destruction. The Netherlands has also welcomed the ratification by the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, and its signature and decision to implement an Additional Protocol. We hope that other countries in that region will follow the their decision, which has contributed to regional and international security. Nevertheless, the revelation of a nuclear weapons programme and other undeclared nuclear activities in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has also been a cause of great concern, as it brought to light a network for illicit trade, in particular in highly sensitive nuclear equipment and technology, which the Netherlands considers a matter of serious concern. The Netherlands continues to support efforts to curb this trade.

4. The Netherlands continues to support initiatives to promote a zone free from all weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. To that end it has called, both bilaterally and together with the European Union on all States in the region not parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction or the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, as well as on States that have not subscribed to the International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, to ratify, accede or subscribe to these important instruments as soon as possible. This also conforms with Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which calls on all States to promote the universal adoption and full implementation of multilateral treaties whose aim is to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.

—–