Preparatory Cttee for 2005 Review/Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons conf. – Compilation of reports

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First Session

New York, 8-19 April 2002

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

Compilation of reports

Addendum

Contents

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  Reports received from States parties

 

 

 

   Japan

 

 

[Original: English]

[15 April 2002]

1.   Japan supported, and continues to fully support, the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East, which calls for the establishment of an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological, and their delivery systems. Japan also joined, at the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly, the consensus adoption of resolution 56/21 of 29 November 2001, entitled “Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East”, which refers to the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

2.   The establishment of a zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the Middle East will ultimately require the adherence by all States in the region to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. Japan has been taking part in the international efforts to encourage the universal adherence to these multilateral legally binding instruments on the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction.

3.   It is no less important that compliance with those legal instruments should be fully assured. In that regard, Japan has been exerting its efforts to promote and facilitate the conclusion and entry into force of the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreements and additional protocols.

4.   The adherence to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty by all States in the region would also be a substantial practical step. Japan has also been exerting its utmost efforts to promote the adherence to the Treaty by all States, especially those States whose ratifications are required for its entry into force.

  

  

    Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

 

 

[Original: Arabic]

[9 April 2002]

1.   The Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya has long attached extreme importance to the question of the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, inasmuch as it has been a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons since 1975 and is also a party to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). Moreover, all the States of the Middle East are parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, with the exception of Israel, the only country in the Middle East which has not yet acceded to the Treaty and none of whose nuclear facilities are placed under the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a result of this situation of imbalance in the Middle East region, which is fraught with constant political tension, the States parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995 adopted a resolution on the Middle East submitted jointly by the depositary Governments of the Treaty, namely, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. The Resolution stressed, among other things, the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and the role of the international community in that regard. It also reaffirmed the importance of the early realization of universal adherence to the Treaty and called upon all States in the Middle East that had not yet done so, without exception, to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place their nuclear facilities under full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. It furthermore called upon all States in the Middle East to take practical steps aimed at making progress towards the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Moreover, it called upon all States parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and in particular the nuclear-weapon States, to extend their cooperation and to exert their utmost efforts with a view to ensuring the early establishment of such a zone.

2.2.   The Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, given the extremely high priority it thus accords to the question of the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East and to contributing to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the related 1995 Resolution, has taken numerous measures towards the establishment of such a zone, aimed at the elimination of nuclear weapons from the region and at effective participation in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security in the region. Those steps are as follows:

  (a)  At the national level:

 (i)   Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in 1975;

 (ii)   Conclusion of a Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency;

 (iii)  Signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty; 

 (iv)   Signing of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty on 13 November 2001;

  (b)  At the regional level:

  Participation by Libya in the discussion and drafting, within the framework of the League of Arab States, of a treaty to make the Middle East a nuclear-weapon-free zone;

  (c)  At the international level:

  •   Constant reaffirmation of the extreme importance of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and all weapons of mass destruction. This has been clearly evident at numerous related international events and conferences, including the regular and special sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations;

  •   Participation, since 1974, in the submission to the General Assembly of a draft resolution on the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East, including at the fifty-sixth session of the Assembly;

  •   Participation with many Arab countries in the submission to the General Assembly of a draft resolution on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, calling upon Israel, as the sole country in the Middle East that has not yet acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to accede to that Treaty without delay;

  •   Yearly participation in the submission of a draft resolution on the application of IAEA safeguards in the region of the Middle East, within the context of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

3.   The Great Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya will continue its efforts towards the achievement of the goal of establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East as soon as possible, as an important step towards freeing the region of all weapons of mass destruction. It hopes that all States parties to the Treaty, in particular the nuclear-weapon States, will assume their responsibilities, make every effort and exercise all possible pressure for the realization of the objectives and goals of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East and the full implementation of the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties.

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