Nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East – First Cttee debate – Press release (excerpts)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 49 DISARMAMENT, INTERNATIONAL

SECURITY TEXTS ON RECOMMENDATION OF ITS FIRST COMMITTEE

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The General Assembly this afternoon, acting on the recommendation of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), adopted 48 resolutions and one decision on a broad range of disarmament measures, aimed at, among others, the total elimination of nuclear weapons, control of the excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons, increased transparency and strengthened international security.

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Under a resolution on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East, the Assembly reaffirmed the importance of Israel's accession to the NPT and placement of all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, in order to realize the goal of universal adherence to the Treaty in the Middle East.  The text was adopted by a vote of 157 in favour to 3 against (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States), with 8 abstentions (Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Marshall Islands, Singapore, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago)  (Annex XXXI).

Prior to that, by a vote of 158 in favour to 2 against (India, Israel), with 5 abstentions (Bhutan, Cuba, Marshall Islands, Pakistan, Tonga), the Assembly adopted the sixth preambular paragraph, by which it recognized with satisfaction that, in the Final Document of the 2000 NPT Review, the Conference undertakes to make determined efforts towards achieving universality of the Treaty.  Also by that provision, the Assembly called upon those remaining States not party to the Treaty to accede to it and to accept IAEA safeguards on all their nuclear activities (Annex XXX).

Acting without a vote, the Assembly urged all parties directly concerned with the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East to seriously consider taking the practical and urgent steps required for the implementation of that proposal, and as a means of promoting that objective, invite the countries concerned to adhere to the NPT.  It called upon all countries of the region that had not done so, pending the establishment of the zone, to agree to place all their nuclear activities under IAEA safeguards.  

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Assembly Work Programme

The General Assembly met this morning to take action on 16 reports of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).  Those reports contain 48 draft resolutions and one draft decision on disarmament and security-related issues.

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By the terms of a draft resolution contained in the report on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East (document A/55/556), the General Assembly would urge all parties directly concerned to consider seriously taking the practical and urgent steps required for the implementation of the proposal to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and, as a means of promoting that objective, invite the countries concerned to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

By further terms of the resolution, the Assembly would call upon all countries of the region that had not done so, pending the establishment of the zone, to agree to place all their nuclear activities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.  It would also invite all countries of the region to declare their support for establishing such a zone and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or permit the stationing on their territories, or territories under their control, of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices.

The Committee approved the draft resolution on 26 October without a vote.

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The Committee’s report on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (document A/55/562) contains one draft text which would have the Assembly reaffirm the importance of Israel’s accession to the NPT and placement of all its nuclear facilities under IAEA safeguards, in realizing the goal of universal adherence to the Treaty in the Middle East.

The Assembly would call upon that State to accede to the Treaty without further delay and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, and to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, and to place all its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under full-scope IAEA safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all States of the region, and as a step towards enhancing peace and security.  It would ask the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its next session on the implementation of the present resolution.

The Assembly would welcome the conclusions on the Middle East of the 2000 NPT Review Conference.

The Committee approved the draft resolution as a whole on 1 November by a vote of 139 in favour to 3 against (Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States) with 7 abstentions (Australia, Canada, India, Marshall Islands, Singapore, Tonga and Trinidad and Tobago).

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By the terms of a draft resolution contained in the report of the Committee on the strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/55/564), the General Assembly would express its satisfaction at the continuing efforts by Mediterranean countries to contribute actively to the elimination of all causes of tension in the region and to the promotion of just and lasting solutions to the persistent problems of the region through peaceful means, thus ensuring the withdrawal of foreign forces of occupation and respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all the countries and the right of the people to self-determination.  It would call for full adherence to the principles of non-interference, non-intervention, non-use of force or threat of use of force and the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, in accordance with the Charter and relevant resolutions of the United Nations.

By further terms of the draft resolution, the Assembly would commend the efforts of the Mediterranean countries towards the general objective of turning the region into an area of dialogue, exchange and cooperation, guaranteeing peace, stability and prosperity.  The Assembly would recognize that the elimination of the economic and social disparities in levels of development and other obstacles in the Mediterranean area will contribute to enhancing peace, security and cooperation.  It would further call upon States of the region that had not yet done so to adhere to all multilaterally negotiated legal instruments related to the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, thus creating the necessary conditions for strengthening peace and security in the region.

The Committee approved the draft resolution on 27 October without a vote.

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Action on First Committee Reports

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The Assembly then considered the report on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East (document A/55/556), adopting that text without a vote.

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ANNEX XXX

Vote on Sixth Preambular Paragraph of Middle East

The sixth preambular paragraph of the draft resolution on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (document A/55/562) was adopted by a recorded vote of 158 in favour to 2 against, with 5 abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Against:  India, Israel.

Abstain:  Bhutan, Cuba, Marshall Islands, Pakistan, Tonga.

Absent:  Afghanistan, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Palau, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, United States, Yugoslavia.

ANNEX XXXI

Vote on Middle East Nuclear Proliferation

The draft resolution on the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East (document A/55/562) was adopted by a recorded vote of 157 in favour to 3 against, with 8 abstentions, as follows:

In favour:  Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Against:  Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States.

Abstain:  Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Marshall Islands, Singapore, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago.

Absent:  Afghanistan, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica, Kiribati, Palau, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Yugoslavia.

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