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

FIRST COMMITTEE APPROVES 14 DRAFT RESOLUTIONS ON WIDE RANGE

OF DISARMAMENT, SECURITY ISSUES

Regional Conventional Arms Control, Landmine Convention,

Middle East Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Among Issues Addressed

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) took action this morning on fourteen draft resolutions on a wide variety of disarmament and security issues, among them conventional arms control at the regional level, the Ottawa Convention prohibiting anti-personnel landmines, a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East and others on international disarmament machinery.

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Acting without a vote, the Committee approved a draft resolution by which the Assembly would urge 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 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). It 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.  

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Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to continue the third stage of its work, namely action on disarmament and security-related draft resolutions.  It had before it one draft each on nuclear disarmament, conventional weapons, regional disarmament and security, and confidence-building measures, including transparency in armaments.  It also had before it 10 drafts on disarmament machinery.

According to its programme of work, the Committee will act on a total of 50 draft resolutions during its current session.  The drafts have been grouped into 10 clusters.  They include 18 drafts under nuclear weapons, three under other weapons of mass destruction, one under outer space (disarmament aspects), five under conventional weapons, and three under regional disarmament and security.  It will act on two drafts under confidence building measures, including transparency in armaments, 11 under disarmament machinery, four under other disarmament measures, one under related matters of disarmament and international security and two under international security.

By the terms of a draft resolution on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East (document A/C.1/55/L.16), 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.

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Action on Texts

Acting without a vote, the Committee approved the draft resolution  on the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East (document A/C.1/55/L.16).

The representative of Israel said he had joined consensus on the draft, as it had done for the last 20 years, notwithstanding substantive and important reservations regarding certain elements of the text.  His Government had always maintained that the nuclear issue, as well as all regional security issues, should be dealt with in the full context of the peace process.  He supported the eventual establishment of a mutually supported and verifiable Middle East zone free from nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction.  The political realities, however, had mandated a practical step-by-step approach that should begin with modest confidence-building measures and recognition and good relations, possibly complemented by arms control measures.  That could lead to the zone's establishment, which should be based on arrangements freely arrived at by all States of the region concerned.  

Continuing, he said that such a zone could only be established through direct negotiations among the States of the region after they had recognized each other and had established full diplomatic and peaceful relations.  Such a zone could not be established with some countries maintaining that they were in a state of war with each other.  In the Middle East, there was a continuing threat against one State in the region — Israel — which had critically affected the establishment such a zone.  The draft resolution had reflected a delicate compromise.  Nevertheless, attempts had been made this year to introduce new agreed language.  It was then agreed to present the same language as in previous years. His delegation had demonstrated a constructive approach during those deliberations, which was an example of how confidence could be built — a key element in preserving future consensus.  

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The Committee then took up the draft resolution on the Ottawa Convention (document A/C.1/55/L.44).

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The representative of Israel said that his country supported the ultimate goal of the Convention.  It had begun concrete steps to lessen the use of such landmines in the Middle East and beyond.  It recently ratified the protocol to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.  It had also joined the sponsors of a draft resolution on that Convention.  His country was participating in the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) mine awareness programme in Angola.  In July 1994, Israel had enacted a moratorium on the export of anti-personnel landmines and it was working to extend that moratorium indefinitely.  It supported a gradual process in which each state in the Middle East would end the indiscriminate use of landmines, but it remained unable to support a total ban, because such landmines were necessary to protect children and civilians.  Israel could, therefore, not lend its support to the draft resolution and would abstain in the vote.

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