News

USIS Washington File

01 May 2000

Text: Five Nuclear Powers Express Strong Support for NPT

(Call Treaty "indispensable framework" for disarmament efforts) (1830)

The delegations of France, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the
United States reiterated May 1 the strong and continuing support of
their countries for the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons (NPT).

The five nuclear-weapon states said the NPT "provides an indispensable
framework for future efforts against nuclear proliferation and towards
nuclear disarmament
Following is the text of the statement by the delegations of France,
China, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States released at
the NPT Review Conference at the United Nations:

(begin text)


NPT Review Conference
Statement by the delegations of
France,
the People's Republic of China,
the Russian Federation,
the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
and the United States of America

1. The delegations of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and
the United States, on the occasion of the sixth Review Conference of
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), formally
reiterate the strong and continuing support of our countries for this
Treaty, the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation
regime and the essential foundation for nuclear disarmament. We remain
unequivocally committed to fulfilling all of our obligations under the
Treaty.

2. We welcomed the decision on indefinite extension of the Treaty
adopted in 1995 by its member States. We reaffirm our commitment to
strengthening the review process of the Treaty and to the principles
and objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We
reaffirm our commitment to the resolution on the Middle East adopted
in 1995. The principles established by those documents will make a
continuing contribution to the review process, the Treaty remaining
its fundamental guide.

3. The progress of NPT universality has been confirmed after the 1995
conference. We welcome the accession to the Treaty by Chile, Vanuatu,
the United Arab Emirates, Comoros, Andorra, Angola, Djibouti, Oman and
Brazil. Today, there are 187 member States. We reiterate the need for
universal adherence to the NPT and call upon States that have not yet
done so to accede to the Treaty at an early date. The nuclear
explosions carried out by India and Pakistan in May 1998 were a cause
of deep international concern. We continue to call upon both countries
to undertake the measures set out in UNSCR 1172. Notwithstanding their
nuclear tests, India and Pakistan do not have the status of
nuclear-weapon States in accordance with the NPT.

4. We stress that compliance with the NPT by all member States is
essential to further the comprehensive goals of the Treaty.

5. We reiterate our unequivocal commitment to the ultimate goals of a
complete elimination of nuclear weapons and a treaty on general and
complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.

6. A program of action was set out by the 1995 Review and Extension
Conference as important in the full realization and effective
Implementation of Article VI. In pursuit of that program, there have
been highly significant multilateral, bilateral and unilateral
developments since 1995.

7. The CTBT was opened for signature in New York on 24 September 1996.
The five nuclear-weapon States all signed it that very day. Today, 155
States have signed it and 55 of them, including 28 whose ratification
is necessary for its entry into force, have deposited their
instruments of ratification with the Secretary General of the United
Nations, including France and the United Kingdom in a joint ceremony
on 6 April 1998. The recent ratification of the CTBT by the Russian
Federation is welcome. The Preparatory Commission for the CTBT
Organization has been set up in Vienna and is putting into place the
international monitoring system of the Treaty. Important progress has
been made so far in the setting up of the verification system. We
remain committed to ensuring that, at entry into force of the CTBT,
the verification regime will be capable of meeting the verification
requirements of this Treaty. The first conference of States having
ratified the Treaty to consider the issue of its entry into force took
place in Vienna in October 1999. No efforts should be spared to make
sure that the CTBT is a universal and internationally and effectively
verifiable treaty and to secure its early entry into force. There
should be no doubt as to the commitment of our five countries to that
effect.

8. As one logical multilateral step in the full realization and
effective implementation of Article VI, we reaffirm the necessity of a
non-discriminatory, universally applicable and internationally and
effectively verifiable convention banning the production of fissile
material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices
negotiated in accordance with the 1995 statement of the Special
Coordinator of the Conference on Disarmament and the mandate contained
therein. We urge the Conference on Disarmament to agree on a program
of work as soon as possible, which includes the immediate commencement
and early conclusion of negotiations on such a treaty.

9. The contribution of the five nuclear-weapon States to systematic
and progressive efforts to reduce nuclear weapons globally has been
and will be highlighted by each of us nationally.

10. Emphasizing the essential importance of cooperation, demonstrating
and advancing mutual trust among ourselves, and promoting greater
international security and stability, we declare that none of our
nuclear weapons are targeted at any State.

11. Ratification of START II by the Russian Federation is an important
step in the efforts to reduce strategic offensive weapons and is
welcome. Completion of ratification of START II by the United States
remains a priority. We look forward to the conclusion of START III as
soon as possible while preserving and strengthening the ABM Treaty as
a cornerstone of strategic stability and as a basis for further
reductions of strategic offensive weapons, in accordance with its
provisions.

12. We are committed to placing as soon as practicable fissile
materials designated by each of us as no longer required for defense
purposes under IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) or other
relevant international verification. We have launched a number of
significant initiatives to provide for the safe and effective
management and disposition of such materials.

13. We welcome the creation of two new nuclear-weapon free zones since
1995 as a significant contribution to the enhancement of regional and
international peace and security: South-East Asia and Africa. The five
nuclear-weapon States have signed and, in most cases, ratified all the
relevant protocols to the treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga and
Pelindaba; internal processes are underway to secure the few lacking
ratifications. The consultations with States parties to the treaty of
Bangkok have recently been accelerated, paving the way for our
adherence to the additional protocol. We are looking forward to the
successful and early conclusions of those consultations. We encourage
the States in Central Asia to pursue successfully their efforts to
create a nuclear-weapon free zone in their region. We support and
respect the nuclear-weapon free status of Mongolia.

14. We note that the actions of the nuclear-weapon States since 1995
on the relevant additional protocols to Nuclear Weapon Free Zone
treaties have increased the number of non-nuclear-weapon States
eligible for legally binding Negative Security Assurances to over 100.
We reaffirm our commitment to United Nations Security Council
resolution 984 adopted in April 1995 on security assurances for NPT
non-nuclear-weapon States. According to operative paragraph 10 of
resolution 984, the issues addressed in that resolution remain of
continuing concern to the Security Council. We are ready to exchange
views relating to the positive security assurances referred to in the
resolution.

15. We consider the international safeguards system of the
International Atomic Energy Agency as one of the essential pillars of
the non-proliferation regime. This system acts as a guarantee for
stability and the preservation of world peace. We call on all States
parties, which are required by Article III of the Treaty and have not
yet done so, to sign and bring into force comprehensive safeguards
agreements without delay.

16. The development and the implementation of the strengthened
safeguards system of the IAEA through new agreements is a significant
achievement. We praise the remarkable work carried out by the IAEA in
this field and hope that the strengthened system soon spreads across
all regions of the world. Here again, universality is the challenge we
face. To date, Additional Protocols have been signed by more than 50
non-nuclear-weapon States; nine of them have entered into force. We
urge all non-nuclear-weapon States that have not yet done so to sign
without delay the additional protocol with a view to its early
implementation.

17. As regards States not members of the NPT, one of them has recently
signed an Additional Protocol with the IAEA. We encourage the three
others to negotiate an Additional Protocol with the IAEA.

18. All the five nuclear-weapon States signed an Additional Protocol
with the IAEA and shall seek to ratify their agreements as soon as
possible.

19. We support the promotion of transparency in nuclear related export
controls within the framework of dialogue and cooperation among all
interested States parties to the treaty and we welcome the initiatives
taken in order to carry out this objective.

20. We reaffirm the inalienable right of all the parties to the Treaty
to develop research, production, and use of nuclear energy for
peaceful purposes without discrimination and in accordance with the
relevant provisions of the Treaty and the relevant principles on
safeguards. Pursuant to our obligation under Article IV, we have
provided our support for the technical cooperation programs
administered by the IAEA, which has enabled many nations to make
progress in the application of nuclear technologies in important
fields such as agriculture, hydrology, medicine and environment.

21. We stress the importance of international cooperation in order to
maintain the highest practicable levels of nuclear safety. In this
regard, we welcome the entry into force and the first review meeting
of the convention on nuclear safety as well as the opening for
signature of the joint convention on the safety of spent fuel
management and on the safety of radioactive waste management. We call
on all States which have not yet done so to sign and ratify those two
conventions.

22. We are determined to take a forward-looking approach to nuclear
non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. The NPT provides an
indispensable framework for future efforts against nuclear
proliferation and towards nuclear disarmament. We fully acknowledge
our particular responsibility and key role in ensuring continued
progress in the implementation of the NPT.

23. The five nuclear-weapon States hope similarly genuine commitment
to the pursuit of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament as a
contribution to enhanced peace and security will be shown by all
States members of the NPT and States outside the NPT. We will continue
to work together and with the non-nuclear weapon States for the
success of the review process.

(end text)

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