25 May 2000
(NPT Conference document urges strengthened review process) (690) The U.S. representative to the Conference on Disarmament says the five nuclear weapons states agreed during the month-long Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York that there is a "need for further efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals and to work toward a world free from nuclear weapons." Ambassador Robert Grey told conference participants May 20 that all parties to the NPT Treaty reached agreement "to work to strengthen further" the treaty review process. He also said the 150 NPT parties "crafted an important consensus document" during their deliberations from April 24 to May 20 that will enable everyone to "discuss and debate the continued implementation of the treaty." Grey said participating delegations left the United Nations convinced not only that the treaty must endure, but also that they must "work together to achieve its universality." Following is the text of Grey's remarks: (begin text) 2000 NPT Review Conference U.S. Closing Statement May 20, 2000 Mr. President, distinguished delegates. On behalf of my delegation, I thank you, President Baali, for your impressive leadership of this important and challenging conference. Your commitment, hard work, well-tested patience and good humor made a major contribution to the successful completion of our common efforts. Similarly, the chairs of each of the main committees and the subsidiary bodies deserve our special thanks for their hard work and the significant results they achieved. We also thank the secretariat, especially Ms. Hannalore Hoppe, for impressive competence and tireless work devoted to the conference. We thank our interpreters. We have all come a long way together over the past month. Doubtless there will be many different evaluations of what we have achieved. At last check there were over 150 NPT parties participating in our conference. It defies expectation that so many nations could reach agreement on any one issue, let alone the number and variety of issues we had before us. And yet, we have agreed. First and foremost, we agreed on the critical importance of our treaty. We reaffirmed clearly and strongly that the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is essential now, tomorrow and always in promoting international peace and security. We agreed not only that the treaty must continue, but also that we must work together to achieve its universality. We have expressed profound concern with cases of non-compliance and reaffirmed that strict observance of the treaty remains central to achieving its objectives. We agreed that any addition to the five nuclear weapons states is not acceptable and would serve only to heighten instability and security concerns among states, making our world a more dangerous, uncertain place. Among the five nuclear weapon states, there is agreement on the need for further efforts to reduce nuclear arsenals, and to work toward a world free from nuclear weapons. In many other areas we achieved full agreement. We recognized the critical importance of nuclear safety in realizing the many peaceful benefits of nuclear technology. Together, we strongly supported the work of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), including its technical cooperation program. We agreed on the importance of addressing the needs of developing countries, with preferential attention to the least developed states. We underscored the need for strong, effective international safeguards and for sound physical protection measures. We agreed to work to strengthen further the review process for our treaty. Finally, we agreed on the importance of cooperation, compromise and consensus in conducting our work. This is the common ground on which our future dialogue must rest. Together, we crafted an important consensus document and together we will discuss and debate the continued implementation of the treaty. As we bring our proceedings to a close, let us together recommit to the fundamental goals of the NPT -- to use nuclear techniques to build prosperity for our peoples in a world made ever more secure with each step under this treaty toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Thank you, Mr. President. (end text) (Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)