A/45/PV.54 General Assembly

1 request the Rapporteur of the First Comrnittee, Mr. Latévi Modem Lawson-Betum of Togo, to introduce the reports of the First Committee in one intervention. Mr. LAWSON-BETUM (Togo), Rapporteur of the First Committee {interpretation from French): Mr. President, since this is the first time 1 have spoken in the General Assembly in my capacity as Rapporteur of the First Comrnittee, I am especially pleased to congratulate you on the competence, skill and selflessness with which you have been guiding the proceedings of the forty-fifth session. While these fine qualities confirm the wisdom of the choice made in entrusting you with the presidency of the General Assembly, coupled with your constant readiness to serve, they have ensured the full success of our session. Reflecting the increasing improvement in the international political climate, the First Committee's work was carried out in an atmosphere marked by serenity, constructive dialogue and co-operation, Even if deep differences of opinion still existed on some important issues, it must be acknowledged that considerable efforts were made to make the legitimate concerns of Member States or groups of States better known and to enlarge upon some points or areas of agreement. In its consideration of the 27 agenda items, referred to it by the General Assembly, the First Committee followed its customary procedure, that is to sayl to organize its work into three broad phases corresponding to the three groups of items - namely, questions relating to disarmament, items 45 to 66 and 155; the question of Antarctica, item 67; and questions relating to international security, items 68 to 70. The First Committee also had on its agenda the relevant part of agenda item 12, section D of chapter III of the report of the Economic and Social Council, entitled "International co-operation in eliminating the consequences of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear-power plant". The First Conunittee's reports on item 61, "Implementation of the Declaration of the Indian Otean as a Zone of Peace"; on item 67, "Question of Antarctica": and, items 68 to 70, concerning international security, will be submitted at a subsequent plenary meeting of the General Assembly to be devoted to the consideration of those reports. In the course of my next presentation 1 shall also indicate what has been done with regard to the consideration of the relevant part of item 12, section D, of chapter III of the report of the Economic and Social Council. At this plenary meeting of the General Assembly, I have the honour to introduce the First Committee's reports on agenda items 45 to 60, 62 to 66, and 155 on disarmament. These reports are contained in documents Af45/767 to 782, A/45/784 to 780, and A/45/794. The first phase of the First Committee's work - consideration of the 23 agenda items on disarmament - was carried out at 38 meetings, from 15 October to 16 November, and consisted in 106 statements and the adoption of 52 draft resolutions and decisions, 25 of which were adopted without a vote. In all, 22 meetings were devoted to the general debate and an exchange of views on al1 items relating to disarmament, from 15 to 30 October. Moreover, the Committee held 16 meetings, from 2 to 16 November, to consider draft resolutions and decisions on agenda items on disarmament, as well as to take decisions relating thereto. At the same time, intensive informal consultations were held among delegations as part of efforts to deepen dialogue and narrow differing views and positions on various issues of common interest. Both the positive assessment of the international political situation and the ongoing challenges, as well as new ones, served as backdrop to the statements made in the general debate and in the exchange of views on disarmament questions. The number of statements made was undoubtedly due to an increased interest in disarmament issues in the light of the opportunities offered by the improvement in the international political climate. In this connection particular emphasis was placed on the end of the cold war and the resulting movement from mistrust and confrontation to dialogue, partnership and co-operation as well as on American-Soviet efforts to limit arms and disarmament in the nuclear and chemical fields, the initiatives taken in various parts of the world, particularly Eutope, to promote trust, security and co-operation, and the importance of the forthcoming international exchanges on the subject of disarmament. Nevertheless, the Committee's attention was called to the fact that peace remains fragile in the Light of the persistence of military threats, in particular the crisis in the Persian Gulf, and of non-military threats to international peace and security. The feeling emerged from the various statements that the disarmament process should draw new encouragement from the improvement of the international political climate and should respond to the following requirements to ensure the reign of a new world order: reinforcement of the dynamic interaction of bilateral and multilateral negotiationsr continuance and intensification of bilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament and multilateral negotiations on chemical weapons; equitable distribution of the dividends of peace: rational use of the collective security machinery provided for in the Charter, particularly to ensure the rule of law and to promote the prevention and peaceful settlement of conflicts: strengthening of the role of the United Nations in disarmament matters; improvement of the verification machinery under disarmament agreements, transparency on military questions and prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and, finally, harmonization of regional disarmament efforts. AS illustrated by the information received from the Fourth Review Conference cf the Earties to the Treaty on the Non-Prolifera+--on of Nuclear Weapons, increased interest in the question of nuclear testing in the Conference on Disarmament and prospects for the amendment Conference cn the partial nuclear-test-ban Treaty, as well as the requirements of national, regional and international security, nuclear disarmament occupied a particularly important place again this year in the concerns expressed by delegations. Thus, of the 48 draft resolutions adopted by the Committee, 19 deal with various aspects of nuclear disarmament. Furthermore, the universal consensus on the complete and final elimination of chemical weapons was continued once again by the adoption without a vote of ,three draft resolutions on this issue. In this connection, in accordance with the long-standing practice of the First Committee, there was an informal meeting of delegations to inform them of the progress achieved in negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on the preparation of an international convention prohibiting chemical weapons. In the light of the useful experience of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), the continuance of some regional conflicts and the crisis in the Persian Gulf, particular attention was paid to conventional disarmament, especially at the regional level, and to the need to regulate international transfers of weapons. Five draft reSOlUtiOnS were adopted without a vote on the question of conventional disarmament. Particular attention was also directed to such issues as confidenceand security-building measures: the impact of scientific and technical progress on international securityt science and technology fOr disarmament; the relationship between disarmament and development; naval disarmament; and the important role played by United Nations regional centres in promoting peace, disarmament and development. Furthermore, we should highlight the interest shown in the United Nations disarmament studies and in the useful work of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), which is celebrating its tenth anniversary. In addition to the two studies that have been completed and submitted this year - on nuclear weapons and on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification - three new studies are to be carried out on the following questions: the potential use of resources currently allocated to military activities for civilian endeavours to protect the environment; defensive security concepts and policies; and specific aspects related to the application of different confidente-building measures in outer space. The urgent need to implement the Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa is recognized by the Committee's adoption of a draft resolution by which the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to provide al1 necessary assistance that the Organization of African Unity may seek regarding the convening, at Addis Ababa during 1991, of a meeting of experts to examine the modalities and elements for the preparation and implementation of a convention or treaty on the denuclearization of Africa. The positive changes in international political relations have been reflected in the consideration of disarmament questions. Also, within the framework of efforts to rationalize our work and to narrow the differences between views and positions it has been possible to reduce the number of draft resolutions and decisions submitted and adopted and to increase the number of draft resolutions and decisions adopted without a vote. Indeed, 54 draft resolutions and decisions were submitted during this session compared to 64 at the forty-fourth session, 74 at the forty-third session and 79 at the forty-second session. Furthermore, 52 draft resolutions and decisions were adopted in the course of this session, as compared to 59 at the forty-fourth session; while 26 draft resolutions and decisions, as compared to 22 last year and 23 at the forty-third session, were adopted without a vote. This constitutes considerable progress and it is an encouraging trend towards consensus, The amalgamation of two draft resolutions on the conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons should also be mentioned, while a single draft resolution was submitted on the prevention of an arms race in outer space. I must also report that the Chairman of the First Committee organized severa1 informal meetings of the Friends of the Chairman, an open-ended group, to ascertain the views of delegations on ways and means of rationalixing both the substantive and the procedural aspects of the First Committee's work. As a result of those consultations the Chairman submitted a working paper containing proposals for rationalizing the procedural and substantive work of the First Committeee. 1 cannot conclude my submission of the reports of the First Committee on disarmament agenda items 45 to 60, 62 to 66 and 155 without paying a well-deserved tribute to those who are responsible for the success of the work of our Committee. It is only right and proper for me to make special mention of the Chairman of the First Committee, Mr. Jai Pratap Rana. With his great intellectual and moral probity, keen political sense and profound knowledge of what is at stake in connection with questions of disarmament and international peace and security, he was able to give wise, responsible and effective leadership. It is a pleasure for me to pay a tribute also to the two Vice-Chairmen, Mr. Ronald Morris and Mr. Sergei Martynov who, with skill and perspicacity, confirmed the excellent reputations that preceded their election to their posts. I wish also to express appreciation of the enlightening and valuable contribution of the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Yasushi Akashi, and of the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Security Council Affairs, Mr. Vasiliy Safronchuk, to the smooth accomplishment of our work. It gives me great pleasure to thank most warmly the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. Sohrab Kheradi, who, as usual, put al1 his ability and long experience at the service of the Committee, with the wise and effective assistance of his colleagues, including Mr. Mohammad Sattar, Mr. Timur Alasaniya, Mr. Jack Gerardi-Siebert, Mr. Kuo-Chung Lin and Mrs. Agnes Marcaillou, and al1 the other members of the secretariat of the Committee.