GA/DIS/3182

FIVE DRAFT RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED IN FIRST COMMITTEE ON WIDE RANGE OF DISARMAMENT MEASURES

Five draft resolutions were introduced this morning on a wide range of disarmament and security measures as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its thematic discussion on such initiatives, as well as the introduction and consideration of related draft resolutions. Also, the Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament introduced the proposed medium-term plan for disarmament for 2002 to 2005.

The draft resolutions concerned a convention banning nuclear weapons, the illicit traffic in small arms, the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament, strengthening security in the Mediterranean and the maintenance of international security and good neighbourliness in South-Eastern Europe.

According to the text on the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons, introduced by the representative of South Africa, the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to provide the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects with information on the magnitude and scope of illicit trafficking of those weapons, measures to combat their illicit trafficking and circulation, and the role of the United Nations therein. States would be encouraged to promote regional and subregional initiatives to address illicit trafficking. The text is co-sponsored by 85 countries.

By the terms of the draft resolution on a convention banning the use of nuclear weapons, introduced by the representative of India, the Assembly would reiterate its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations to reach agreement on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of such weapons under any circumstances

The Assembly 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, according to a draft text on strengthening security and co-operation in the Mediterranean region. The representative of Algeria introduced the text.

The Assembly would urge the strengthening of relations among the States of South-Eastern Europe on the basis of respect for international law and agreements in accordance with the principle of good neighbourliness and mutual respect. The text was introduced by the representative of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

First Committee - 1a - Press Release GA/DIS/3182 16th Meeting (AM) 17 October 2000

An 84-power text on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament was introduced by the representative of Germany. By the text, the Assembly would take note of the report of the Secretary-General on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures and encourage Member States to support implementation of its recommendations. It would also invite the groups of interested States, formed in New York in March 1998, to continue to analyse lessons learned from previous disarmament and peace-building projects and promote new measures.

The Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, introduced the proposed medium-term plan for disarmament for 2002 to 2005. One of eight priority programmes identified by the Secretary-General, the plan�s overall strategy was to facilitate and encourage disarmament measures at all levels and assist Member States in promoting, strengthening and consolidating multilaterally negotiated principles and norms in all disarmament fields. It would promote transparency and confidence-building measures and expand outreach activities to ensure the exchange of impartial and factual information on disarmament, security and related matters. Among other tasks, it would provide Member States, in particular developing countries, training and advisory services in the disarmament and security fields.

Statements were also made by the representatives of Nepal, Mongolia, Australia, Brazil, Philippines and Mexico.

The Committee will meet again at 3 p.m. Wednesday, 18 October, to continue the second stage of its work, namely a thematic discussion and introduction and consideration of all disarmament and security-related draft texts.

First Committee - 3 - Press Release GA/DIS/3182 16th Meeting (AM) 17 October 2000

Committee Work Programme

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met this morning to continue its second phase of work, namely, a thematic discussion on disarmament and security items, as well as the introduction and consideration of related draft resolutions. The discussion, which began on Friday, 13 October, will conclude on 23 October.

The subjects to be covered in the thematic discussion are as follows: nuclear weapons; other weapons of mass destruction; the disarmament aspects of outer space; conventional weapons; regional disarmament and security; confidence- building measures, including transparency in armaments; disarmament machinery; other disarmament measures; and, related matters of disarmament and international security. The deadline for submission of draft resolutions was Friday, 13 October. The Committee has received 50 texts.

According to a draft resolution on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/55/L.15), the General Assembly would stress the particular relevance of the guidelines on conventional arms control/limitation and disarmament, with particular emphasis on the consolidation of peace. It would take note of the report of the Secretary-General on the consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures and encourage Member States, as well as regional arrangements and agencies, to lend their support to the implementation of the recommendations contained therein.

By the further terms of the draft resolution, the Assembly would invite the group of interested States that was formed in New York in March 1998 to continue to analyse lessons learned from previous disarmament and peace-building projects and to promote new practical disarmament measures to consolidate peace, especially as undertaken or designed by affected States themselves.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Congo, Costa Rica, C�te d�Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Malta, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

By the terms of a draft resolution on the strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/C.1/55/L.27), 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 in meeting common challenges through coordinated overall responses, based on a spirit of multilateral partnership, towards the general objective of turning the region into an area of dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, guaranteeing peace, stability and prosperity. It would also encourage the countries to strengthen efforts through lasting multilateral and action-oriented cooperative dialogue.

The Assembly would recognize that the elimination of the economic and social disparities in levels of development and other obstacles, as well as respect and greater understanding among cultures, in the Mediterranean area would contribute to enhancing peace, security and cooperation among Mediterranean countries through existing forums. 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 draft resolution is sponsored by Algeria, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Luxembourg, Malta, Mauritania, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Tunisia and the United Kingdom.

According to a draft resolution on a convention prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons (document A/C.1/55/L.30), the Assembly, determined to achieve an international convention banning the development, production, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons, leading to their ultimate destruction, would reiterate its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations in order to reach agreement on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances. The Assembly would request the Conference to report to it on the results of those negotiations.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People�s Republic of Korea, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Fiji, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Lao People�s Democratic Republic, Libya, Malaysia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Viet Nam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A draft resolution on Illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/55/L.38) would have the General Assembly request the Secretary- General to continue his broad-based consultations, within available financial resources and with any other assistance provided by States, and to provide the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects with information on the magnitude and scope of illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, measures to combat illicit trafficking in and circulation of small arms and light weapons, and the role of the United Nations therein.

It would also encourage States to promote regional and subregional initiatives and request the Secretary-General and States in a position to do so to assist States taking such initiatives to address the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons in affected regions. It would encourage States to take appropriate national measures to destroy surplus, confiscated or collected small arms and light weapons, and to provide, on a voluntary basis, information to the Secretary-General on types and quantities of arms destroyed, as well as the methods of their destruction.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, C�te d�Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Mozambique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, San Marino, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

According to a text on the maintenance of international security-good- neighbourliness, stability and development of South-Eastern Europe (document A/C.1/55/L.47), the Assembly would urge the strengthening of relations among the States of South-Eastern Europe on the basis of respect for international law and agreements, in accordance with the principles of good-neighbourliness and mutual respect. The Assembly would also urge all States to undertake effective measure against the illicit traffic and circulation of small arms and to help programmes aimed at the safe destruction of surplus stocks of small arms and light weapons.

In a related provision, the Assembly would stress the importance of closer cooperation among States in such areas as crime prevention, combating the illicit trade of people, drug trafficking and money-laundering. It would call upon all participants in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe, and all concerned international organizations, to support the efforts of the South-Eastern European States to overcome the negative effects of the Kosovo crisis and other recent crises, to enable them to pursue sustainable development and their integration into European structures.

The Assembly would also call upon all States, the relevant international organizations and competent organs of the United Nations to: respect the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty and the inviolability of international borders; continue to take measures in accordance with the United Nations Charter to eliminate threats to international peace and security; and help to prevent conflicts which could lead to the violent disintegration of States.

The draft resolution is sponsored by Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States. Statements

GUNTHER SEIBERT (Germany) introduced the draft resolution on consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures (document A/C.1/55/L.15). The draft was so far co-sponsored by 84 Member States. In addition, Cambodia and the Republic of Korea had joined the list. He attached particular importance to the fact that the co-sponsors had bridged the usual regional group lines and had involved countries from virtually all regions of the globe.

He said that practical disarmament measures had remained an important item on the United Nations agenda. The past 12 months had been particularly encouraging for the German initiative. In particular, Security Council meetings had been dedicated to conflict prevention in November 1999 and July 2000, and to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants in March. Other forums and United Nations institutions, including the Special Committee on Peacekeeping, the United Nations Disarmament Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had also addressed questions of post-conflict peace building and peace consolidation, with a view to building an environment of durable peace.

The group of interested States had met regularly and had developed close cooperation with the Department for Disarmament Affairs, he said. Indeed, the group had become a focal point for delegations wishing to meet and exchange information for the benefit of the others and for the sake of better cooperation. In chairing the group, his delegation had tried to show that practical disarmament was a very real issue, which was affecting the lives of people in conflict. Related projects had been undertaken in Cameroon, Guatemala, Albania and Niger. A reference paper on the group�s activities had just been published and new projects would be launched.

He noted that the text had followed the wording of previous years. Some language had been updated or altered, taking into account the reservations of some delegations. The text should, therefore, be acceptable to all delegations and be adopted without a vote. The draft text on transparency in military expenditures, which was introduced last year on a bi-annual basis, jointly with Romania, would be submitted again next year, at the fifty-sixth Assembly session.

NASTE CALOVSKI (The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) introduced a draft resolution on the maintenance of international good neighbourliness, stability, and development of South-Eastern Europe (document A/C.1/55/L.47).

He said that the draft resolution was an omnibus one. The region of South- Eastern Europe was leaving behind a difficult period of conflict and insecurity and entering a new period of integration with developed Europe. The main preoccupation of the draft resolution was the furtherance of that process. The main message was the speedy integration of the region into the European Union structure. It expressed optimism that the goal could be achieved.

He said that, as a result of known difficulties, there were lots of conventional arms, small arms and light weapons and landmines in region. A lot of arms were illegally possessed and traffic in light weapons was common. The main aim of resolution was to support policies and measures aimed at eliminating various illegalities and promote change for the better. The goal was to support effort in that direction. He expressed the hope that the resolution would be adopted without a vote.

In an oral amendment, he said the word �Noting� should replace the word �Recalling� in preambular paragraph 10. The paragraph should read: �Noting the outcome of the Conference on War-Affected Children held in Winnipeg on 17 September 2000.�

HIRA B. THAPA (Nepal) said that abundant, cheap and easy to use, small arms had been used to injure and kill many thousands of people, mostly women and children. Sadly, many victims of the indiscriminate use of small arms and light weapons had been non-combatants. The use of such weapons had caused more deaths than both world wars combined. Their massive circulation and transfer had become a serious international security threat. The close nexus between small arms and conflicts was rightly highlighted by the Secretary-General when he remarked that their proliferation would be one of the key challenges in preventing conflicts in the new century.

Indeed, he said he had appreciated role played by United Nations in field of small arms and light weapons. A comprehensive report on the subject (document A/54/258) had been prepared by the Group of Governmental Experts on Small Arms. It was a landmark achievement containing useful recommendations, which merited the due consider of the international community. He shared the opinion that the question was a disarmament issue to be taken up by the First Committee. Given that no international legal regulations existed to outlaw those weapons, the current negotiations in Vienna on a convention against transnational organized crime and a protocol against the illicit manufacture and trafficking in firearms and other related materials were constructive steps in the right direction.

Important initiatives had also been undertaken at the regional level, he went on. The Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, signed in November 1997, and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Initiative for a Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons were commendable endeavours. Some 500 million small arms and light weapons were currently in circulation worldwide. During the last decade, those arms had been responsible for 3 million deaths, 2 million of whom were children. The scourge of the proliferation of those weapons had defied boundaries. An effective response to that menace could only be achieved through collective efforts.

In that respect, he said he looked forward to the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. The Conference should take a holistic approach to the question and discuss all relevant issues in a comprehensive manner. The resulting measures must be concrete and meaningful. A culture of peace, if broadly enforced by the international community, would go a long way in substantially reducing the legal accumulation of small arms around the world. While he remained flexible with regard to the dates and venue of the Conference, he appreciated the offer of the Swiss Government to host it in Geneva. The broadest participation of Member States, including that of least developed countries, should be ensured.

He said that the main objective of the forthcoming Conference should be the mobilization of the political will of Member States to take all action to tackle the problem. He hoped the Committee would take a right decision in resolving all procedural matters and facilitating the work of the preparatory meeting.

RAKESH SOOD (India) introduced a draft resolution on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons (document A/C.1/55/L.30), saying that it was similar to last year�s resolution and went to the core of the �nuclearizing� global order, which still persisted. Doctrines on the first use of nuclear weapons had been reaffirmed, even though the conditions that gave rise to them had disappeared. It was important that nuclear doctrines be reoriented towards no- first-use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon States. The international community needed to take the actions proposed in the draft as steps towards the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons.

He said that the draft resolution underlined the fact that nuclear weapons posed the most serious threat to the survival of mankind. It also referred to the 1996 opinion of the International Court of Justice. It was a matter of regret that, due to the inflexible position of some States, the Conference on Disarmament had not been able to commence its work. India hoped that the draft would receive the widest possible support. It represented the international community�s readiness to take decisive steps towards freeing the world of nuclear weapons.

ABDELKADER MESDOUA (Algeria) introduced the draft resolution on strengthening security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (document A/C.1/55/L.27). He said submission of the text reflected the will and determination of the States of the region to transform it into a zone of peace, security and cooperation and, therefore, giving back to the region its genuine mission as a �lake of peace�.

Over the last few years, he said, the Mediterranean and European countries had embarked on a process of dialogue and partnership to advance and consolidate peace and security in the region, and to lay down the basis for multi-faceted cooperation aimed at achieving regional prosperity and security. Significant progress had been made in all areas of cooperation since agreement had been reached to strengthen political dialogue in such areas as the drug trade, organized crime and terrorism. Agreement had also been reached to make economic cooperation a key element of the partnership. The importance of the social, cultural and human dimensions of the partnership to its success could not be overemphasized.

Like last year's text, he said that the draft resolution was intended to be more concise and less repetitive. As such, paragraphs 7 and 8 had been merged into a single paragraph, as a result of concern for brevity and the fact that the two paragraphs had previously had the same meaning. Aside from that change, the text remained focused on the pivotal aspects of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean and did not differ in content from past resolutions.

JARGALSAIKHANY ENKHSAIKHAN (Mongolia) said that his country saw the joint statement by the five permanent members of the Security Council as an important step in implementing the provisions of resolution 53/77 D relating specifically to his country�s nuclear-weapons-free status. It was a political statement that provided Mongolia with nuclear security assurances and which pledged the continued cooperation of those countries in implementing the provisions of the resolution. Concrete follow-up measures were needed to formalize that status, because the joint statement did not address any of the questions about that status, such as the definition of that status. Without that, it was impossible even to conceive of the status, let alone formalize it.

He said that in law, his country had defined its nuclear-weapon status. In addition, a special parliamentary resolution had been adopted that underlined that the strengthening of the status would contribute to enhancing mutual confidence in the region. It mandated the Government to actively cooperate with other States, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and other relevant international organizations in implementing the provisions of the law. The next logical step was to formalize the status at the international level. The Mongolian delegation had asked the Secretary-General to circulate the text of that legislation as an official document of the United Nations. The next step was to have the international community determine its attitude to the status as defined in the national legislation, and develop appropriate arrangements to institutionalize it.

JEAN PHILIP DU PREEZ (South Africa) said that the proliferation and excessive accumulation of small arms and light weapons had caused human suffering worldwide. Those had been the weapons of choice in internal conflicts, and had been used by drug smugglers, poachers, and other criminals long after conflicts had been resolved. The death, mutilation and destruction caused by the proliferation of and illicit trafficking in small arms had directly and negatively affected social and economic development, democratization and good governance, particularly in the developing world.

He said that Africa had been one of the continents most affected by that scourge. As such, many governments had put in place measures to revitalize Africa, yet its security and stability could not be secured without combating the accumulation and illicit trafficking in small arms, dealing with both demand and supply side. The 2001 Conference would demonstrate the recognition of the international community concerning its obligation to deal with the issue in a multi-faceted manner, which included security, humanitarian and developmental issues. Rather than the decisions themselves, follow-up actions would determine the success of the Conference. Intensified national and regional initiatives were evidence of the growing political will to effectively and comprehensively address the issue.

Promoting the removal of arms from societies and destroying the surplus was a practical way for States to curb the problem, he said. His Government had adopted policies that gave preference to the destruction of arms, rather than to their resale, in order to prevent their excessive accumulation. In cooperation with the Norwegian Government, his country had destroyed more than 250,000 small arms from its stockpile. More than 500 tons of arms and ammunition had also been destroyed. Practical measures could be taken to prevent the illicit trafficking in small arms, including the resolution, introduced at the Assembly�s fifty-third session, on the subject.

The text had been adopted without a vote in the past two years, emphasizing the coordination between approaches, he said. Consultations by the Secretary- General in response to the request made in last year�s draft had clearly underlined the importance of regional, subregional and national approaches. He was grateful to all delegations that had submitted information to the Secretary- General for inclusion in the relevant report. That was a very useful source of information in preparation for next year�s Conference. On behalf of the 85 co- sponsors, he introduced the text on the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons (document A/C.1/55/L.38).

PLILIPPA KING (Australia) supported the resolution introduced by South Africa. Her country had been a regular co-sponsor of that resolution since its inception. With the information anticipated under the resolution, the community would be able to achieve a positive outcome from the 2001 International Conference on small arms. The resolution would provide valuable information for the Conference. Much work was going on at national and regional levels. She believed that regional programmes could form the building block for the control of small arms and light weapons. Her country had been involved in work on model legislation in its region. She supported the wish expressed by South Africa for adoption of the resolution without a vote.

ENIO CORDEIRO (Brazil) spoke on behalf of the countries of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR), and Bolivia and Chile. Steps had been taken globally, regionally, subregionally and unilaterally to fight the manufacture and illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons. In the context of United Nations efforts, the member countries of MERCOSUR had resolutely supported the convening of the small arms international Conference in 2001. It was a propitious opportunity for taking an �across-the-board� approach to halt the negative impact of those weapons. A priority goal of the Conference should be to strengthen and elaborate norms to combat the trading and production of those weapons. It should also seek to promote a sense of State responsibility with regard to the exporting, importing and transfer of such arms.

He said that the international community was aware of the need to complement regional and individual country efforts with global measures. He supported the proposals made by governmental experts contained in chapter 5 of the small arms report (document A/54/258). The Conference could analyse the measures adopted regionally. Along with the 1997 Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, agreement was reached to set up a joint mechanism for registering buyers and sellers of such devices. The Conference should also advance a protocol on firearms, under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which had created an international centralized register on the production of and illicit trafficking in firearms and other related material.

The MERCOSUR had welcomed the variety of efforts made across the continent, which had been in the vanguard of action taken globally, he said. Member countries had been satisfied with the results achieved by some of the programmes and the practical steps undertaken, including the surrender of arms and the offer of options to reintegrate the affected populations. He reaffirmed the call to �put the brakes on� the negative impact of small arms, which adversely impacted the security and safety of millions, particularly women and children.

CARLOS D. SORRETA (Philippines) said that his country looked with much interest to Mongolia�s effort to define its national nuclear-weapon-free status. It was important that the effort by individual nations to establish themselves as nuclear-weapon-free be viewed in the particular context of such nations. Rules that applied in the case of one State might not necessarily apply in the case of another. The Philippines welcomed the guarantee provided to Mongolia by the five permanent members of the Security Council, and looked forward to continuing to work with Mongolia on nuclear disarmament in the region.

JAYANTHA DHANAPALA, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, made introductory remarks on the proposed medium-term plan for disarmament for 2002 to 2005. The disarmament programme was one of eight priority programmes identified by the Secretary-General, and its implementation had been vested with the Department for Disarmament Affairs (document A/C.1/CRP.3). Pursuant to the request made by the General Assembly that proposals for medium-term plans be reviewed by relevant intergovernmental bodies prior to their submission to the United Nations, the draft medium-term plan for disarmament was submitted last April to the United Nations Disarmament Commission for review. A revised plan took into account comments made by the Commission.

He said that a number of modifications to the plan had been introduced, and he recommended that the Assembly approve the proposed plan as modified. Generally, the medium-term plan was the principal policy directive of the United Nations, a translation of mandates into programmes, with its objectives and strategies derived from intergovernmental organs. It should serve as a framework for the formulation of biennial programme budgets. It would be revised and updated every two years to reflect new and additional mandates.

The proposed plan for disarmament, he said, had been drawn up on the basis of existing mandates set by the United Nations Charter and the General Assembly in the field of arms limitation and disarmament, as well as by the outcome of the special Assembly sessions on disarmament. As such, the present plan did not deviate in any significant way from the previous medium-term plan for disarmament, given that there had been no drastic change in existing mandates. One main difference between the last and the current plans, however, was that the current proposal contained a description of the disarmament programme as a whole, as well as of its subprogrammes, which corresponded to organizational units of the departments. The last plan contained no subprogrammes. The general orientation of the proposed plan was its continued focus on two major concerns in the disarmament field, namely weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, and conventional arms.

As outlined in the proposed plan, the overall strategy of the programme was to facilitate and encourage disarmament measures at all levels, he went on. Within that framework, the programme would continue to assist Member States in promoting, strengthening and consolidating multilaterally negotiated principles and norms in all disarmament fields. It would promote transparency and confidence-building measures and expand outreach activities to ensure the exchange of impartial and factual information on disarmament, security and related matters. Also, it would assist Member States in promoting regional approaches to disarmament and security, including through the regional centres. It would continue to facilitate the process of multilateral deliberations, monitor and assess current and future trends in the field, and continue to provide to Member States, in particular to developing countries, training and advisory services.

Continuing, he said that the programme would address gender concerns in its activities. The programme�s objectives would be pursued through the following: multilateral negotiations on arms limitation and disarmament; weapons of mass destruction; conventional arms; monitoring databases and information; and regional disarmament. Finally, it provided the future direction and approach of the disarmament programme, for which the Committee�s input would be invaluable. He looked forward to their constructive comments.

MARIA ANGELICA ARCE DE JEANNET (Mexico) said that the recommendations issued by the Committee for Programme and Coordination reflected a consensus. The negotiations had highlighted the interest of Member States in harmonizing the work of the Organization in the disarmament arena. The final text represented a delicate balance that should be preserved.

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