Conference on Disarmament: limited progress reported on chemical weapons ban.

The Conference on Disarmament concluded its two-part 1989 session (Geneva, 7 February-27 April, 13 June-31 August) reporting only a limited progress on a chemical weapons ban.

Pierre Morel of France, Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons, told the conference that the text of the draft convention on the prohibition of development, production, and stockpiling of chemical weapons and on their destruction had been "markedly improved".

However, there was a general feeling of disappointment, as expressed by a representative of Austria, who said that "the long-awaited breakthrough" towards a global convention on the ban "still seems beyond reach".

Despite intensive consultations throughout the session, no agreement was reached on a mandate for a subsidiary body on a nuclear test ban. However, El Ghali Benhima of Morocco, Conference President for August,, said that consultations on this "high priority issue" had not been in vain, since they had made it possible to narrow areas of disagreement. Many delegations supported further consultations until agreement is reached.

The Conference, the world's single forum for multilateral disarmament negotiations, holds a two-part session each year.

The 40-member body includes the five nuclear-weapon StatesChina, France, USSR, United Kingdom and United States-other militarily significant States, as well as some neutral and non-aligned countries, known as the "Group of 21".

During 1989, the Conference reestablished five ad hoc committees to continue work on a chemical weapons convention, a radiological weapons ban, prevention of an arms race in outer space, a comprehensive programme of disarmament, and security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon States. Conference members were unable to agree on mandates for subsidiary bodies on the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, and the prevention of nuclear war.

Luvsandorjiin Bayart of Mongolia, Conference President for July, said that a number of delegations, while stressing the pivotal role" of the Conference, had expressed their concern regarding "its credibility" in view of the gap between the declared objectives and the results achieved.

New Soviet-US accord

In August, the United States and the USSR reported to the Conference on the latest developments regarding their bilateral nuclear and space talks. The two countries also transmitted to the body the text of their agreement on the prevention of dangerous military activities, signed in Moscow on 12 june.

Under the accord, the parties are to take necessary measures to prevent such activities and to ensure peaceful resolution of any incident which may arise as a result of an unintentional entry by personnel, ship, aircraft or ground hardware of the armed forces of one country into the national territory of the other country.

The agreement specifically seeks to reduce the risk of unintended military confrontation in regions such as the Persian Gulf where Soviet and United States forces have often operated close to each other.

Chemical weapons

Committee Chairman Pierre Morel reported that work had been advanced on provisions related to the protection of confidential information; guidelines for the international inspectorate; institutional issues; assistance and protection against chemical weapons; and economic and technological developments. The Committee had tackled one of the most sensitive subjects of the future convention-challenge inspections-and the important question of sanctions had been considered. Major progress had been achieved in the lists of chemical substances annexed to the draft convention.

During 1989, 17 States reported to the Conference on national trial inspections of chemical facilities conducted in their countries. Those experiments are aimed at promoting experience on verification measures under a future convention.

Australia, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy and Norway presented to the Conference data on their chemical production and facilities relevant to the chemical weapons convention.

In August, the USSR told the Conference that it was prepared to publish information on the location of its chemical weapon production and storage facilities, and also to provide detailed information on the composition of its chemical weapon stocks, if the United States declared the volume of its chemical weapon stocks, as the USSR had already done, and the location and composition of all its chemical weapons.

The USSR also reported that at the eleventh round of Soviet-United States consultations on a chemical weapons ban, held in Geneva in june, major progress had been made on the issue of the order of destruction of chemical weapon stocks and their production facilities, and proposals had been developed on challenge inspection procedures. Work had also been advanced on a special agreement between the USSR and the United States on a two-phase exchange of data and verification of such data.

Other matters

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space reported that it had continued examination of such issues as the legal regime applicable to outer space.

Committee Chairman Bayart called attention to a proposal to develop a multilateral code of conduct for States operating in outer space, and proposals on the use of space-based remote-sensing techniques for monitoring compliance of international agreements.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Radiological Weapons continued work towards a convention banning the development, production, stockpiling and use of radiological weapons. It reported that its work in 1989 had helped to clarify different approaches which continued to exist on the two subjects under consideration-prohibition of radiological weapons in the "traditional" sense and prohibition of attacks against nuclear facilities.

In July, Peru submitted to the Conference a draft convention on the prohibition of attacks against nuclear facilities.

The Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive Programme of Disarmament reported that in 1989 some progresses had been made towards narrowing continuing areas of disagreement.

The Ad Hoe Committee on security assurances continued negotiations on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

UN seminar on confidence-building measures held in Kiev

A United Nations seminar on multilateral confidence-building measures and prevention of war was held in Kiev, the Ukrainian SSR, from 4 to 7 September.

The seminar, organized within the framework of the World Disarmament Campaign by the United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs in co-operation with the Soviet Union and Ukrainian Peace Committees, was attended by 28 governmental and nongovernmental experts from 15 countries.

The purpose of the seminar was to discuss and assess the value, feasibility and organization of appropriate mechanisms and confidence-building regimes to lessen the risks of war, particularly nuclear war.