Conference on Disarmament focuses on chemical weapons ban, nuclear tests.

Conference on Disarmament focuses on chemical weapons ban, nuclear tests 

A large part of the work of the Conference on Disarmament at its 1990 session was devoted to the ongoing elaboration of a multilateral convention on the complete and effective prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and their destruction. Work also resumed, after a seven-year hiatus, on a nuclear-test ban.

The Conference--the world's single forum for multilateral disarmament negotiations--concluded its 1990 session on 24 August in Geneva. The first part of the 1990 session was held from 6 February to 24 April and the second part from 12 June to 24 August.

The Conference consists of the five nuclear-weapon States (China, France, USSR, United Kingdom and United States), members of other militarily significant States, as well as neutral and non-aligned countries which form the Group of 21. Non-members have been invited, upon their request, to participate in its work.

Within the framework of its permanent agenda of 10 items, the Conference considered the following major disarmament issues: nuclear-test ban; cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters; chemical weapons; prevention of an arms race in outer space; effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons; and comprehensive programme of disarmament.

The Conference agreed on a number of recommendations aimed at its improved and effective functioning. It also reaffirmed its decision that membership might be increased by not more than four States.

On 17 July, the Conference re-established an Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear-Test Ban following a seven-year hiatus. It had been asked to initiate, as a first step towards achieving a nuclear-test-ban treaty, substantive work on specific and interrelated test-ban issues, including structure and scope as well as verification and compliance. France confirmed its previously announced decision to refrain from participating in the work of that Committee.

The Committee was also asked to examine institutional and administrative arrangements necessary for establishing, testing and operating an international seismic monitoring network as part of an effective verification system of a nuclear-test-ban treaty.

Mitsuro Donowaki of Japan was appointed Chairman of the Committee, which held six meetings from 20 July to 17 August. The Chairman also conducted informal consultations with delegations.

In its conclusions and recommendations to the Conference, the Committee said it had carried out a preliminary examination of specific and interrelated test-ban issues. Those initial discussions were useful in preparing the ground for further consideration of the issue. It was agreed that substantive work on a nuclear-test ban should continue in 1991.

The Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Co-operative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events continued work on measures that might be adopted in the future for the international exchange of seismological data under a treaty prohibiting nuclear-weapon tests, covering nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes in a protocol which would be an integral part of the treaty. It met from 30 July to 9 August under the chairmanship of Ola Dahlman of Sweden.

Chemical weapons

The Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons continued negotiations on a multilateral convention on the complete and effective prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and on their destruction, taking into account all existing proposals and drafts, as well as future initiatives, with a view to giving the Conference a possibility to achieve an agreement as soon as possible.

Other issues

The Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space advanced the examination and identification of issues relevant to prevention of an arms race in outer space. Existing proposals were reviewed and preliminary consideration given to new proposals and initiatives--the major aim: to ensure that exploration and use of outer space would be carried out exclusively for peaceful purposes in the common interest and for the benefit of all mankind.

The Committee recognized that the legal regime applicable to outer space by itself did not guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space. That regime had to be reinforced and existing agreements strictly complied with. Bilateral negotiations between the USSR and the United States on the subject were considered important; it was stressed that bilateral and multilateral efforts were complementary.

An Ad Hoc Committee to continue negotiations on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons reaffirmed that non-nuclear-weapon States should be effectively assured by the nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons pending effective measures of nuclear disarmament.

Specific difficulties relating to differing perceptions of security interests of nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States persisted, it was found. The complex nature of the issues involved continued to prevent agreement on a "common formula". The Committee wanted existing difficulties overcome.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Radiological Weapons, working on a draft convention banning the development, production, stockpiling and use of radiological weapons, said its work contributed to the clarification of different approaches that continued to exist with regard to subjects under consideration.

The question of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons was also considered. A proposal to keep the item under review was accepted.

The Conference also continued to consider the question of a comprehensive programme of disarmament. It decided that the organizational framework to deal with this subject would be considered at the beginning of its 1991 session.