Further progress on chemical weapons ban, other "promising developments", reported.

Further progress on chemical weapons ban, other "promising developments', reported

THE 1987 CONFERENCE on Disarmament has reported considerable progress in negotiations on a multilateral convention on the complete and effective prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and on their destruction. The 40-member body held its two-part session (3 February-30 April, 9 June-28 August) session in Geneva.

The Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons of the Conference, Rolf Ekeus of Sweden, said the chemical weapons convention was no longer a distant goal but a real possibility, adding that today a largely developed draft text of the future convention existed with most elements in place.

Pierre Morel of France, Conference President for the month of August, at the conclusion of the session, said it had been "very active . . . rich in promising developments but also frustrating in some regards'.

It had incontestably benefited from the recent evolution in the international situation, particularly Soviet-American relations. All States had agreed that verification was an essential part of any disarmament agreement and needed rigorous examination. The increased interest of the international community in the work of the Conference had been reflected in the contributions of eminent government representatives.

During the 1987 session, the Conference established subsidiary bodies to continue work on disarmament questions within the framework of its permanent agenda of 10 items. In addition to the Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons, subsidiary bodies were established to continue work on the prevention of an arms race in outer space, a radiological weapons ban, a comprehensive programme of disarmament and security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon States.

Conference members were unable to agree on creation of ad hoc committees dealing with a nuclear test ban, cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament and prevention of nuclear war. The Conference held consultations on new types of weapons of mass destruction and new weapons of such systems, but no consensus was reached on proposals made on that subject.

The Conference reaffirmed its decision that its membership might be increased by not more than four States, with candidates from the Group of 21, the Socialist Group and the Western Group.

It was proposed that an additional session of the Conference be held in 1987 to complete drafting of the chemical weapons convention, but no action was taken.

Chemical weapons: The Conference, reporting on progress on the chemical weapons ban, said all major issues had been grouped into four "clusters' concerning chemical weapons stocks; chemical weapons production facilities; non-production of chemical weapons; and organization and functions of the Consultative Committee and its organs, as well as consultation, co-operation and fact-finding, including challenge inspection. The Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons will meet again in Geneva from 12 to 29 January 1988.

Nuclear test ban: The Conference, after informal consultations on establishing a subsidiary body to initiate negotiations on a nuclear test ban, again failed to achieve consensus.

The members of the Group of 21 reaffirmed the utmost importance they continued to attach to the urgent conclusion of a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. Many group members referred to the Harare Declaration of 1986 as well as to the successive joint statements on the subject made by the leaders of Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden and the United Republic of Tanzania, known as the "Six Nations Initiative'. They reaffirmed their call for a bilateral moratorium on nuclear testing and called for an immediate beginning of multilateral negotiation of a treaty in an ad hoc committee of the Conference with an appropriate mandate based on their previous proposals to this end.

Socialist countries continued to regard the cessation of all nuclearweapon tests as an important independent measure instrumental in curbing the nuclear arms race. A comprehensive nuclear test was a high priority measure, and all avenues should be explored to that end, including preparatory work for establishing an international monitoring network to verify compliance with a comprehensive test ban (CTB) and convening a conference of States Parties to the 1963 Partial Test Ban Treaty to consider possible amendments aimed at converting it into a comprehensive ban. The Group in June submitted a document entitled "Basic provisions of a treaty on the complete and general prohibition of nuclearweapon tests', stressing they wished to stimulate an early start of substantive full-scale negotiations at the Conference.

Western countries also emphasized the high priority they gave the item on a nuclear test ban and hoped for a start to substantive work on the subject without further delay. There were many issues and aspects related to a nuclear test ban on which the Conference, in their view, could and must undertake serious work, and cited a draft mandate they had proposed in 1984 and a draft programme of work tabled in 1985. The Group was ready to consider positively any initiative to solve the mandate question, including an informal proposal made by the Conference President in April as a basis for developing a consensus. They felt, however, that the draft mandate contained in the proposal of the Group of 21 did not involve a new approach.

China said it would be prepared, once the two States with the largest nuclear arsenals had taken the lead in halting the testing, production and deployment of nuclear weapons and drastically reducing their nuclear arsenals, to take corresponding measures. It reiterated its willingness to participate in a subsidiary body on the item and stated its flexible approach with regard to that body's terms of reference.

The Conference also reviewed reports of the Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Co-operative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events, set up in 1976 to facilitate verification of a comprehensive testban treaty. The Group reported on discussion so the overall concept of a modern international seismic data exchange system based on the expeditious exchange of waveform (Level II) and parameter (Level I) data and the processing of such data at international data centres (IDCs). Further work would include planning and carrying out of a large-scale experiment in 1988 on the exchange of waveform (Level II) data. The Group will meet again in March 1988.

Outer space: The Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space has a mandate to examine and identify issues relevant to the prevention of an arms race in outer space, taking into account all existing agreements, proposals and future initiatives, as well as developments that had taken place since the Committee was established in 1985.

The Committee reported that during the discussions in 1987, it was recognized that the legal regime applicable to outer space, as such, was not sufficient to guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space. There was recognition of the significant role that that regime played in the prevention of an arms race in outer space and of the need to consolidate and reinforce that regime and of the importance of strict compliance with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral. Preliminary consideration was given to proposals aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space and ensuring that its exploration and use will be carried out exclusively for peaceful purposes in the common interest and for the benefit of all mankind.

It was agreed that no effort should be spared to ensure that substantive work on this agenda item would continue at the next session of the Conference.

Nuclear arms race: Informal meetings were held during 1987 on the substance of the agenda item on "cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament' on the basis of a list of topics prepared by the President to facilitate a structured discussion. The list included issues concerning interrelation between bilateral and multilateral consideration of the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; participation in negotiations for the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; the role of the Conference on Disarmament; security concepts relating to nuclear weapons; implementation of paragraph 50 of the 1978 Final Document of the first special session of the General Assembly on disarmament; interrelation between measures for the cessation of the nuclear arms race and disarmament measures in other areas; verification in relation to the purposes, scope and nature of agreements; and existing proposals.

Prevention of nuclear war: Consultations on the item on "prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters' were held to consider including proposals to establish a subsidiary body, but no agreement could be reached during those consultations.

A draft mandate for an ad hoc committee, proposed by the Group of 21, said the body should, as a first step, consider all proposals relevant to the subject, including appropriate and practical measures for the prevention of nuclear war.

Western countries expressed their disappointment because that draft mandate would not facilitate a discussion of the agenda item, and they could not associate themselves with a consensus on it. The Group was, however, ready to make renewed efforts to develop an appropriate format to examine the item and attached the greatest importance to concrete policies and actions to prevent all wars, including nuclear war.

Socialist countries, considering that the prevention of nuclear war was an issue of the highest priority, believed that concrete negotiations could and should be undertaken to elaborate measures to avoid such a war. There was a solid basis to start such negotiations and that to that end a subsidiary body should be established. It fully supported the mandate proposed by the Group of 21, as it was realistic and took into account the point of view of other delegations.

China believed that the United Nations had an important role to play in the prevention of nuclear war and that the Conference on Disarmament should establish an ad hoc committee on the item to undertake negotiations with a view to reaching agreement on appropriate and practical measures for the prevention of nuclear war.

The Group of 21 deeply regretted the inability of the Conference to set up an ad hoc committee under the agenda item. It had put forward a non-negotiating mandate that would permit a thorough consideration of all aspects--legal, political, technical, military--of all proposals before the Conference to pave the way for negotiations for an agreement on the prevention of nuclear war. Such an objective could not be achieved through discussions in plenary or informal meetings.

Comprehensive programme: The Ad Hoc Committee on the Comprehensive Programme of Disarmament continued its work through contact groups, open to all interested delegations, to resolve existing differences with respect to certain texts. Some agreement on texts was reached, but in others, differences persisted. New proposals were also submitted.

The Ad Hoc Committee reported that delegations could not take final positions on the Comprehensive Programme until agreement was reached on outstanding points of difficulty and until the document was complete. In view of the fact that areas of disagreement remained with respect to various aspects of the Programme, the Committee recommended to the Conference that it be re-established in 1988 to resolve outstanding issues and conclude negotiations on the Programme in time for its submission to the third special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament in 1988.

Radiological weapons: The Ad Hoc Committee on Radiological Weapons established two contact groups. Contact Group A produced a report on the "possible elements for a convention on the prohibition of radiological weapons'. Contact Group B submitted a report on the possible elements relevant to the prohibition of attacks against nuclear facilities'. No substantive progress was made.

Security assurances: An ad hoc committee continued negotiations with a view to reaching agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The body 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. Work on the substance of the effective arrangements and discussion on various aspects of an interim solution, however, revealed that specific difficulties relating to differing perceptions of security interests of nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States persisted and that the complex nature of the issues involved continued to prevent agreement on a "common formula'. At the same time, the discussion underlined the wide support for continuing the search for such a common formula' which could be included in an international legally binding instrument to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

The Ad Hoc Committee recommended to the Conference that ways and means should continue to be explored to overcome the difficulties encountered in its work in carrying out negotiations on the subject and that the Ad Hoc Committee should be re-established in 1988.

Photo: Delegates from all regions of of world meet at the square table of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva.