asked the Minister for External Affairs if, in view of the grave dangers, both immediate and more remote, to the health of the people which must follow the continued practice of hydrogen bomb testing by the three great powers, he will instruct our representative at U.N.O. to protest most vigorously against such practices and to seek to gain support for a similar protest by the other small nations who are members of U.N.O.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hydrogen Bomb Testing.
The question of effective international control and eventual prohibition of nuclear weapons has been entrusted to the Disarmament Commission of the United Nations.
The attention of the commission has been drawn to several appeals for the cessation of nuclear test explosions by a resolution which the General Assembly passed on the 14th February last. The effect of the resolution was to request the commission and its subcommittee to re-convene at an early date and to recommend them to give prompt attention to the various proposals which had been submitted to the United Nations. These proposals included:—
1.) A joint Draft Resolution by Canada, Japan and Norway recommending the advance registration of nuclear test explosions with the United Nations and its scientific committee.
2.) A Memorandum by Great Britain and France recommending the prohibition of the manufacture and use of nuclear weapons and the conversion of existing stocks for peaceful purposes.
3.) A United States memorandum recommending the use in future of all fissionable material produced for peaceful purposes, the regulation and elimination of nuclear test explosions and the eventual reduction of the stocks of nuclear weapons.
4.) A U.S.S.R. draft Resolution calling for the abolition of all nuclear weapons and the conversion of existing stocks to peaceful purposes. A two-phased reduction with controls is envisaged. A further U.S.S.R. draft Resolution calling for the abolition forthwith of tests in thermonuclear weapons.
5.) Proposals of India to cease all nuclear test explosions, prohibition of the further use of fissionable material for military purposes, prohibition of the transfer of stocks from civilian to military use and the reduction of nuclear weapons.
6.) A Draft Resolution of Yugoslavia calling for a cessation of experimental explosions of nuclear weapons.
7.) A Draft Resolution of Canada, France, Great Britain and the United States recommending prohibition of manufacture and use of nuclear weapons and the conversion of existing stocks to peaceful uses.
Our representative was present in the General Assembly on the 14th February and assented to this resolution.