Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 24 June 2004
82 Mr. Howlin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will urge the US President to stop developing new nuclear weapons such as the so-called bunker buster, and to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18834/04]
View answerIreland considers the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as the cornerstone of the international non-proliferation regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the treaty. This view is shared by our partners in the European Union. In our statement to the Third Preparatory Committee to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, or NPT, which took place in New York from 26 April to 7 May 2004, the EU reaffirmed its commitment to the preservation of the treaty in all its aspects. This commitment is consistent with the provisions of the EU Strategy Against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, adopted by Heads of State and Government in December 2003.
Article VI of the NPT, inter alia, commits all states parties to the treaty, including the five nuclear weapons states, to pursue in good faith effective measures relating to nuclear disarmament. Ireland expects all states parties to the NPT to respect its terms and make every effort to achieve its full implementation. Ireland, as part of the New Agenda Coalition, has indicated that it would be deeply concerned about any future role for nuclear weapons as part of any new security strategy.
The question of testing is inextricably linked to the development of any new forms of nuclear weapons. One of the steps agreed in the final document of the last review conference of the NPT in 2000 is a commitment to the early entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. This treaty, which contains an outright prohibition on nuclear tests, will enter into force when 44 named states which are deemed to be nuclear capable — whether civilian or military — have signed and ratified.
All member states of the European Union are states parties to the CTBT and support its early entry into force. Furthermore, in line with its legally-binding common position on the universalisation and strengthening of multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation treaties, adopted in November 2003, the EU is actively involved in promoting universal adherence to the CTBT. The US has signed but not yet ratified the CTBT. In accordance with the EU common position, the question of ratification of the treaty has been raised regularly, including in various multilateral fora.
At the Third Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Review Conference of the NPT, in April this year, the EU reiterated the importance that it attaches to the entry into force of the CTBT at the earliest possible date. We continue to call upon all states that have not yet signed and ratified the treaty to do so without delay and without conditions, in particular those states whose ratification is required for entry into force. Pending the entry into force of the CTBT, the EU urges all states to abide by a moratorium and to refrain from any actions, which are contrary to the obligations and provisions of the CTBT.
Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is a shared priority for the EU and the US and will feature on the agenda at the upcoming EU-US Summit. In accordance with EU policy, including that set out on the EU WMD strategy, issues concerning the strengthening and universalisation of the disarmament and non-proliferation treaties and regimes, including the NPT, will be covered in these discussions. I look forward to a productive outcome at the summit which will help identify joint actions for co-operation in this area.
