asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the circumstances under which Ireland took the decision to vote against the UN General Assembly Resolution that nuclear weapons would be a violation of the UN Charter, and a crime against humanity.
178.
Written Answers. - UN Nuclear Weapons Vote.
175.
asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reasons why Ireland recently voted in the United Nations Organisation against a resolution relating to nuclear weapons and human rights, and abstained on a resolution relating to the stationing of similar weapons on the territory of non-nuclear states.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 175 and 178 together.
The voting on particular resolutions before the United Nations General Assembly takes place against the background of the wide range of resolutions which may be tabled on the subject in question. In the case of disarmament, a total of 44 resolutions were tabled during the current General Assembly session. The subject matter of the resolutions was as follows:
|
Resolution Number |
Subject Matter |
Ireland's Vote |
|
L.2 |
The non-use of nuclear weapons and the description of their use as a violation of charter and crime against humanity. |
No |
|
L.3 |
Cessation of further testing of nuclear weapons. |
Yes |
|
L.4 |
International week devoted to disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.5 |
Disarmament Fellowships. |
Yes |
|
L.6 |
Soviet proposal on negative security guarantees. |
Yes |
|
L.7 |
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.9 |
Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the Special Session on Disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.10 |
Dissemination of information on the arms race and disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.11 |
General principles of disarmament and agenda for committee on disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.12 |
Disarmament and development (Establishment of disarmament fund for development). |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.13 |
International Satellite Monotoring Agency. |
Yes |
|
L.14 |
Programme of research and studies on disarmament. |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.15 |
Negative security guarantees (Pakistan initiative). |
Yes |
|
L.16 |
UN Disarmament Committee Programme. |
Yes |
|
L.17 |
Relationship between disarmament and development. |
Yes |
|
L.18 |
Reduction of Military Budgets |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.19 |
Report and Work of Disarmament Commission. |
Yes |
|
L.20 |
The Philosophy of Disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.21 |
Confidence building measures. |
Yes |
|
L.22 |
New weapons of mass destruction. |
Yes |
|
L.23 |
Purposes and objectives of the disarmament decade. |
Yes |
|
L.24 |
Prohibition of the development and manufacture of new weapons of mass destruction (Soviet initiative). |
Abstained |
|
L.25 |
Nuclear weapon free zone in South Asia. |
Yes |
|
L.26 |
Inhumane weapons. |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.27 |
Prohibition of nuclear weapons in Latin America. |
Yes |
|
L.28 |
Prohibition of nuclear weapons in Latin America. |
Yes |
|
L.29 |
SALT negotiations. |
Yes |
|
L.30 |
Denuclearisation of Africa. |
Yes |
|
L.31 |
Nuclear weapons free zone in Middle East. |
Yes |
|
L.32 |
Study on nuclear weapons. |
Yes |
|
L.34 |
World Disarmament Conference. |
Yes |
|
L.35 |
Study of regional disarmament and its link with complete disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.38 |
Non-stationing of nuclear weapons on the territories of States where there are no such weapons at present. |
Abstained |
|
L.39 |
Prohibiting the development, production and stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons. |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.40 |
Preparatory Committee on review of N.P.T. |
Yes |
|
L.41 |
Review Conference on chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons. |
Yes |
|
L.42 |
Rotation of membership of Committee on Disarmament. |
Yes |
|
L.43 |
Prohibition of the production of fissionable material for weapons pur poses. |
Co-sponsored |
|
L.48 |
Indian Ocean. |
Abstained |
|
L.49 |
Disarmament and International Security. |
Yes |
|
L.58 |
The Preservation of Societies for life in peace. |
Yes |
|
L.59 |
Non-interference in the internal affairs of States. |
Abstained |
|
L.60 |
Composite resolution on the strengthening of international security. |
Abstained |
|
L.61 |
Situation in Nicaragua. |
Yes |
In considering the attitude to adopt to these resolutions, the Irish delegation was guided by the principles set out by the Taoiseach in his statement to the UN Special Session on Disarmament last May, that is:
what is urgently needed is a serious, comprehensive programme of arms control and disarmament measures which will cover all of the main issues—the problem of nuclear weapons, that of other weapons of mass destruction and the growing problem of conventional weapons.
I do not believe that anyone looking at Ireland's overall voting record on these disarmament issues at the present UN session could be in any doubt that we consider the possible use or further spread of nuclear weapons as anything but disastrous, or that we have in any way departed from this consistent policy.
The particular draft resolution referred to by the Deputy would have the UN General Assembly declare the use of nuclear weapons to be a "crime against humanity" and a violation of the Charter. It also calls on all delegations to submit proposals to the next session of the Assembly with a view to the eventual drafting of a Convention prohibiting the use of such weapons.
Ireland of course considers that the use of nuclear weapons would be disastrous. The Irish delegation however voted against this proposal because in its view the approach adopted in the resolution does not help to advance the major aim of general and complete disarmament.
The resolution, in seeking to declare that the use of nuclear weapons would be a crime against humanity and a violation of the Charter exceeded the competence of the General Assembly. A resolution of the General Assembly which is not legally binding cannot establish a crime. Furthermore, the mere declaration that the use of nuclear weapons or indeed any weapon violates the Charter is not meaningful since the declaration does not identify any specific article of the Charter which would be breached, while the Charter specifically provides for the right of individual and collective self-defence, without imposing any preconditions as to the manner in which this right may be exercised.
In sum therefore, the draft resolution is ineffectual and devoid of any real substance. It has not been the practice of successive Irish Governments to support or condone resolutions of this kind which substitute rhetoric for more constructive and realistic efforts towards disarmament and arms control.
Thus, despite the superficial attractiveness of the resolution, its substance is not in our view calculated to advance the cause of disarmament which we have consistently pursued.
Deputy Ryan's question refers also to the resolution relating to the non-stationing of nuclear weapons on the territory of non-nuclear weapon states which was co-sponsored by the Soviet Union, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Mongolia, Afghanistan, Benin, Democratic Yemen, Ethiopia, Ghana and Laos. Ireland abstained on this because it was couched in terms which were quite unrealistic. It was an attempt to tackle a complex problem in a way which was based on considerations of propaganda, and it attempted to obscure the real difficulties which must be confronted if all our efforts towards genuine disarmament are to bear fruit. It takes no account of the explicit provision of the UN Charter which guarantees the right to individual and collective self-defence. It was not supported by all the nuclear-weapon states, whose support is essential if a resolution of this kind is to be effective. For all these reasons, we were unable to support the resolution.