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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 2 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 2

Written Answers. - Nuclear Disarmament Initiative.

Enda Kenny

Ceist:

23 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on initiatives taken by this country on nuclear non-proliferation. [25490/99]

As the Deputy will be aware, in the Dublin Declaration of 9 June 1998, I launched an initiative to achieve a nuclear weapon-free world, together with my colleagues, the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Egypt, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia, South Africa and Sweden.

The new agenda proposes that the nuclear weapon states undertake a new and unequivocal commitment to the speedy and total elimination of their nuclear arsenals. Having made such a commitment, they are called upon to proceed without delay to an accelerated process of negotiations with a view to achieving nuclear disarmament at the earliest possible date.
At the 1998 session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, Ireland tabled a resolution on behalf of the new agenda delegations and 25 additional co-sponsors, which secured the support of 114 delegations, with 38 abstentions and 18 negative votes.
At the third preparatory committee meeting of the states parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, held in April this year, the new agenda once again tabled a proposal for the approach to the 2000 NPT review conference, with a co-sponsorship which had by then increased to 44 delegations.
Yesterday at the plenary of the General Assembly in New York, the second new agenda resolution which included 59 co-sponsoring delegations, was adopted with 111 votes in favour, 39 abstentions and 13 votes against.
In the coming year the new agenda coalition will focus on the 2000 NPT review conference with a view to securing from the nuclear weapon states the agreement of the states parties to the commitments and the agenda set out in the new agenda.
The 2000 NPT review conference is scheduled for next April. It will be a particularly important gathering of the states parties. Recent developments, including nuclear testing by India and Pakistan, and non-compliance by Iraq and North Korea, weigh heavily on the international community.
Ireland, as the initiator of the NPT, has a particular role and responsibility in upholding this cornerstone of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation. The Government is committed to work for the full achievement of the goals of the treaty.
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