Sixty-first session Agenda item 93 The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East Report of the First Committee Rapporteur: Mr. Abdelhamid Gharbi (Tunisia) I. Introduction 1. The item entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East” was included in the provisional agenda of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly in accordance with Assembly resolution 60/92 of 8 December 2005. 2. At its 2nd plenary meeting, on 13 September 2006, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include the item in its agenda and to allocate it to the First Committee. 3. At its 1st meeting, on 28 September 2006, the First Committee decided to hold a general debate on all disarmament and international security items allocated to it, namely, items 82 to 97, which was held at the 2nd to 7th meetings, from 2 to 6 and on 9 October (see A/C.1/61/PV.2-7). Thematic discussions on the items were held, and draft resolutions were introduced and considered, at the 8th to 19th meetings, from 9 to 12, from 16 to 20 and on 23 October (see A/C.1/61/PV.8-19). Action on all draft resolutions was taken at the 19th to 23rd meetings, on 23, from 25 to 27 and on 30 October (see A/C.1/61/PV.19-23). 4. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the consolidated report of the Secretary-General on items 87 and 93 (A/61/140 (Parts I and II)). II. Consideration of draft resolution A/C.1/61/L.2 5. At the 17th meeting, on 19 October, the representative of Egypt, on behalf of Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, introduced a draft resolution entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East” (A/C.1/61/L.2). Subsequently, Bangladesh and Palestine joined in sponsoring the draft resolution. 6. At its 19th meeting, on 23 October, the Committee voted on draft resolution A/C.1/61/L.2, as follows: (a) The sixth preambular paragraph was retained by a recorded vote of 151 to 2, with 6 abstentions. The voting was as follows: In favour: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Against: India, Israel. Abstaining: Bhutan, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Pakistan, Togo, United States of America. (b) Draft resolution A/C.1/61/L.2, as a whole, was adopted by a recorded vote of 156 to 4, with 6 abstentions (see para. 7). The voting was as follows: In favour: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Timor-Leste, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe. Against: Israel, Micronesia (Federated States of), Palau, United States of America. Abstaining: Australia, Cameroon, Canada, Ethiopia, India, Tonga. III. Recommendation of the First Committee 7. The First Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution: The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East The General Assembly, Bearing in mind its relevant resolutions, Taking note of the relevant resolutions adopted by the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the latest of which is resolution GC(50)/RES/16, adopted on 22 September 2006, Cognizant that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region of the Middle East would pose a serious threat to international peace and security, Mindful of the immediate need for placing all nuclear facilities in the region of the Middle East under full-scope safeguards of the Agency, Recalling the decision on principles and objectives for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 11 May 1995, in which the Conference urged universal adherence to the Treaty as an urgent priority and called upon all States not yet parties to the Treaty to accede to it at the earliest date, particularly those States that operate unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, Recognizing with satisfaction that, in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Conference undertook to make determined efforts towards the achievement of the goal of universality of the Treaty, called upon those remaining States not parties to the Treaty to accede to it, thereby accepting an international legally binding commitment not to acquire nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices and to accept Agency safeguards on all their nuclear activities, and underlined the necessity of universal adherence to the Treaty and of strict compliance by all parties with their obligations under the Treaty, Recalling the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review and Extension Conference on 11 May 1995,2 in which the Conference noted with concern the continued existence in the Middle East of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, reaffirmed the importance of the early realization of universal adherence to the Treaty and called upon all States in the Middle East that had not yet done so, without exception, to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place all their nuclear facilities under full-scope Agency safeguards, Noting that Israel remains the only State in the Middle East that has not yet become party to the Treaty, Concerned about the threats posed by the proliferation of nuclear weapons to the security and stability of the Middle East region, Stressing the importance of taking confidence-building measures, in particular the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, in order to enhance peace and security in the region and to consolidate the global non-proliferation regime, Emphasizing the need for all parties directly concerned to consider seriously taking the practical and urgent steps required for the implementation of the proposal to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and, as a means of promoting this objective, inviting the countries concerned to adhere to the Treaty and, pending the establishment of the zone, to agree to place all their nuclear activities under Agency safeguards, Noting that one hundred and seventy-six States have signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, including a number of States in the region, 1. Welcomes the conclusions on the Middle East of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; 2. Reaffirms the importance of Israel’s accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons3 and placement of all its nuclear facilities under comprehensive International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, in realizing the goal of universal adherence to the Treaty in the Middle East; 3. Calls upon that State to accede to the Treaty without further delay and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, and to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, and to place all its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under full-scope Agency safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all States of the region and as a step towards enhancing peace and security; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session on the implementation of the present resolution; 5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its sixty-second session the item entitled “The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East”. See International Atomic Energy Agency, Resolutions and Other Decisions of the General Conference, Fiftieth Regular Session, 18-22 September 2006 (GC(50)/RES/DEC(2006)). See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and Corr.2), annex. United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. See 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II)), part I, section entitled “Article IX”. See resolution 50/245. See 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II)), part I, section entitled “Article VII and the security of non-nuclear-weapon States”, para. 16. __________________ __________________  sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/397 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/397 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-54774 \* MERGEFORMAT 4 \* MERGEFORMAT 5 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-54774 United Nations A/61/397 General Assembly Distr.: General 1 November 2006 English Original: French jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 06-54774 (E) 141106 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0654774*