Statement of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA)

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Statement of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA)

Mr Chairman,
I am making this presentation also on behalf of Dr Fawzi Hammad, member of ECFA and former Chairman of Egypt’s Atomic Energy Authority. At the Council, we have recently established a permanent working group on nuclear issues and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. Dr Hammad is the leader of this group.
It is good to be here again in the same hall where the 1985 NPT Review Conference concluded successfully its review of the Treaty. Many present here today contributed to this success, prominent among them are: Dhanapala, Ben Sanders and Senator Roche.

We come from a troubled area that has witnessed a recent devastating war and a protracted conflict that has yet to be resolved by peaceful means with a view of establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

The 1995 NPT Extension and Review Conference is the only conference of its kind in the history of the NPT so far. It is the unique conference, which had the power to make 3 decisions and adopt a resolution on the Middle East. They were issued to be implemented. Only two decisions were implemented so far, the indefinite Extension of the NPT and Strengthening the Review Process Decision.
It is essential to emphasize the importance of implementing the integrated package of the decisions and the Resolution on the Middle East (RME) within a reasonable time frame. It is also important to emphasize the necessity of devising a mechanism for implementing the results of the review process so as to make it meaningful and workable.

The 1995 package gave great attention to the situation in the Middle East; this is reflected in the following:

1. It considered the Middle East as a region of tension; accordingly it decided (paragraph 6 of Decision 2) that the establishment of a MENWFZ is a matter of priority.

2. Further, it adopted the resolution on the Middle East (RME) which calls upon all states in the Middle East to take practical steps in appropriate for aimed at making progress towards, interalia, the establishment of an effectively verifiable Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical and biological and their delivery systems and to refrain from any measures that preclude the achievement of that
objective.

3. The Resolution on the Middle East also reaffirms the early realization of universal adherence to the NPT and calls upon all states in the Middle East that have not yet done so, without exception, to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place their nuclear facilities under full scope IAEA safeguards.
The 2000 NPT review conference reaffirmed the importance of the RME and recognized the resolution to be valid until its objectives are achieved. The conference also reaffirmed the importance of Israel’s accession to the NPT and placement of all of its nuclear facilities under comprehensive IAEA safeguards, realizing the goal of universal adherence to the NPT in the Middle East.
We believe that the 2005 conference should follow suit and should emphasize a time frame within which zone is established. In view of the challenges facing the NPT, several voices are being raised in a number of Arab countries, why should we continue to be parties to the NPT while all these decisions and resolutions are not implemented? This situation would be aggravated if implementation were further delayed.

It is important to note that UN Security Council Resolution 687 states is paragraph 14 that the elimination of WMDs from Iraq aimed at establishing a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.

It is also important to note that the enhanced inspection regime implemented recently in Iraq under SCR 1441 has been followed closely by the whole world. It is timely that the UN monitoring system (UNMOVIC/IAEA) should resume its activities in Iraq. Verification requires neutrality, experience and universality. It should be acceptable to the world at large.
The delay or the inattention to establish the Zone has led to serious consequences in the Middle East entailing destruction of human life and property in Palestine by the illegal war on Iraq. Further, many peace opportunities in the Middle East such as the Oslo Process, were missed. It is essential to realize that early attention to establishing the zone will be a great asset to the peaceful future of the Middle East.
In this respect, the Arab Summit, which was held two years ago in Beirut, offered Israel immediate recognition if it were to recognize an independent Palestinian State according to the relevant UN Resolutions including those relating to the establishment of MEZFWMD.

Finally, we commend the work done by the League of Arab States in drafting a text of a Treaty banning weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. When circumstances and conditions permit, and we hope this will be soon, other States in the region would be able to join and finalize the conclusion of such an important instrument for peace and stability not only in the region, but in the world at large.