Preparatory Committee for the 2000
Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
NPT/CONF.2000/PC.II/4
28 April 1998
ORIGINAL:
Second session
Geneva, 27 April - 8 May 1998
DRAFT STATEMENT ON CURRENT START
STANDSTILL
Submitted by Canada
The States Parties present at the 1998 NPT Preparatory Committee consider
that the START process, a key element in systematic and progressive
efforts toward the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons, needs
to be reinvigorated. While actual reductions in deployed nuclear weapons
are taking place through the implementation of START I, START II is
in limbo pending its ratification by the Russian Federation and the
ratification by the Russian Federation and the United States of America
of several associated agreements.
These States Parties recall the importance of States Parties' undertakings
in the NPT and the 1995 decision on Principles and Objectives for
Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. These States Parties also
recall recent resolutions by the UN General Assembly on this issue,
including resolution 52/38 M, "Bilateral nuclear arms negotiations
and nuclear disarmament" which, in particular, expressed satisfaction
with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States of
America to START II, expressed hope that it will soon be possible
for the Russian Federation to take corresponding steps to ratify the
Treaty, and urged "the Russian Federation and the United States
of America to commence negotiations on a START III agreement immediately
after START II enters into force. These States Parties wish to emphatically
confirm the importance of the START process to the continuing reduction
of nuclear weapons and thereby to the strengthening of international
security and stability.
These States Parties call on the Russian Federation to ratify START
II as quickly as possible and call on both the Russian Federation
and the United States of America to approve formally all agreements
and undertakings associated with the ratification and implementation
of START II.
These States Parties reiterate the importance of the Joint Statement
on Parameters on Future Reductions in Nuclear Forces, signed by Presidents
Clinton and Yeltsin on March 21, 1997, setting out parameters for
a START III negotiation. That Statement demonstrates the continuing
commitment by those two states to the process of nuclear weapons reductions
through START II, START III and beyond. These States Parties urge
the early implementation of that Statement at the lowest possible
levels.
These States Parties also express the view that the process of negotiated
nuclear weapons reductions and transparency measures should be expanded
at an appropriate point in the near future to include all five nuclear-weapon
States.
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