Working Paper Submitted by Portugal on behalf of the European Union

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Working paper submitted by Portugal
on behalf of the European Union

Regarding the first to seventh preambular paragraphs and articles I to IV and VII of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the relevant provisions of the Principles and Objectives, the European Union proposes, on the basis of the framework established by the Treaty and the Principles and Objectives laid down at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference, the following elements as areas, among others, in which, and the means through which, further progress should be sought in future:

1. Development of nuclear-weapon-free zones and establishment of zones free of weapons of mass destruction on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at between the States in the region concerned.

2. Signature and ratification by the nuclear-weapon States of the relevant protocols of nuclear-weapon-free zones, recognizing that treaty-based security assurances are available to such zones.

3. Underlining the importance of concerned States taking steps to bring into effect the assurances provided by such treaties and their protocols.

4. Calling upon nuclear-weapon States, as agreed at the Moscow G7/P8 Summit on Nuclear Safety on 19 and 20 April 1996, to place fissile material designated as no longer required for defence purposes under appropriate international safeguards and physical protection.

5. Calling upon all non-nuclear-weapon States to conclude agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as soon as possible to meet the requirements of article III of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

6. Reaffirming the provisions of the Principles and Objectives Decision of the Final Document (Part I) of the 1995 Review and Extension Conference regarding safeguards.

7. Further calling upon all States with safeguards agreements already in place to conclude and bring into force the Additional Protocols with IAEA as soon as possible with a view to the early implementation of a strengthened safeguards system and its subsequent integration with existing safeguards measures.

8. Calling upon nuclear suppliers to continue the efforts of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the Zangger Committee to enhance transparency and foster dialogue and cooperation among all interested parties.

9. Calling upon all States to take measures to ensure that exports of sensitive materials, equipment and technologies are subject to an appropriate system of surveillance and control, facilitating cooperative technological development by providing confidence to suppliers that goods, technology and materials will only be used for peaceful purposes.