Preliminary reports by the Chairmen of the three Main Committees and the Credentials Committee

The meeting was called to order at 10.15 a.m.



Preliminary reports by the Chairmen of the three Main Committees and the Credentials Committee

1. The President informed the meeting that the General Committee, having considered at its 4th meeting, the question of overlap of issues between the Committees, particularly with regard to the work of Main Committees I and II, proposed that Main Committees I and II should address the issue of compliance/non-compliance in relation to the articles of the Treaty allocated to them, with Main Committee I addressing issues relating to articles I and II, and Main Committee II addressing issues relating to article III.

2. He took it that the Conference wished to adopt that proposal.

3. It was so decided.

4. Mr. Reyes Rodriguez (Colombia), speaking as Chairman of Main Committee I, said that the Committee had held four meetings, during which it had heard the views of various delegations, including 16 general statements. Following consultations, he had submitted a Chairman's paper to the Committee the previous day and was awaiting reactions and proposals. The subsidiary body of Main Committee I had held two meetings and proposals had been made on the working paper submitted by the Chairman of that body. In his view, the Committee's debate and discussions had begun to focus on substantive issues.

5. Mr. Kobieracki (Poland), speaking as Chairman of Main Committee II, said that the Committee had held three plenary meetings during which 15 working papers and 6 conference room papers had been submitted. The Committee had completed its general debate and was now addressing various individual issues, including safeguards, export controls, physical protection and illicit trafficking, and the question of nuclear-weapon States and other States with unsafeguarded nuclear activities. The Committee would take up the final item, nuclear-weapon-free zones, at its next meeting. Given the wealth of material provided so far, the Committee was in a good position to proceed to the drafting stage. In that regard, he would submit to all delegations an initial draft report of Main Committee II in the course of the current day during informal open-ended consultations. He hoped that delegations would be in a position to discuss that draft report as early as the plenary meeting of the coming Monday.

6. Referring to subsidiary body 2, he said that, in accordance with its mandate, it had held two out of four meetings. The Middle East, South Asia and other regional issues had been discussed. A number of working papers and proposals of direct relevance to the work of that body had been discussed. The Chairman of the subsidiary body intended to submit a draft report in the coming week.

7. Mr. Reimaa (Finland), speaking as Chairman of Main Committee III, said that the Committee had held a total of three meetings devoted to a general exchange of views, during which 28 delegations had made general statements. The major issue addressed had been the peaceful use of nuclear energy, including maritime transport of such energy, radioactive materials, nuclear safety and technical cooperation and the liability and role of nuclear energy in sustainable development. At the Committee's second meeting, a presentation had been made by a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the Agency's technology transfer activities and its technical cooperation programme. Two closed meetings had also been allocated for the presentation of proposals by delegations. In that regard, a total of 10 working papers and four conference room papers had been introduced. To date, 17 Main Committee III documents had been issued. He would submit an informal initial draft report to the first meeting of the open-ended drafting group of Main Committee III. He believed that the Committee would be able to complete its work within the allotted time-frame.

8. Mr. Widodo (Indonesia), speaking as Chairman of the Credentials Committee, introduced the interim report of the Credentials Committee (NPT/CONF.2000/CC/L.1). The Committee had met twice to examine the credentials of representatives participating in the Conference. On the basis of the information received from the Secretary-General of the Conference, the Committee had decided to accept the credentials of 139 States parties participating in the Conference, including those of Liechtenstein, on the understanding that those delegations which had not presented their credentials in the form required by rule 2 of the rules of procedure, would do so as soon as possible. The Committee would keep the receipt of credentials under review and meet again, as necessary.

The meeting rose at 10.35 a.m.

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