L23 Canada EoV

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Explanation of vote

Draft resolution L.23

The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East

Canada has long supported the universalization of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in this connection, has called on India, Israel and Pakistan to accede to and abide by this treaty. Canada supports the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT, which called on all States not yet party to the Treaty to accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear-weapons states. However, in our view, the resolution, in its operational paragraphs, fails to deal with our concerns respecting compliance with the NPT. Canada maintained its abstention on this resolution because, like last year’s text, it fails to deal appropriately with both adherence to and full compliance with the NPT.