FC 2004 Colombia EoV L.25

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

Colombia

Explanation of Vote L.25

As occurred in this First Committee last year, during the 58th period of sessions of the General Assembly, my delegation is again obliged to abstain from voting the draft resolution on the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, identified this year as A/C.1/59/L.25 Rev.1, despite its traditional commitment with disarmament, nuclear control and the monitoring and inspection systems.

The Provisional Technical Secretariat of the CTBT Organization, as well as the Preparatory Commission, know about the constitutional impediments of Colombia to ratify the CTBT. Our arguments have been discussed in a public and transparent way during 4 years. Colombia continues to reaffirm its commitment with the Treaty and presenting proposals to overcome its constitutional impediments to make any financial contributions to the Preparatory Commission prior to ratification of the Treaty. We are grateful with those Participating States which have expressed their interest in finding a solution that allows Colombia to ratify the Treaty as soon as possible, as it is our intention.

Regarding our proposals, Participating States suggested that the issue should be discussed further in the context of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization and its subsidiary bodies, with the advice of the Provisional Technical Secretariat. We hope that these discussions will result in a prompt solution to the problem that Colombia has to ratify the Treaty.