Communique issued by South African Department of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, on 23 September 1999 on the SAPA PR Wire Service
[Editor's Note: See also the draft text of the 1999 New Agenda Coalition resolution.]
COMMUNIQUE ON FOREIGN MINISTERIAL-LEVEL MEETING OF THE NEW AGENDA COALITION IN NEW YORK.
A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden was held in New York on 22 September 1999 to take stock of progress on their joint initiative: Towards a Nuclear Weapons-Free World: The Need for a New Agenda as well as to consider future action in the United Nations and other international fora.
The Ministers noted that a degree of complacency had crept into the international push for progress on nuclear disarmament.
They examined the contributions which the New Agenda had made in refreshing the debate on the nuclear disarmament imperative.
They reiterated their concern, in particular, over the absence of a definitive engagement to embark on a seamless process which could lead to the early elimination of nuclear weapons.
The Ministers considered the further steps they would take to advance the New Agenda and the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
They recalled that the Resolution they had launched in the General Assembly the previous year had been co-sponsored by thirty-two delegations and adopted by a large majority of the General Assembly.
They noted the positive response to the contribution which the New Agenda Coalition had made at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee of the 2000 NPT Review Conference and the co-sponsorship by forty-four delegations of their proposals tabled at that session.
The Ministers noted that a fundamental shift in approach was required to push the nuclear disarmament agenda forward.
The New Agenda would continue to urge the five Nuclear Weapon States to make an unequivocal undertaking at the highest political level to accomplish the speedy and total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
This unequivocal undertaking should be manifested by an accelerated process of negotiations, thus achieving nuclear disarmament to which the five Nuclear Weapons States are committed under Article VI of the NPT.
The Ministers also shared their concern at the effects of events in South Asia on nuclear disarmament.
They reiterated their call in the New Agenda resolution on the three states that are nuclear weapons capable and that have not yet acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to renounce the nuclear weapons option, and to adhere unconditionally and without delay to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to take all necessary measures which flow from adherence to this instrument.
The Ministers acknowledged that some progress on nuclear arms reductions was being achieved and that positive steps have been taken to underpin strategic stability by some of the five Nuclear Weapon States.
They reiterated their call on the five Nuclear Weapon States to take such interim steps as were feasible to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their security policies.
They considered that this would significantly enhance the process leading to nuclear disarmament.
The Ministers confirmed that a draft New Agenda resolution will again be tabled at the First Committee of the present General Assembly, the text of which they were submitting to potential co- sponsors.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON BEHALF OF THE NEW AGENDA COALITION PRETORIA 23 SEPTEMBER 1999.