PARLIAMENTARY ACTION TO ENCOURAGE ALL COUNTRIES TO SIGN AND RATIFY THE COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY PROHIBITING ALL NUCLEAR TESTING, TO ENCOURAGE UNIVERSAL AND NON-DISCRIMINATORY NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION MEASURES AND TO WORK TOWARDS THE EVENTUAL ELIMINATION OF ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Resolution adopted without a vote by the 101st Inter-Parliamentary Conference
(Brussels, 15 April 1999)

The 101st Inter-Parliamentary Conference,

Determined to contribute to the prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects and to the process of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, with a view to strengthening international peace and security, in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,

Recognising the key role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in achieving the above objectives, and appreciating the extension of the Treaty in 1995 for an indefinite period of time,

Underscoring the gravity of nuclear tests and their harmful effects on the natural environment,

Stressing the importance of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) adopted by the United Nations and opened for signature on 24 September 1996,

Emphasising the need to reach agreement on banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices,

Recalling the most recent resolutions of the Inter-Parliamentary Union on disarmament and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, in particular those adopted by the 94th (Bucharest, 1995), 91st (Paris, 1994) and 89th (New Delhi, 1993) Inter-Parliamentary Conferences,

Convinced of the imperative need to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction,

Guided by a sense of responsibility towards the fate of humanity,

A. Nuclear Non-Proliferation

1. Urges all States which have not yet done so to sign and become parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT);

2. Appeals to the States parties to the NPT to implement fully the decision of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference on Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament;

3. Urges universal application of the comprehensive nuclear safeguards administered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and adherence to the 1997 Additional Protocol strengthening the existing safeguards;

4. Calls for the strengthening of controls in order to prevent transfers of nuclear weapon-usable material and equipment, while promoting international co­operation for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy by the States parties to the NPT;

B. Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty

5. Calls for the cessation of all nuclear-weapon tests and for the signature and ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) by all States;

6. Calls on governments of the ratifying States to request the UN Secretary-General to convene a conference, prior to the 2000 NPT Review Conference, in accordance with Article XIV(2) of the CTBT, in order "... to facilitate the early entry into force of the Treaty";

7. Considers that it is important to reach an agreement on the closure and abolition of all nuclear test sites;

C. "Cut-Off" Treaty

8. Calls for the commencement and early conclusion of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral and internationally and effectively verifiable treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices ("cut-off" treaty), on the basis of the report of the Special Co-ordinator of the Conference on Disarmament and the mandate contained therein;

D. Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones

9. Welcomes the creation of nuclear-weapon-free zones in different regions of the world as an important step in achieving the objective of a nuclear-weapon-free world;

10. Supports the existing nuclear-weapon-free zones in Latin America, the South Pacific, Africa and South-East Asia;

11. Calls for the completion of the negotiations for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia;

12. Also calls for the elimination of nuclear weapons and for negotiations with a view to establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East;

13. Further calls for negotiations with a view to establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central and Eastern Europe;

14. Lastly calls for negotiations with a view to establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in other parts of the world where no such zones exist;

15. Calls on all countries possessing nuclear weapons to respect the status of nuclear-weapon-free zones;

E. Non-Proliferation of Missiles

16. Calls for the strengthening of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) through an international non-discriminatory and transparent framework in order to reduce the danger of proliferation of missiles capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction;

F. Nuclear Disarmament

17. Urges the acceleration of the nuclear disarmament process, as required by Article VI of the NPT, the decisions of the NPT Review and Extension Conference, and the 1996 Opinion of the International Court of Justice;

18. Acknowledges the efforts made by the Russian Federation and the United States of America, within the framework of the START I and START II Treaties, to achieve drastic reductions of their nuclear arsenals; appeals to the Russian side to ratify the START II Treaty, and also appeals to both sides to begin negotiations shortly on a START III treaty;

19. Calls for negotiations on the reduction and eventual elimination of tactical nuclear weapons;

20. Welcomes the ongoing dismantlement of nuclear weapons, and notes the importance of the safe and effective management of the extracted fissile materials;

21. Supports the efforts to set up a forum within the Conference on Disarmament to identify and consider nuclear disarmament measures for multilateral negotiation;

22. Calls for the renunciation of the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

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