February 11, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 12, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 10: Pakistan has urged the international community to evolve a new consensus to achieve disarmament and non-proliferation to address the growing global security concerns, underscoring that it must be based on the principle of equal security for all states.

This plea was made by Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to UN and Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Masood Khan who told the 65-member body in Geneva that the international community’s failure to agree on disbarment and non-proliferation reflected deep divergences amongst UN member states.

A dispatch received by Dawn from Pakistan’s Permanent Mission in Geneva on Thursday said that Ambassador Khan warned against lack of consensus on the vital issue and said: “This is a dangerous trend for peace and security, especially in regions of tension.”

He underscored the need for the conference to adopt a comprehensive and balanced programme to address the four core issues before the international community: nuclear disarmament; fissile material treaty; prevention of arms race in outer space and negative security assurances to non-nuclear weapon states.

He asserted that building a new consensus should be based on the UN Charter’s cardinal principle that security was the right of every state. “The principle of equal security for all states must be maintained,” he emphasized.

He said a new security consensus should address existing and emerging global challenges to regional and international security. This goal, he added, could be achieved through the conference or a special session of the UN Disarmament Commission.

He reminded the conference that President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the UN General Assembly in 2005 had called for a new consensus to achieve disarmament and non-proliferation.

“Such a consensus must be pursued through consultations and agreement among all UN member states,” he underlined.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his message, pointed to a series of setbacks in 2005 and expressed concern over the weakening of the global disarmament machinery.

He called on capitals to develop a new political consensus on priorities in arms control and disarmament.

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