UNITED NATIONS, Oct 11: Pakistan told the United Nations on Friday the conference on disarmament and other disarmament machinery is paralyzed not because of the intransigence of the non-aligned countries, but because some major powers are unwilling to allow negotiations on the nuclear disarmament issue.

“Nor are they willing to address present and future threats to global security emanating from the development of new war- fighting nuclear weapons; the development and deployment of the ABM systems; and the ongoing weaponization of outer space. All they are willing to negotiate is what they see as threatening their own security such as the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile capabilities and, this too, with exceptions and special treatment for their own allies and strategic partners.”

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Munir Akram said this while delivering a statement before the General Debate of the First Committee on Disarmament of the 58th UNGA.

Ambassador Akram said: “A huge legal and political dichotomy has emerged in the area of nuclear non-proliferation. While the NPT recognizes only five nuclear-weapon states. There are, today, actually eight, if not nine nuclear-weapon states. This dichotomy needs to be resolved. It can only be resolved in the context of a process of nuclear disarmament by all nuclear-weapon states.

“And, non-proliferation can succeed only if the underlying security concerns of states are effectively addressed. Unilateral and selective efforts to impose nuclear non-proliferation have resulted in the exacerbation of the proliferation threat, heightened tensions in the regions concerned and increased the danger of the use of force.”

He said: “Presumptions of the WMD possession by Iraq, based on questionable intelligence information, have proved to be unfounded so far demonstrating the danger of the doctrine of pre- emptive and coercive non-proliferation.”

He stated: “Unfortunately, these realities are not reflected in the assessments and prescriptions proposed by the major powers, by the ‘New Agenda’ coalition, or even by the United Nations.

“It seems essential, therefore, to evolve a new consensus on the entire gamut of disarmament, arms control and non- proliferation issues, based on the principles of the charter and global agreements, especially the Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament. A partial and self-centred agenda imposed by the major powers is a recipe for increased international insecurity and the continued deadlock in disarmament negotiations.

“The best approach to disarmament and non-proliferation today, as in the past, would include negotiating internationally agreed non-discriminatory treaties and agreements and promoting their observance through specific mechanisms designed for this purpose; removing the underlying security concerns of states which motivate them to seek the WMD and other advanced weapons systems; promoting through cooperation, weapons of mass destruction and missile disarmament by the militarily significant states, simultaneously with equitable non-proliferation; and providing incentives, apart from disincentives, for the acceptance and implementation of non-proliferation obligations.—APP