Motion by Senator Peter Cook (Australian Labor Party)

(1) That the Senate-

(a) notes:

• (i) the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) Review Conference will be held at the United Nations (UN) in New York from 24 April to 19 May 2000, and
  
  
• (ii) the declaration of the UN Secretary-General (Mr Kofi Annan) in February 2000 that the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda is in a state of `deplorable stagnation', that it is difficult to approach the NPT Review Conference with optimism `given the discouraging list of nuclear disarmament measures in suspense, negotiations not initiated and opportunities not taken', and that a dangerous nuclear arms race `looms on the horizon';

(b) recalls:

• (i) the conclusion of the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons that, `The proposition that nuclear weapons can be retained in perpetuity and never used - accidentally or by decision - defies credibility' and that `the only complete defence is the elimination of nuclear weapons and assurance that they will never be produced again', and
  
  
• (ii) the Commission's observations that, `Nuclear weapons are held by a handful of states which insist that these weapons provide unique security benefits, and yet reserve uniquely to themselves the right to own them. The situation is highly discriminatory and thus unstable; it cannot be sustained. The possession of nuclear weapon by any state is a constant stimulus to other states to acquire them';

(c) notes the unanimous finding of the International Court of Justice in its 1996 Advisory Opinion that, `There exists a clear obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control';

(d) affirms that the nuclear weapon states have an obligation to fulfil promptly their undertaking under Article VI of the NPT to pursue negotiations in good faith to eliminate their nuclear arsenals;

(e) in the light of the above, urges that the nuclear weapon states reject the indefinite possession of nuclear weapons and policies based on their possession, unequivocally commit to the elimination of all nuclear weapons, and agree to start work immediately on the practical steps and negotiations required to achieve this goal;

(f) calls on all parties at the NPT Review Conference to urge the nuclear weapon states to commence and bring to the earliest possible conclusion negotiations to bring about the verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons and the full safeguarding of militarily-useable nuclear material; and

(g) urges that the practical steps toward nuclear disarmament outlined by the commission and the Tokyo Forum for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, and advocated by the New Agenda Coalition of non-nuclear weapon states, be used as a basis for immediate negotiations and action.

(2) That the text of this resolution be conveyed to the UN Secretary-General, to the Presidents of the UN Security Council and General Assembly, to the Chairperson of the NPT Review Conference, to the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom, France, India, Pakistan and Israel, and to the foreign ministers of all non-nuclear weapon NPT signatory states.

Status:     Adopted on March 9, 2000 by a vote of 33 in favour to 27 against.