Statement by H.E.Mr.J.Enkhsaikhan,
Ambassador of Mongolia in the
General Debate of the First Committee
New
York,
October 6, 2000
Mr. Chairman,
At the outset, may I extend
to you my warmest congratulations on your well-deserved election and pledge my
delegation's full support and cooperation. My delegation, like many others, is
confident that your diplomatic skill and experience in the field of disarmament,
your dedication will bring the Committee’s work to a successful conclusion. Our
felicitations also go to the other members of the bureau on their election.
Mr. Chairman,
At
the turn of the century the world is still burdened with excessive arms – some
30,000 nuclear warheads and 500 million small arms. The latter, used in
conflicts during the last decade, caused about 90 per cent of death and
injuries of innocent civilians, of which 80 per cent were women and children.
The military expenditure has grown again since the end of the Cold War,
reaching $780 billion in 1999. This should be borne in mind by the
international community when pursuing global peace, security, arms control,
disarmament and non-proliferation.
Mr. Chairman,
Taking this opportunity my delegation would like to focus on some issues that,
in its view, should be the priority for action in the field of disarmament and
international security. In their Millennium Declaration The Heads
of State and Government of member States of the United Nations have underlined
their determination for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction,
particularly nuclear weapons. This commitment should be vigorously pursued.
Mr. Chairman,
The ABM Treaty, cornerstone of strategic stability, if undermined, could
trigger an uncontrollable nuclear arms race with unpredictable consequences.
Bearing this in mind, Mongolia welcomes the decision taken by the United States
to postpone the development of a National Missile Defense System. My
delegation also believes that it is important for the Conference on Disarmament,
which for several years has been unable to agree on a program of work, to end
its stalemate and to engage in earnest negotiations on an early conclusion of a
universal and verifiable Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty. Pending the
negotiation of that treaty, we would welcome a moratorium by the nuclear-weapon
States on the production of weapons grade fissile materials and greater
transparency through disclosure of their present stocks. In this context I wish
to draw your attention to the suggestion made by the Foreign Minister of
Mongolia, former Chairman of this Committee, at the general debate of the
Millennium Assembly, to look into the possibility of establishing a UN
Register for all stocks of weapons grade fissile material. It is my delegation’s
belief that this would help establish an important balance with the UN Register
of Conventional Arms.
Turning to the increasing
concern over the emphasis placed on nuclear weapons in military doctrines,
Mongolia favours the adoption of such steps as de-alerting of nuclear weapons,
removal of nuclear warheads from delivery vehicles as well as joint undertakings
by the nuclear-weapon States not to be the first to use nuclear weapons. These
are essential safety measures that would reduce the risk of unauthorized or
miscalculated use of nuclear weapons. In addition, provision should be made for
legally binding negative security assurances to be provided to all non-nuclear
States-parties to the NPT. Mongolia welcomes and supports the proposal by the
Secretary-General to convene a major international conference aimed at
identifying ways of eliminating nuclear dangers.
Concerning chemical weapons,
another type of weapon of mass destruction, we reiterate our call for all
States that have not yet done so, to join the Convention. We also expect the
Ad Hoc Group of the States Parties to the Convention on Biological Weapons to
conclude as soon as possible its negotiation of a Protocol on compliance
verification. Mongolia shares the legitimate concern of the world community
over the global proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which are the
principal instruments of death wherever conflicts and wars occur. During the
last decade alone 5 million people have been killed in the regions affected by
armed conflicts in which the small arms had been used. We hope that the United
Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All
Its Aspects, scheduled for 2001, will adopt an action program that would tighten
control, curb the spread and destroy surplus weapons.
Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Chairman,
As
is known, eight years ago Mongolia has declared its territory a
nuclear-weapon-free zone. Since then it has been pursuing policy to effectively
materialize it. Thanks to the wide support that the initiative enjoys within
the international community, of late we have been able to registered some
progress. Thus in 1998 United Nations General Assembly has adopted resolution
53/77D entitled “Mongolia’s international security and nuclear-weapon-free
status”, which welcomed the declaration by Mongolia of its status and invited
Member States, including the five nuclear-weapon States, to cooperate with it in
strengthening its international security and nuclear-weapon-free status. As a
result of serious consultations with the States concerned, it was recognized
that due to its geopolitical location, Mongolia could not establish a
nuclear-weapon-free zone in its traditional sense. It was also agreed that
Mongolia’s case was a unique one that required equally a unique, creative
approach. It was agreed that in Mongolia’s case the status would be more
effective and credible if its over-all external security environment is
strengthened. This understanding formed the basis of the resolution mentioned
above. The measures taken in implementation of the resolution have found due
reflection in the Secretary-General’s report on this item (document A/55/166),
for which my delegation would like to express its appreciation and support. We
would also like to thank UN Secretariat, especially DDA and UN Regional Center
for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, for their support to
implement the resolution. As seen from the report, a number of regional
disarmament meetings have considered this question as part of their agenda.
This provided an opportunity to discuss such questions as the nature of its
relation to nuclear non-proliferation and international security as well as to
exchange views on the best ways and means to implement the resolution. On its
part, the Mongolian parliament has adopted a special legislation on its status.
Now Mongolia is prepared to work with others in institutionalizing the status
at the international level. It is in this context that Mongolia welcomes the
joint Statement on the Security Assurances in Connection With Mongolia’s
Nuclear-Weapon-Free Status, which was made yesterday by Mr. John Holum of the
United States on behalf of the five nuclear-weapon States. In connection with
this joint Statement, the Government of Mongolia has issued the following
statement:
In
1992, in the emerging post-Cold War international environment Mongolia declared
its territory a nuclear-weapon-free zone. The aim of the initiative was not only
to strengthen Mongolia’s security in the new geopolitical setting by political
and diplomatic means, but also to promote nuclear non-proliferation, stability
and mutual trust in the region. The initiative of Mongolia was broadly supported
by the international community. Thus the United Nations General Assembly, in
support of the initiative, has adopted in December of 1998 the resolution
entitled “Mongolia’s international security and nuclear-weapon-free status”
(General Assembly resolution 53/77D). In implementation of the resolution, the
Mongolian Government has taken a number of concrete measures, including the
adoption of a legislation on Mongolia’s nuclear-weapon-free status. It has also
undertaken a series of consultations with the relevant States, especially with
the five nuclear-weapon States, and the appropriate United Nations bodies in
search for ways and means of strengthening the country’s nuclear-weapon-free
status, the credibility and effectiveness of the status as well as the
country’s over-all external security.
As a result of the consultations undertaken by Mongolia with the nuclear-weapon
States, the latter have issued a joint Statement providing nuclear security
assurances to Mongolia in connection with its nuclear-weapon-free status. Thus
they reaffirmed their commitment to “seek immediate United Nations Security
Council action to provide assistance to Mongolia, as a non-nuclear-weapon state
party to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, in accordance
with the provisions of UN Security Council resolution 984 of April 11, 1995, if
Mongolia should become a victim of an act of aggression or an object of a threat
of aggression in which nuclear weapons are used.” They also reaffirmed, in case
of Mongolia, their respective unilateral negative security assurances, as stated
in their declarations issued on 5 and 6 April, 1995 and referred to in UN
Security Council resolution 984 of April 11, 1995. Moreover, Mongolia’s two
immediate neighbors – the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation
– also reaffirmed their legally-binding commitments with respect to Mongolia
assumed on the basis of the bilateral treaties concluded with the latter.
Under the Statement, the nuclear-weapon States have also pledged their continued
cooperation with Mongolia in the implementation of the provisions of General
Assembly resolution 53/77D with respect to the latter’s nuclear-weapon-free
status. The Government of Mongolia expresses its resolve to cooperate with the
above States to implement the provisions of the resolution as well as to
consolidate its nuclear-weapon-free status.
The Government of Mongolia expresses its appreciation to the international
community for the support of its initiative. It believes that the Statement by
the nuclear-weapon States represents an important step towards
institutionalizing Mongolia’s nuclear-weapon-free status at the international
level. The Mongolian Government reaffirms its readiness to cooperate with all
the member States of the United Nations and the relevant UN bodies in enhancing
the effectiveness and strengthening the credibility of the status.
Ulaanbaatar, 6 October 2000”
Mr. Chairman,
Mongolia enjoys good relations with its two immediate nuclear neighbors, which
have supported our initiative from the very beginning. Therefore the P-5
Statement for us first and foremost is of high symbolic importance: it is a
manifestation of the good will and support for our policy by the P-5. The scope
and content of the Statement, which is limited to positive and negative security
assurances of political nature, makes clear that still much needs to be done to
properly institutionalize the status and make it an effective instrument of
promoting nuclear non-proliferation and Mongolia’s national security. This
first positive step should be followed-up by other concrete steps to implement
the provisions of General Assembly resolution 53/77D, including its non-nuclear
aspects. Though Mongolia is recognized as a unique case, the unique approach is
yet to be manifested, which is needed to make the status credible and effective,
to make it a positive factor in enhancing stability and predictability in the
region. In this connection, we would like to share the hope of the
Secretary-General, expressed in his report on this item (item A/55/166), that
the consultations with the relevant United Nations bodies would produce
“concrete and action-oriented approaches to addressing the non-nuclear aspects
of security”.
Mongolia will present for
consideration of the Committee a draft resolution on this item. This draft would
be based on consensus resolution 53/77D and would be circulated in the near
future. It is our hope that the draft resolution, as two years ago, will be
adopted by consensus.
Mr. Chairman,
My delegation would like to express its appreciation to the United Nations
Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific for its
contribution to promoting dialogue and mutual understanding among regional
countries on peace and security. During the last decade the Center has been
organizing a series of regional events in this regard. Mongolia hosted one of
such regional meetings that focused on Security Concepts in the Changing World.
My delegation believes that the Center’s activities should be supported both
politically and financially. Therefore we believe that the on-going
consultations with the Government of Nepal should be expedited and this should
be reflected in the resolution in this question.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.