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MINISTER FOR

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

F M u Ã¢ÂÂ  y m m

15 August 1985

NPT REVIEW CONFERENCE

The Third Review Conference of the Treaty on

the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) — the most  widely accepted arms control measure in existence — will  take place in Geneva from 27 August to 24 September this

year.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs,  Mr Hayden,   who will be in Geneva during the first week of the

Conference,  will lead Australia's delegation and deliver  Australia's statement to the Conference.

.  Mr Hayden said the Review Conference took place

every five years in order to review the operation of the  Treaty. Ã¢ÂÂ   The last such Conference met at Geneva in 1980.

He said that the Treaty, which had 130 members,   had made a crucially important contribution to international  and regional security and stability over the past 15 years.

The NPT was the centrepiece of efforts to prevent  the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries. It  provided the essential framework for international co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. It  was a major element of Australia's nuclear arms control

policy and the basis of our strict bilateral nuclear

safeguards policy applied to uranium.

Mr Hayden said that Australia would aim to use  the Conference to defend and strengthen the effectiveness  of the Treaty.

He said that disarmament and nuclear safeguards  questions would be given the highest priority of attention  by the Australian delegation.

Australia shared the disappointment of many NPT  parties that there had been no progress towards nuclear  disarmament since the last Review Conference and in

particular no progress towards a comprehensive nuclear  test ban treaty. Mr Hayden emphasised that Australia itself  had been active, both bilaterally with the nuclear weapon  states and multilaterally in the Conference on Disarmament  and the United Nations, in working for progress in this  area.

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He said the Review Conference would afford another  opportunity to advance the Government's nuclear arms control  and disarmament objectives, particularly a comprehensive  test.ban treaty.

Mr Hayden also announced that Australia would  seek conference endorsement of an Australian initiative  to require the application of NPT or International Atomic  Energy Agency (IAEA) fullscope safeguards to the supply  of all nuclear items. He said that endorsement of the

initiative would constitute a major additional step in  preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

Mr Hayden added that the other major element

of the Treaty concerned co-operation in the peaceful uses  of nuclear energy. On this matter,  Australia would seek  to foster a positive and practical discussion stressing  the essential link between safeguards and co-operation.

He said IAEA NPT safeguards provided the necessary confidence  that the results of co-operation would remain peaceful.

Mr Hayden said that Australia and other South  Pacific Forum countries would inform the conference of  progress achieved in establishing a nuclear free zone in  the South Pacific.

Mr Hayden concluded by saying that the Government  would continue to work actively and hard to achieve a

constructive outcome to the Third NPT Review Conference.  It would pursue with vigour its concerns within the overall  -context of defending and maintaining the effectiveness  of a vital instrument for world peace and security.

