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M158 '  17 September 1990

NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION: FOURTH REVIEW CONFERENCE

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Senator Gareth  Evans, today welcomed a commitment agreed on during

negotiations at the Fourth Review Conference of the Nuclear  Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to fullscope safeguards as a  necessary condition for new nuclear supply.

Senator Evans launched this proposal during his address to the  Conference on 23 August. The proposal had attracted 28 coÂ­ sponsors from all regions of the world including strong  support from countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Fullscope safeguards involve a commitment by suppliers to  require, and by non-nuclear weapons states to accept,  International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards on all  existing and future nuclear activities, and on materials and  technology. IAEA safeguards, in turn, involve inspection and  verification arrangements to ensure effective surveillance,  containment and materials accountability.

Senator Evans said that it had long been an objective of the  Government and the Australian Labor Party to achieve  international agreement on fullscope safeguards as the minimum  acceptable condition for the supply of nuclear items.

Senator Evans said the commitment set a new and historic  benchmark for responsible behaviour in international nuclear  .  trade and was a further vital measure in efforts to prevent  the spread of nuclear weapons.

He added that the efforts of Australia and others to achieve  acceptance of the commitment had been greatly assisted by  decisions by Japan and the Federal Republic of Germany in  favour of fullscope safeguards.  .  -

Senator Evans urged the small number of nuclear suppliers  which do not yet require this condition to do so now as soon  as possible.

Senator Evans said that he was disappointed that, despite wide  agreement among NPT members on most of the issues before the  Conference, it had not been possible to adopt a final

declaration because of differences over a comprehensive  nuclear test ban treaty and nuclear disarmament issues.

"We have strong views ourselves on these issues, but there  comes a point when more is lost than gained by insisting on  expressing them", Senator Evans said.

Senator Evans said that he was particularly disappointed that  Mexico, which had a very strong record on disarmament and NPT

4

;> issues, had alone felt it necessary to block a last minute  compromise by the President of the Conference.

If accepted, that compromise would have enabled the adoption  of a final declaration, which would have recorded formally the  commitment of the Treaty parties on a number of important  issues, including fullscope safeguards.

Senator Evans said that it was important for the members of  the.  Treaty to work together to implement the proposals which  had been agreed at the Conference in bodies such as the  International Atomic Energy Agency. This would strengthen the

NPT in meeting the nuclear proliferation challenges of the  1990s and would provide a sound basis for a lengthy renewal of  the Treaty in 1995, at the end of its initial 25 year period.

The fourth of the NPT1s five-yearly Review Conferences was  held in Geneva from 20 August to 14 September 1990. (Senator  Evans's address to the Conference, previously distributed on

23 August, is available on request from his Ministerial  Office.)

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CANBERRA

