UN First Committee
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Other Weapons of Mass Destruction
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UNGA 62/23 (L.7*) Implementation of the Convention
on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use
of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction
Introduced by Poland on behalf of states parties to the Chemical
Weapons Convention.
This annual resolution, which underlines the importance of the CWC
and the work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
(OPCW), followed the same general form from 2006, with some minor updates
and revisions. The present resolution welcomes the ongoing preparatory
work by parties on the Second Special Session of the Conference of States
Parties to Review the Operation of the Convention, and all events conducted
in 2007 in connection with the 10th anniversary of the entry into force
of the CWC. The resolution continues to reaffirm the obligation of states
parties to completely destroy their stocks of chemical weapons and facilities
by the Convention's deadline. It notes that one additional state has joined
the Convention, bringing the total number of states parties to 182. The
resolution welcomes progress towards implementation of the various articles
and calls for the CWC's "full, universal and effective implementation"
so as to exclude completely the possibility of any further use of chemical
weapons. It underscores the contribution of this treaty to the "global
fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations" and reaffirms
the key points in the CWC's First Special Session's Political Declaration,
such as universalisation, effective application of the verification system,
fulfilment of financial obligations, economic and technological development
and peaceful international cooperation.
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
At the 2007 session of First Committee, states were preparing for the
Second Review Conference in April 2008 and the Twelfth Session of the
Conference of States Parties in November 2007, where parties would review
progress made by states that had been granted extensions of deadlines
for destroying their chemical weapon stockpiles. It has long been clear
that Russia and the United States will be unable to meet even their extended
deadlines due to technical, financial, and policy complications. Both
states had their deadlines extended by five years to April 2012, which
is the final non-extendable deadline allowable under the CWC. The Twelfth
Session subsequently adopted a decision reaffirming past decisions regarding
the implementation of Article VII, and encouraging states that have not
yet fulfilled their Article VII obligation to consult with the Technical
Secretariat of OPCW to make their requirements for assistance known and
to avail themselves of assistance that is offered "in a timely manner".
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UNGA 62/33 (L.22)
Measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction
Introduced by India.
This annual resolution, originally introduced in 2002 and unchanged
from previous years, "recognises the determination of the international
community to combat terrorism" and expresses concern about the growing
risk of linkages between terrorism and WMD. With careful wording so as
to enable adoption by consensus, the resolution merely expresses "cognizance"
of steps taken by states to implement UNSC Resolution 1540 (2004), and
welcomes adoption by consensus of the International Convention for the
Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) and amendments to strengthen
the IAEA Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (2005).
It also notes the Final Document of the NAM heads of State or Government
from 2006, as well as the G8, EU, and ASEAN initiatives. Its operative
portion calls on all states to support international efforts and to undertake
and strengthen national measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring
WMD, their means of delivery, as well as the materials and technologies
related to their manufacture. OP2 "appeals to" states instead of "inviting"
them to sign and ratify the International Convention for the Suppression
of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, to ensure its early entry into force. The
resolution also encourages regional and international cooperation to strengthen
national capacities, and requests the Secretary-General to compile a report
on measures and seek states' views of further measures for tackling the
global threat posed by the acquisition by terrorists of WMD.
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
This resolution continued to gain wide support, with the United States
joining as a co-sponsor this year, adding to the cross-regional list of
NAM and European countries that continued to co-sponsor. Although the
origin of this resolution was as much about India's concerns about the
role of Pakistan in Kashmir-related violence, the resolution now goes
far wider, acting as a medium for promoting UN Security Council resolution
1540 (2004) and further developments in international law related to terrorism.
As in past years, Pakistan, while going along with the consensus and expressing
its support for the objective of the resolution, expressed the view that
the language of the resolution needs improvement to more accurately represent
the reality that terrorists are more likely to acquire biological and
chemical weapons than nuclear weapons. The Pakistani delegation further
called for the issues dealt with in Security Council Resolutions 1540
(2004) and 1673 (2006) to be taken up in a more representative forum.
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UNGA 62/60 (L.37)
Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling
of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction
Introduced by Hungary.
This annual resolution, which supports the BTWC, was significantly
revised to positively reflect the outcome of the Sixth Review Conference,
which agreed to a Final Document after a gap of ten years. In particular
the resolution welcomes the decision to hold four annual meetings of states
parties prior to the Seventh Review Conference in 2011, establishment
of an Implementation Support Unit, several measures updating information
transmission mechanisms related to confidence building, and other decisions.
The resolution also expresses satisfaction at the increase in BTWC member
states to 159 parties and continues to urge universal adherence. It welcomes
information and data provided by states as agreed to at the Third Review
Conference and continues to welcome the affirmation made at the Fourth
Review Conference "that under all circumstances the use of bacteriological
(biological) and toxin weapons and their development, production and stockpiling
are effectively prohibited under article I of the Convention."
First Committee: without a vote
UNGA: without a vote
In the general and thematic discussions of the First Committee, states
generally welcomed the outcome of Sixth Review Conference, deemed successful
by many, and in particular the establishment of an Implementation Support
Unit. Many delegations continued to stress the importance of universalization
of the Convention and the need for a verification regime, comparable that
found either in the CWC or the IAEA. Before the vote, Hungary made an
oral amendment to remove redundant language regarding establishment of
an Implementation Support Unit from PP5.
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