*EPF508 04/23/2004
Text: U.S. Urges Adoption of Resolution on Weapons of Mass Destruction
(Ambassador Cunningham's U.N. Security Council remarks on WMD) (1510)

The U.S.-sponsored draft resolution on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) is the quickest way to stem the threat that terrorist groups will acquire the deadly weapons, U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said April 22.

The resolution, Cunningham said during a public Security Council meeting, "responds to what all agree is a real and growing threat to global peace and security: the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery and the ability to produce them."

If terrorists, non-state actors and outlaw regimes were to possess weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them, the ambassador said, "they would be able to blackmail and create chaos in entire regions."

"The international community has also become aware of the existence of sophisticated, international black-market efforts to buy and sell the plans, technologies and the materials to build these weapons, making them available to the highest bidder," Cunningham said.

More than 50 speakers appeared before the council to discuss the resolution, first proposed by President Bush in his speech to the opening of the U.N. General Assembly in September 2003, when he called for a resolution requiring nations to criminalize the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

U.S. officials have emphasized that the fundamental purpose of the draft resolution is to address urgently a serious gap in international law -- that is, there are no measures to prevent WMD and materials that could be used to make them from falling into the hands of non-state actors.

Cunningham stated that "this resolution is in no way meant to undermine, undercut or otherwise weaken the existing treaties and regimes.

"It asks member states to take precautions to ensure that weapons of mass destruction and their technology are properly controlled. It asks member states to review their domestic controls and to strengthen them, where need be ... to review domestic legislation and adopt appropriate and effective laws to keep dangerous items out of the hands of non-state actors."

A first draft was negotiated and agreed upon by the five permanent members of the Security Council -- China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States - that have veto power, and then discussed with the 10 non-permanent members of the Council -- Algeria, Angola, Benin, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, and Spain. Other U.N. member states had an opportunity to comment on a revised text at the April 21 meeting.

A vote is expected in the coming weeks.

Following is the text of the ambassador's remarks as delivered:

(begin text)

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 59 (04)
April 22, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Statement by Ambassador James B. Cunningham, Deputy United States Representative to the United Nations, on the Draft Non-Proliferation Resolution, in the Security Council, April 22, 2004

Thank you, Mr. President.

And thank you for organizing this discussion today, and for giving us an opportunity to address the entire membership on this vitally important subject and on the draft resolution before the Council.

In September of last year, President Bush came to the General Assembly and said that because proliferators would use any route or channel open to them, we need the broadest possible cooperation to stop them. And he asked the Security Council to help by adopting a resolution that would be effective in the fight against proliferation and against terror.

The same day, Secretary General Annan, in his address to the General Assembly, said that all of us know there are new threats that must be faced, or perhaps old threats in new and dangerous combinations, new forms of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. And he added that terrorism is not a problem only for rich countries: ask the people of Bali, or Bombay, or Nairobi or Casablanca. We agree with that assessment. A terrorist's use of weapons of mass destruction would punish all of us, strong and weak alike.

This resolution that the Security Council will adopt in the coming days responds to what all agree is a real and growing threat to global peace and security: the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery, and the ability to produce them. This is especially relevant with non-state actors, including terrorists. For non-state actors and outlaw regimes to possess these weapons and the means to deliver them, they would be able to blackmail and create chaos in entire regions.

Terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda have shown their willingness to kill thousands, and they do not hide their desire to acquire weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery in order to increase that number many times over. If such a group acquired these weapons, they could be used to bring sudden disaster and suffering on a scale that we can scarcely imagine. And the problem is not just with the weapons themselves; it's with the ability to produce them.

The international community has also become aware of the existence of sophisticated, international black-market efforts to buy and sell the plans, technologies, and the materials to build these weapons, making them available to the highest bidder. Thus the threat the Security Council is addressing is both clear and present.

The resolution under discussion has a focus that is forward-looking; it sets a standard for how nations should act in the future, rather than judging past actions. It reinforces an objective of vital interest to all: that proliferation cannot be tolerated.

We must act now to stem this threat; and the resolution soon to be adopted by the Council is the fastest means to address it.

It asks member states to take precautions to ensure that weapons of mass destruction and their technology are properly controlled. It asks member states to review their domestic controls and to strengthen them, where need be. It also asks member states to review domestic legislation and adopt appropriate and effective laws to keep dangerous items out of the hands of non-state actors, those not authorized by the state.

The goal of this resolution is to halt dangerous traffic by directing member states to make illegal the unauthorized trade in these weapons, their means of delivery, and the plans, technology and materials needed to develop and build them. It asks them to do this by strengthening their national export and transshipment controls, and by providing for the physical protection of sensitive materials within their borders. The desirability of taking these steps, we hope, would be self-apparent.

We have been careful to make clear that this resolution is in no way meant to undermine, undercut or otherwise weaken the existing treaties and regimes. And there is specific language in the resolution to this effect.

The resolution is placed under Chapter VII to send the important political message of the seriousness with which the Council views the threat to international peace and security. It also is placed under Chapter VII because the Council is acting under that chapter and levying binding requirements. But the resolution is not about enforcement.

As others have noted, the current text of the resolution has been revised. The current text is dated April 15. Revisions to the original text introduced by the co-sponsors reflect the useful discussions we have had in the Council, and the many informal exchanges co-sponsors have had with the wider U.N. membership.

The text has been improved by the opinions and ideas shared with us. For example, the revised text includes the recognition of the importance of disarmament obligations.

And while preserving language that makes clear the resolution is not meant to undermine or be at cross-purposes with existing treaties and regimes, it also makes clear that member states not party to treaties or regimes will not be forced through this resolution to adopt them.

Language on the usefulness and necessity of peaceful dialogue has also been made more prominent.

While discussion on a follow-up mechanism continues, I would note that the follow-up committee will establish its own program of work upon its creation, and that this is standard practice for Security Council committees. As is also standard practice, it will be composed of all members and operate under consensus.

I'd also call attention to the language in Operative Paragraphs 4 and 5 of the draft; both of these paragraphs have been included in the resolution to make clear that Member States who find they would like assistance in implementing this resolution may voluntarily request it.

To be clear, we are not necessarily expecting that Member States will be able to report the complete implementation of the resolution when they report to the committee.

In conclusion, the United States and the co-sponsors welcome the views that we are receiving and that we will receive further on today. This is an important issue, and we value this discussion ... as part of our ongoing consultations.

Thank you, Mr. President.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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