MR. PRESIDENT

ALLOW ME FIRST OF ALL TO CONGRATULATE MEXICO FOR BEING ELECTED TO THE PRESIDENCY OF THE CONFERENCE ON FACILITATING THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY (C.T.B.T.). ONCE AGAIN MEXICO HAS SHOWED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL CAUSES; AS IT HAS ALREADY DONE IN OUR REGION PROMOTING THE TLATELOLCO TREATY.

THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY IN SEPTEMBER OF 1996 WAS A SIGNIFICANT STEP THAT CONSIDERABLY STRENGTHENED THE NON PROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT INTERNATIONAL REGIME, BASED ON THE TREATY ON THE NON PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS (N.P.T.).

WE HOPE THAT THIS CONFERENCE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REAFFIRM THE IMPORTANCE OF COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY AS A MEANS TO ASSURE THEIR CESSATION.

COUNTRIES SUCH AS ARGENTINA HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONSENSUS IN THE FIELD OF THE NON PROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION, AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WAS OUR SUPPORT TO THE C.T.B.T. FROM ITS EARLY NEGOTIATION.

AT THE SAME TIME I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS OUR APPRECIATION FOR ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROGRESS MADE BY THE PROVISIONAL TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT DURING ITS MORE THAT FOUR YEARS OF EXISTENCE IN VIENNA.

IN SPITE OF ALL THIS, HOWEVER, ARGENTINA EXPRESSES ITS PREOCCUPATION FOR THE HIGH COSTS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF VERIFICATION. THESE COSTS ARE THEN NATURALLY SPLIT INTO QUOTAS, WHICH ITS FULLFILMENT CAUSES IN CERTAIN CASES ENORMOUS DIFFICULTIES FOR MEMBERS STATES.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE BUDGET OF THE ORGANISATION CANNOT BE DETERMINED BASED ON ABSTRACT CONSIDERATIONS ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF PROGRAMS, BUT IT HAS TO BE ESTABLISHED TAKING INTO ACCOUNT IN A REALISTIC WAY THE CAPACITY OF CONTRIBUTION OF MEMBERS AND THE PERSPECTIVES OF THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE TREATY.

THE VERIFICATION ASPECTS OF THE TREATY ARE RELEVANT BUT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE THE FUNDAMENTAL ISSUE IS ITS ENTRY INTO FORCE ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL LAW AS WELL AS THE MAINTENANCE OF ITS PRIMORDIAL OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS THE TOTAL BAN OF NUCLEAR TESTS.

MR. PRESIDENT

ARGENTINA HAS SUPPORTED THE TREATY SINCE ITS BEGINNINGS. MY COUNTRY IS ORIGINAL SIGNATORY AND RATIFIED THIS INSTRUMENT IN DECEMBER 1998, WHICH CAN BE CONSIDERED A RELEVANT CONTRIBUTION FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF ARTICLE XIV.

OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONITORING SYSTEM THERE ARE EIGHT STATIONS TO BE PLACED IN ARGENTINE TERRITORY, WHOSE INSTALLATION IS ALREADY AT AN ADVANCED STAGE.

ALSO, MY COUNTRY PARTICIPATES IN THE MEETINGS OF THE PREPARATORY COMMISSION IN VIENNA, AND SUPPORTS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL VERIFICATION REGIME AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE FUTURE ORGANISATION.

I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERLINE THAT WE CONSIDER IT ESSENTIAL TO CONTINUE ADVANCING IN THE PROCESS TOWARDS THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY, SINCE THIS INSTRUMENT IS AN ADEQUATE WAY TO CONSOLIDATE THE CESSATION OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED TESTS AND THE POSITIVE EFFECTS REGARDING INTERNATIONAL SECURITY.

THEREFORE, AND UNTIL C.T.B.T. ENTERS INTO FORCE, WE URGE STATES IN A POSITION TO CARRY OUT NUCLEAR TESTS TO OBSERVE A MORATORIUM.

ARGENTINA JOINS THE CALL FORMULATED BY PRACTICALLY ALL DELEGATIONS WHO INTERVENE IN THE GENERAL DEBATE OF THIS CONFERENCE REGARDING THE NECESSITY THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE NUCLEAR TEST BAN TREATY ENTERS INTO FORCE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THAT ALL STATES ADHERE TO IT WITHOUT PRECONDITIONS OF ANY KIND.

WE CONSIDER THAT THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE TREATY TO THE INTERNATIONAL SECURITY AND THE NON PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS IS SUBSTANTIVE AND WE THINK THAT THE ENORMOUS POLITICAL JUDICIAL AND ECONOMIC EFFORT THAT THE ORGANISATION CREATED BY THIS TREATY REPRESENTS, HAS TO BE VALUED ACCORDINGLY.

ALSO, THE EARLY ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE C.T.B.T. WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT SIGN WITH REGARD TO OTHER INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION, AMONG THEM THE STRENGTHENING OF THE SAFEGUARDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (I.A.E.A.). THE NUCLEAR NON PROLIFERATION REGIME NEEDS TO BE EFFECTIVE, OF THE COMMITMENT OF BOTH THOSE COUNTRIES WHO POSSES NUCLEAR WEAPONS AS WELL AS THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THESE KIND OF ARMS.

MR. PRESIDENT

WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF CONTINUING ADVANCING TOWARDS THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE TREATY, WE SUPPORT THE DRAFT FINAL DECLARATION OF THIS CONFERENCE, WHICH WILL CONSTITUTE AN UNEQUIVOCAL SIGNAL THAT IN THE BOSOM OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THERE IS NO ROOM FOR NUCLEAR TESTS.

THANK YOU
 
 
 

Sources

http://www.un.org/webcast/ctbt/statements/argentinaE.htm