Disarmament Commission                                       24 April 2006

2006 substantive session                            Original: Chinese and English

10-28 April 2006, New York

Recommendations for Achieving the Objective of Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

Working Paper Submitted by China

The Chinese Delegation hereby requests that the following elements be incorporated in the documents of Working Group I and the Report of the Disarmament Commission.

I.  Nuclear Disarmament 

1.      A security concept based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation should be pursued, so as to ensure common security for all and create a favorable regional and international environment for nuclear disarmament.

2.      The international legal framework governing arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation should be preserved, and the predictability of the development in international security should be enhanced.

3.      Adhering to multilateralism is the right path to maintaining and promoting international arms control and disarmament, including nuclear disarmament.

4.      Efforts in nuclear disarmament, preventing proliferation of nuclear weapons and peaceful uses of nuclear energy are mutually complementary and reinforcing.

5.      The goal of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons should be achieved at an early date and an international legal instrument thereupon should be concluded, thus realizing a world free of nuclear weapons.

6.      Nuclear disarmament should be a just and reasonable process of gradual reduction towards a downward balance. States possessing the largest nuclear arsenals bear special responsibility for nuclear disarmament and should take the lead in drastically reducing their nuclear arsenals in a verifiable, irreversible and legally binding way.

7.      Nuclear disarmament undertakings, including intermediate steps, should follow the guidelines of promoting global strategic balance and stability and undiminished security for all.

8.      The missile defense program should not affect global strategic balance and stability, or impair regional and international peace and stability.

9.      Prevention of weaponization of and an arms race in outer space is conducive to maintaining global strategic balance and stability, and is in the interests of all countries.  The Conference on Disarmament (CD) should negotiate and conclude relevant international legal instrument(s) as soon as possible so as to prevent the weaponization of and an arms race in outer space, and to promote the nuclear disarmament process.

10.  The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty is an important step in nuclear disarmament process, countries that have not done so should sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible so that it may enter into force at an early date according to its provisions, and the nuclear–weapon States should continue to observe their moratoria on nuclear testing.

11.  The CD should reach a comprehensive and balanced program of work so as to begin at an early date substantive work on important issues such as nuclear disarmament, banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons, prevention of an arms race in outer space and negative security assurances.

12.  The following measures should be taken to promote nuclear disarmament, reduce the danger of nuclear war and diminish the role of nuclear weapons in national security policy:

-             To abandon the policies of nuclear deterrence based on the first use of nuclear weapons and lowering the threshold of using nuclear weapons.

-             To honor their commitment not to targeting their nuclear weapons against any countries, nor to list any countries as targets of nuclear strike.

-             To undertake that at any time or under any circumstances, not to be the first to use nuclear weapons; not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones and conclude relevant international legal instrument thereupon.

-             Not to develop easy-to-use low-yield nuclear weapons.

-             To withdraw and return home all the nuclear weapons deployed outside their own territories.

-             To abandon the policy and practice of "nuclear umbrella" and "nuclear sharing".

-             To take all necessary steps to avoid accidental or unauthorized launches of nuclear weapons.

II. Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

1.      Prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation is conducive to preserving regional and international peace and security. It is in the common interests, and is a shared responsibility of the international community.

2.      Prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation is also an effective and necessary step towards complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. Efforts exerted by the international community to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation are an indispensable part of the international nuclear disarmament process.

3.      Safeguarding and strengthening the authority and effectiveness of the nuclear non-proliferation regime serves not only the long-term, but also the real and immediate security interests of all states.

4.      Nuclear proliferation has complex root causes and should be addressed comprehensively. All states should devote themselves to building a global security environment of cooperation and mutual trust, developing a security perception based on mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, and ensuring common security for all members of the international community; thereby removing motivations of states to acquire, develop or maintain nuclear weapons.

5.      To achieve the goal of prevention of nuclear weapons proliferation, states, as equal members of the international community, should promote dialogue and cooperation as well as develop and improve the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

6.      Nuclear non-proliferation should be subject to and at the same time contribute to the improvement of international and regional peace and stability. Concerns related to proliferation of nuclear weapons should be addressed through political and diplomatic means within the framework of existing international laws. Relevant measures should be conducive to maintaining international and regional peace and stability, and should be conducive to strengthening international non-proliferation regime rather than undermining it. Proper solutions should be sought through cooperation and dialogue rather than confrontation or coercion. Countries should not resort to wanton threat or use of force, and should not pursue other objectives under the pretext of nonproliferation.

7.      Double standards on nuclear non-proliferation must be discarded. It is essential to ensure the fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory nature of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Efforts to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime should follow the principle of multilateralism, and be carried out through broad consultations. Great importance should be attached and full play given to the role of the United Nation and other international organizations in these endeavors.

8.      Nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy are complementary to each other, and a balanced and harmonious relationship between the two should be established. While it is necessary to guarantee the legitimate rights of all countries to utilize nuclear energy for peaceful purposes subject to full compliance with the non-proliferation goal, it is also necessary to prevent any country from engaging in proliferation under the pretext of peaceful utilization.

9.      The Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. It's crucial to preserve the effectiveness and integrity of NPT. Both the nuclear weapon states parties and the non-nuclear weapon states parties should observe strictly and comprehensively, and implement in good faith their respective NPT obligations. Principles governing nuclear non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy enshrined in the final documents of NPT review conferences should be faithfully implemented to the letter.       

10.  Universality of the NPT is an important component of preventing nuclear weapons proliferation. Countries that have not done so yet are urged to join the NPT as non-nuclear-weapon states as soon as possible and place all their nuclear facilities under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in accordance with the NPT provisions.

11.  The role of IAEA in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and promoting the international cooperation on peaceful use of nuclear energy is irreplaceable. The IAEA safeguards is a significant means in preserving the effectiveness of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. The universality of comprehensive safeguards agreements and additional protocols should be promoted.

12.  Measures should be taken to further strengthen nuclear export control regimes and to support efforts by the Zangger Committee and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in this regard. Effective measures should be taken to guard against and counter nuclear terrorism, support IAEA efforts in preventing nuclear terrorism and promote the entry into force of the amended Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material at an early date.