NEED FOR UNEQUIVOCAL ACTION IN ELIMINATING NUCLEAR ARMS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 3, 2003 (VIS) - On April 29 in Geneva, Switzerland, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, Holy See permanent observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, addressed the second session of the Preparatory Committee of the Seventh Conference that is examining the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

In his speech he noted that "global security will only be guaranteed through global cooperation, within the framework of an authentically multilateral system," a system that "requires the responsible, honest and coherent cooperation of all. It is thus disconcerting to note ... that so many of the pledges made have not been fulfilled. Proliferation is occurring among States outside the NPT. ... The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty has yet to enter into force. Negotiations for a ban on the production of fissile material have not yet even started."

Archbishop Martin underscored the "uncertainty (that) is emerging about the commitment to many of the international instruments which for years were considered the pillars of the global arms control and reduction regime." He also pointed to the situation of fragility in the geo-political situation, saying that "the architecture of the NPT must be reinforced to enhance international security."

The nuncio said the Holy See wished to stress that "the preservation of the non-proliferation dimensions of the Treaty demands unequivocal action towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. ... The fight against terrorism also requires enhancing our commitment to an integrated program of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The threat of terrorist attacks using nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction ought to galvanize the community of nations to ensure that the NPT, the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime, is strengthened."

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