Greenpeace Update on CTBT Negotiations
from the Conference on Disarmament
7th August 1996
UNITED STATES -- CHINA AGREEMENT REACHED
It has been confirmed that an agreement has been reached between
China and the United States. The announcement is expected to be
confirmed at Friday's meeting of the ad hoc Committee, and
presumably will be followed by an announcement from China that
it accepts the treaty text.
Reportedly, the agreement is a 'package' dealing with BOTH
Chinese concerns - the use of National Technical Means (NTMs) and
the voting for On-Site Inspection (OSI). Details remain rather
vague, but the 'package' is believed to be along the following
lines:
- On the issue of NTM's, it is believed that the US has or
will offer assurances that it will not include espionage
('spying') as a basis for making a request for an on-site
inspection. This will not require any changes to the text.
- On the issue of voting for on-site inspections, agreement
has been reached that a minimum of thirty votes of the 51-
member Executive Council will be needed to launch an
inspection. It is as yet unclear whether or not this will
require an alteration to the text, but a minor alteration
looks likely to be needed.
While hints and rumours of an agreement were spreading yesterday,
it was only this morning reported 'in confidence' to a meeting
of the Western Group of countries. The Washington Post also
reported the broad outlines of the agreement in this morning's
edition. It is understood that formal endorsement for the
'package' is being sought from all five declared nuclear weapons
states, and is expected imminently.
With China on board, attention would then shift to India in
particular, but also to the outstanding concerns of Pakistan and
Iran. In addition, process issues remain for adopting the text
and transmitting it to New York, particularly in the event of one
or more countries vetoing adoption of the text.
Simon Carroll monitors the CTBT negotiations in Geneva for
Greenpeace and may be contacted at:
Hotel des Nations -- phone +41 (22) 734.30.03, fax: +41
(22) 734.38.84, Room 303;
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