[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2774-S2775]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 107--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE CONGRESS 
    CONCERNING SUPPORT FOR THE SIXTH NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW 
                               CONFERENCE

  Mr. AKAKA (for himself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Roth, and Mr. 
Bingaman) submitted the following concurrent resolution, which was 
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 107

       Whereas the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear 
     Weapons (in this concurrent resolution referred to as the 
     ``Treaty'') entered into force 30 years ago on March 5, 1970;
       Whereas the original 43 signatories have increased to 187 
     parties;
       Whereas in 1995 the signatories agreed to extend the Treaty 
     indefinitely;
       Whereas the Treaty institutionalizes the commitment of the 
     nonnuclear weapons states not to acquire nuclear weapons;
       Whereas the United States, the United Kingdom, France, the 
     Russian Federation, and China have committed themselves to a 
     reduction of nuclear weapons;
       Whereas the testing of nuclear weapons in South Asia by two 
     of the five countries in the world that have not adhered to 
     the Treaty is cause for renewed attention to the dangers of 
     nuclear proliferation; and
       Whereas the Sixth Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference 
     will take place in New York from April 24 to May 19, 2000: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) reaffirms its support for the objectives of the Treaty 
     on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons and expresses 
     support for taking all appropriate measures to strengthen the 
     Treaty and attain its objectives;
       (2) expresses support for strengthening the international 
     inspection system operated by the International Atomic Energy 
     Agency and for the new Additional Safeguards Protocol to the 
     International Atomic Energy Agency Safeguards Agreement that 
     the International Atomic Energy Agency is negotiating with 
     each adhered to the Treaty; and
       (3) calls on all parties participating in the Review 
     Conference to make a good faith effort to ensure the success 
     of the Conference.

 Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a Concurrent 
Resolution expressing the sense of the Congress concerning support for 
the Sixth Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference.
  The Sixth Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference will begin on 
April 24th in New York City. For the first time since the member 
parties agreed five years ago to a permanent extension to this 
important arms control agreement, states will be meeting to discuss 
additional efforts to strengthen the treaty.
  Thirty years ago, this treaty entered into force with 43 signatories. 
The number of parties to the agreement has increased to 187. Only four 
states--India, Pakistan, Israel, and Cuba--are not members.
  At the time of the last review conference in 1995, members agreed to 
hold review meetings every five years to assess progress in 
implementing efforts to attain the treaty's objectives.
  The resolution that I am introducing today, along with Senators 
Baucus,

[[Page S2775]]

Kerry, Roth and Bingaman, reaffirms Congressional support for the 
objectives of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and calls on all 
parties participating in the review conference to make a good faith 
effort to ensure the conference's success. A similar resolution is 
being introduced in the House of Representatives.
  Many states have called into question American commitment to the 
control of nuclear weapons because of the Senate vote last year on the 
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and because of fears that the American 
development of a national missile and theater missile defense systems 
are efforts to negate the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM).
  I believe that Congressional support for the NPT and for other 
workable arms control agreements that achieve serious reductions in 
weapons of mass destruction is as strong as ever. The Congress will be 
looking very closely at this conference for reassurance that the other 
parties to the NPT, most especially the other nuclear weapons states 
such as China and Russia, share an equal commitment to attaining the 
objectives of the NPT.
  There have been suggestions that states will attempt to disrupt the 
conference by walking out or by proposing resolutions critical of the 
United States and other states. Such efforts will damage the treaty and 
give satisfaction only to those countries, such as Iraq and Iran, who 
still appear to desire nuclear weapons.
  Our resolution also expresses support for strengthening the 
international verification system operated by the International Atomic 
Energy Agency (IAEA). When the NPT was negotiated in 1970, the IAEA 
safeguards system was designated as its global verification mechanism. 
IAEA inspectors review the nuclear programs of all non-nuclear weapon 
members and, while the five legally recognized nuclear weapons states--
Britain, France, China, Russia, United States--are not obligated to 
permit inspections, in practice IAEA has some access to their 
facilities.
  The Gulf War revealed inadequacies in the IAEA safeguard system. The 
discovery of Iraq's secret nuclear program demonstrated the need for 
additional IAEA powers of information collection and inspection. 
Efforts are now underway to develop a Strengthened Safeguards system of 
which a critical part will be a new inspection protocol providing IAEA 
inspectors additional authority to collect more information about a 
wider range of activities. This new information and access will be 
critical to detecting states, such as Iraq and Iran, who may try to 
develop secretly a nuclear weapon.
  There is no greater threat to America's security than the 
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The Nonproliferation 
Treaty and the role of the IAEA are essential parts of our efforts to 
prevent nuclear catastrophe. I urge my colleagues to join in supporting 
this resolution and ensuring its speedy consideration.

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