UN General Assembly
1998

timely to consider how far we have come and what we have achieved. The adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996 certainly promised the end of nuclear testing. But the global non-proliferation norm was shattered by the nuclear testing in South Asia, raising grave fears of a potential arms race. New Zealand has taken some encouragement from statements made in this Hall in recent days, and hopes that 1999 will be the year in which all countries that have not yet done so will sign up unconditionally to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The Conference on Disarmament has now agreed to proceed with negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty. New Zealand wants to see those negotiations concluded as soon as possible. There must be no stepping back from the objective of complete disarmament, including the elimination of nuclear weapons. New Zealand?s commitment to this objective was reiterated in the declaration which I, together with the Foreign Ministers of seven other countries, issued on 9 June. New Zealand is now working with those countries on a draft resolution