IV

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. RES. 479

Recognizing the security interests of the United States in furthering complete

nuclear disarmament.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JUNE 18, 1998

Ms. WOOLSEY (for herself, Mr. FILNER, Mr. STARK, Mr. TOWNS, Mr.

MCGOVERN, Ms. FURSE, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. OLVER, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Ms. NORTON, Ms.

LOFGREN, Mr. SANDERS, Mr. OWENS, and Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts)

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee

on International Relations

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the security interests of the United States in

furthering complete nuclear disarmament.

Whereas on February 2, 1998, former President Jimmy

Carter and more than 100 former or current heads of

state and civilian leaders from 46 nations issued a statement that ‘‘the world is not condemned to live forever

with threats of nuclear conflict, or the anxious fragile

peace imposed by nuclear deterrence’’ and that ‘‘the

sheer destructiveness of nuclear weapons invokes a moral

imperative for their elimination’’;

Whereas on December 5, 1996, General Lee Butler (U.S. Air

Force Ret.) and more than 60 other retired generals and
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admirals from 17 countries issued a statement that ‘‘the

continuing existence of nuclear weapons in the armories

of nuclear powers, and the ever-present threat of acquisition of these weapons by others, constitute a peril to

global peace and security and to the safety and survival

of the people we are dedicated to protect,’’ and that ‘‘the

creation of a nuclear-weapons-free world’’ is both ‘‘necessary’’ and ‘‘possible’’;

Whereas the development and maintenance of nuclear arsenals are extraordinarily expensive;

Whereas the end of the Cold War and the current strategic

environment provide an unprecedented opportunity to revise our national policies on nuclear weapons;

Whereas the United States has a vital security interest in

promoting the nonproliferation and disarmament of nuclear weapons;

Whereas the only security from the threat of nuclear weapons

is their elimination under strict and effective international control;

Whereas the United States has undertaken, under Article VI

of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to

nuclear disarmament;

Whereas the long-term viability of the nonproliferation regime

is at risk if the United States fails to implement the Article VI obligation;

Whereas the United States has successfully achieved nuclear

arms reductions and other arms control measures

through bilateral negotiations and reciprocal actions;

Whereas on July 8, 1996, the International Court of Justice,

in response to a request for an advisory opinion from the
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United Nations General Assembly, concluded that ‘‘the

threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed

conflict’’ and that ‘‘there exists an obligation to pursue

in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict

and effective international control’’;

Whereas on December 9, 1997, the United Nations General

Assembly adopted by an overwhelming majority Resolution 52/38 O following up on the advisory opinion of the

International Court of Justice and calling upon all states

to fulfill their nuclear disarmament obligation by commencing multilateral negotiations in 1998 leading to the

early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting the development, production, testing, deployment,

stockpiling, transfer, threat, or use of nuclear weapons

and providing for their elimination, and requesting all

states to inform the Secretary-General of the United Nations of the efforts and measures they have taken on the

implementation of the resolution and nuclear disarmament; and

Whereas on November 17, 1997, Costa Rica submitted to the

Secretary-General of the United Nations a Model Nuclear

Weapons Convention as a ‘‘work in progress setting forth

the legal, technical, and political issues that should be

considered in order to obtain an actual nuclear weapons

convention,’’ and the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention

subsequently was translated into the 6 official United

Nations languages and circulated as a United Nations

document (A/C. 1/52/7): Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
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1 (1) welcomes the Model Nuclear Weapons Con2 vention as a discussion document intended to further

3 negotiations on complete nuclear disarmament;

4 (2) urges the President to initiate multilateral

5 negotiations leading to the early conclusion of a nu6 clear weapons convention; and

7 (3) requests the President to inform the Sec8 retary-General of the United Nations of the efforts

9 and measures the United States has taken on the

10 implementation of United Nations General Assembly

11 Resolution 52/38 O and nuclear disarmament.

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