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 Massachu-
setts, 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 state-
ment 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
•HRES 479 IH
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 acquisi-
tion 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 ‘‘nec-
essary’’ and ‘‘possible’’;
Whereas the development and maintenance of nuclear arse-
nals are extraordinarily expensive;
Whereas the end of the Cold War and the current strategic
environment provide an unprecedented opportunity to re-
vise our national policies on nuclear weapons;
Whereas the United States has a vital security interest in
promoting the nonproliferation and disarmament of nu-
clear weapons;
Whereas the only security from the threat of nuclear weapons
is their elimination under strict and effective inter-
national control;
Whereas the United States has undertaken, under Article VI
of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to pursue nego-
tiations 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 Arti-
cle 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
•HRES 479 IH
United Nations General Assembly, concluded that ‘‘the
threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be con-
trary 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 lead-
ing 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 Resolu-
tion 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 com-
mencing multilateral negotiations in 1998 leading to the
early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention prohib-
iting 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 Na-
tions of the efforts and measures they have taken on the
implementation of the resolution and nuclear disar-
mament; 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
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
•HRES 479 IH
(1) welcomes the Model Nuclear Weapons Con-
vention as a discussion document intended to further
negotiations on complete nuclear disarmament;
(2) urges the President to initiate multilateral
negotiations leading to the early conclusion of a nu-
clear weapons convention; and
(3) requests the President to inform the Sec-
retary-General of the United Nations of the efforts
and measures the United States has taken on the
implementation of United Nations General Assembly
Resolution 52/38 O and nuclear disarmament.
Æ