Conference on Disarmament ends work for 1984; some progress on chemical weapons, but no action on nuclear issues.

New proposals for a chemical weapons treaty from the United States, Soviet Union and China were considered a "hopeful sign" in the words of Rolf Ekeus of Sweden, Chairman of the body's Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons charged with the actual negotiating process.

However, the Conference, during the 24 weeks of its two-part session (7 February-27 April, 12 June-31 August), because of lack of consensus, could not agree on a mandate for an ad hoc subsidiary body to consider a test ban, nor on the establishment of subsidiary bodies to deal with the items on cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war including all related matters; and prevention of an arms race in outer space.

In a statement, the Group of 21 neutral or non-aligned States asserted that under the circumstances, serious consideration should be given to amending the rules of procedure, to the effect that the rule of consensus should not be used in such a way as to prevent the establishment of subsidiary organs for the effective performance of the functions of the Conference.

At the session's end, a number of nations expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of progress at the 1984 session, some of whom related that to the status of the current international political situation.

'Mutual Suspicion': On 10 July, Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar told the Conference that the arms race had created a precarious situation "which has its origin in the atmosphere of mutual suspicion prevailing between the two leading nuclear Powers".

The challenge, he said, is to "acquire the necessary capacity to dispel this mutual suspicion and to establish in its place the essential basis for mutual trust which will enable us to halt the arms race and progressively negotiate reductions in arms levels".

The Conference should intensify its efforts "in the present critical situation". Nuclear war, he went on, would be "the final negation of man". Although the basic key to avoiding nuclear war was in the hands of the leading nuclear Powers, the other States also had a duty to make a contribution, controlling situations which could reach the dangerous nuclear threshold, he said.

In addition to its chemical weapons committee, the Conference established other committees to deal with radiological weapons, security assurances for non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, and a comprehensive programme of disarmament.

Reports from these committees were approved as part of the Conference's annual report to the General Assembly (see below). The Conference--the world's only multilateral body for disarmament and arms limitation negotiations--concluded its session in Geneva by adopting that report.

During the session, the Conference also consulted regarding a proposed increase in membership (from 40 to 44), and measures to improve the body's functioning.

Requests for membership have been received from Norway, Finland, Austria, Turkey, Senegal, Bangladesh, Spain, Viet Nam, Ireland, Tunisia, Ecuador, Cameroon and Greece.

Members: Members of the Conference now include the five nuclear-weapon States (China, France, USSR, United Kingdom, United States) and the following 35 countries: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burma, Canada, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Egypt, Ethiopia, German Democratic Republic, Federal Republic of Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Venezuela, Yugoslavia and Zaire.

Conference President for August (the office rotates alphabetically on a monthly basis among members), Ian T. Cromartie (United Kingdom), will continue to carry out his functions until the start of the 1985 session on 5 February.

Other Conference Presidents this year were Stanislaw Turbanski (Poland), February; Ion Datcu (Romania), March; Jayantha Dhanapala (Sri Lanka), April; Maj Britt Theorin (Sweden), June; Victor L. Issraelyan (Soviet Union), July.

Rikhi Jaipal is Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General. Vicente Berasategui is Deputy Secretary-General of the Conference.

Chemical Weapons

The Conference's Ad Hoc Committee on Chemical Weapons embarked on its priority task of negotiating a multilateral convention on the complete and effective prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical weapons and on their destruction.

Among the numerous proposals submitted this year were the United States draft convention on the prohibition of chemical weapons (CD/500), presented on 18 April by United States Vice-President George Bush. The text provides for an "open invitation" verification scheme by which all States would agree to open for international inspection on short notice all military or government-owned or government-controlled facilities. The United States also submitted in July a paper (CD/516) on the declaration and interim monitoring of chemical weapons stockpiles.

The Soviet Union in July 1982 had submitted a comprehensive document (CD/294) containing "Basic Provisions" for a chemical weapons convention. In February this year, in the Conference debate, it also stated it could agree to verification of destruction of chemical stocks by a "permanent presence" of international inspectors at destruction facilities--a departure from earlier policy.

China's proposals (CD/443) also outline elements for a treaty, including some of definitions, such as that for "chemical warefare agents".

In introducing the Committee's report, Chairman Ekeus said the Committee in 1984, in defining and developing procedures on holding negotiations in the Conference, for the first time had actually undertaken negotiations on the text of a convention.

Due to the extensive and complicated nature of the substance of a text and the limited time available, it had not been possible to consider all parts of the convention at this session. It had, however, been possible to draft the main parts of the scope of the convention, he said.

The question of how to formulate the prohibition of the use of chemical weapons still remained to be resolved. The crucial issue of the definition of chemical weapons appeared essentially to be solved. Furthermore, a solution to the question of the concept of chemical warfare agents had been formed, the Chairman said.

The issue of the declarations of chemical weapons had partly been subject to drafting, he went on. Consultations were being held on the declarations of locations of chemical weapon stockpiles. The problem of the destruction of chemical weapons had been elaborated upon, including the question of diversion as well as schedules for a balanced destruction of chemical weapons. The issue of production facilities, especially so-called single purpose facilities, had been treated in parts for the first time, he said.

Considerable work had been done on the issue of compliance. A first text concerning the preparatory commission to be entrusted with the task of preparing the work of the proposed Consultative Committee had been elaborated, and consultations had been held on that text, Mr. Ekeus concluded.

The chemical weapons committee's recommendations are, among other things, that:

* The preliminary structure of convention, complemented by preliminary draft texts, as stated in its report, be used for further negotiations and drafting of the convention;

* Reports of the Chairmen of the working groups on scope, elimination, and compliance, including proposed draft formulations, and other relevant present and future Conference documents, also be used in the further elaboration of the convention; and

* A resumed session of the Conference be held next year after the regular session, of long enough duration to ensure that the period between September 1985 and January 1986 would be more fully utilized for negotiations.

The committee is also to convene from 14 January to 1 February 1985, before the annual Conference, to deal with the issues of permitted activities and verification on challenge, including matters related to the Consultative Committee.

Nuclear Test Ban

The item on a comprehensive nuclear test ban was considered at plenary meetings and in informal meetings. As no consensus was reached on a mandate, the Conference was unable to establish a subsidiary body to consider the subject.

A large number of countries, including members of the Group of...