Work on nuclear-test ban continues: views on security assurances heard.

• Position: Includes related article on Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons review conference

A pledge not to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon States parties to the 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) - "except in the case of an invasion or any other attack" on their territories--highlighted the conclusion of the first part of the 1995 Conference on Disarmament (31 January-6 April, Geneva).

In a joint statement on 6 April, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States called for the "unconditional and indefinite continuation" of the NPT.

During the debate, China, also a nuclear-weapon State, in urging a "smooth extension" of the NPT, said that its undertaking was it would not be the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances, nor would it use or threaten to use them against non-nuclear States or nuclear-weapon-free zones.

A number of delegations welcomed those statements as an important contribution to a successful conclusion of the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference (17 April-12 May, New York).

The "Group of 21" non-aligned and neutral countries stressed the need for an "unconditional, multilaterally-negotiated and legally binding" convention on negative security assurances, which renounce the use of nuclear weapons, to be negotiated in the Conference on Disarmament.

In a joint statement, they also called for positive assurances--providing support to a victim of a nuclear-weapon attack--that "go beyond a mere reiteration of the principles of the UN Charter", and declared that Article 51 "should not be interpreted as legitimizing the use of nuclear weapons".

Although it was generally conceded that security assurances were an integral part of the non-proliferation regime and an essential element for NPT extension, the 38-member Conference--the world's sole multilateral disarmament body--was still unable to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee on that item.

Divergencies of view also prevented the Conference from re-establishing Ad Hoc committees on transparency in armaments and on prevention of an arms race in outer space. It also was not able to address the issue of membership expansion.

A record number of non-member States-51--were invited to participate in the 1995 Conference.

During the session, the Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear-Test Ban continued efforts to streamline provisions for a future treaty, finally adopting a revised rolling text.

However, some major problems remained unresolved, with nuclear-weapon States failing to agree on...