South Africa’s input at the UN conference on the=20 extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty won=20 wide acclaim, writes Abdul Minty provides some=20 background to the decison
THERE has been considerable confusion and=20 misunderstanding about the Nuclear Non-Proliferation=20 Treaty (NPT) Review and Extension Conference which=20 took place at the United Nations headquarters during=20 April and May.
The NPT, adopted for a fixed period of 35 years in=20 1970, was due for renewal, and the Treaty provided for=20 three extension options: indefinite, fixed period or=20 fixed periods (or the rolling option).
The NPT has provided a virtual monopoly for the nuclear=20 weapon states (NWS) while imposing restrictions and=20 control over the non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS).
In addition, there was a high level of political=20 discrimination by the major Western NWS in relation to=20 certain threshold states. Inevitably, this gave rise to=20 sharp divisions and soon developed into serious=20 polarisation. Instead of disarming, the NWS increased=20 their nuclear arsenals during most of the life of the=20 NPT and it was only with the end of the Cold War that=20 they began to significantly reduce their stockpiles.
In the new post-Cold War era, fresh problems of nuclear=20 proliferation have arisen, especially in central and=20 eastern Europe.=20
Democratic South Africa inherited a situation where the=20 apartheid regime, having developed nuclear weapons,=20 reversed its policy during the transition period: it=20 signed the NPT and later announced that it had=20 unilaterally dismantled its nuclear weapons.
In formulating its policy for the 1995 NPT conference,=20 South Africa found that there was no agreed Non-Aligned=20 Movement, Organisation of African Unity or Southern=20 African Development Conference position on the=20 extension issue. The South African decision on the=20 extension option was only taken in early April,=20 virtually on the eve of the NPT conference, and this=20 left very little time for subsequent consultations.
No governments seriously suggested that the treaty=20 itself should be amended or that it should be allowed=20 to die. One of the three options had to be agreed by=20 the conference and the decision needed a simple=20
The US conducted a public campaign to win support for=20 the “indefinite and unconditional” extension of the=20 NPT. Those countries, like South Africa, which were=20 concerned about the lack of implementation of NPT=20 provisions regarding disarmament, peaceful uses and=20 other aspects, did not share a common position on the=20 extension question.
South Africa took account of the fact that the draft=20 African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty (ANWFZ) was=20 intended to be permanent. It also took the view that=20 the legitimate concerns about the lack of effective=20 implementation of certain provisions of the NPT and its=20 inherent inequalities should not be dealt with in such=20 a way as to threaten the security that is provided by=20 the NPT. It was also important to recognise that the=20 NPT was the only international instrument on nuclear=20 disarmament to which all the nuclear weapon states are=20
Those who opposed the indefinite extension did so=20 because they felt that when the treaty came up for a=20 new period of extension they could extract certain=20 concessions from the NWS. It was clear that what the=20 overwhelming number of NPT members wanted was proper=20 checks and balances to ensure that the objectives of=20 the treaty become reality.
South Africa believed that any decision taken by a=20 simple majority would weaken the treaty and undermine=20 the commitment to the NPT of those left on the outside.=20 If a decision could not be reached by consensus, it=20 should be by a significant majority and must include=20 key countries from across group and regional=20
These were among the main considerations that led South=20 Africa to support, in principle, the indefinite=20 extension of the NPT together with a package that dealt=20 with the concerns of most governments. The package,=20 which became known as the “South African concept,”=20 involved establishing review mechanisms between the=20 five-year review conferences and adopting a set of=20 “principles” which took into account the new=20 international situation and contained specific goals so=20 that it would serve as a yardstick for governments to=20 measure their non-proliferation and disarmament=20
The statement by Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo turned out=20 to be the only one containing a comprehensive set of=20 proposals for strengthening the operation of the NPT.=20 It won wide approval among all groups.
The South African proposals which not linked to=20 extension were used by the president of the conference=20 to reach a consensus and the conference finally united=20 in adopting the decision to extend the NPT without a=20
The South African concept helped to strengthen the NPT=20 and there is now wide expectation that South Africa=20 should play a key role on questions of nuclear=20 disarmament and non-proliferation.
The new democratic government has to overcome the=20 legacy of secrecy and involve Parliament, non- governmental organisations and the general public in=20
Abdul Minty was a delegate to the NPT conference and=20 advised Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo on nuclear matters