HC Deb 11 March 1988 vol 129 cc409-12W
Mr. Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 14 resolutions on which the United Kingdom abstained and the 14 on

Resolution number Topic United Kingdom position
Resolution 31 Negative Security Assurances Because they contained language that conflicted with our strategy of nuclear deterrence.
Resolution 39b Nuclear Weapons Freeze
Resolution 39c Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Resolution 39h Nuclear Arms Freeze
Resolution 42a Non-use of Nuclear Weapons
Resolution 42c Cessation of Nucler Arms Race
Resolution 42e International Cooperation for Disarmament
Resolution 42m Follow-up to the First Special Session on Disarmament
Resolution 26a Test ban Because we believe a nuclear test ban to be in present circumstances unverifiable.
Resolution 26b Test ban
Resolution 421 Report of the Conference on Disarmament (CD)
Resolution 34b Denuclearisation of Africa Because it contained unacceptable language in connection with South Africa and the presumption that a South African nuclear weapons capability is an established fact.
Resolution 42d Prevention of Nuclear War Because it contained unrealistic and unnecessary proposals for work at the Conference on Disarmament.
Abstentions
Resolution 93 Comprehensive System of International Peace and Security Because it tended to duplicate and undermine the UN Charter.
Resolution 27 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and Monitoring Because they did not provide a practical way of making progress on the issues of nuclear testing.
Resolution 38c Notification of Tests
Resolution 34a Denuclearisation of Africa Because of the presumption that a South African nuclear weapons capability is an established fact.
Resolution 35 New Weapons of Mass Destruction Because it contained a proposal for an unverifiable and limitless ban on new weapons systems.

which the United Kingdom voted against, in each case giving the reason for such decisions, at the 42nd sessions of the United Nations General Assembly (1987) First Committee.

Mr. Eggar

At the first committee of the 42nd General Assembly, the United Kingdom voted against the following resolutions:

Resolution number Topic United Kingdom position
Resolution 38d Bilateral Nuclear Arms Negotiations Because it covered the same ground as a resolution the United Kingdom had sponsored.
Resolution 38f Israeli attack on Iraqi reactor Because we do not consider the First Committee to be the appropriate forum for discussion of the Israeli attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor.
Resolution 38j Implementation of UN Disarmament Resolutions Because it calls on all member states of the UN to facilitate the implementation of disarmament resolutions, some of which we oppose.
Resolution 381 Cut-off Because the prohibition of production of fissionable material for weapons purposes remains in practice an unverifiable measure.
Resolution 39a Role of Security Council Because of reservations about both the principle and the practicalities of the suggested role for the Security Council.
Resolution 39g World Disarmament Campaign Because it criticises those states that do not make contributions to the World Disarmament Campaign in addition to those made through regular contributions to the UN budget.
Resolution 42b Participation in the Conference on Disarmament Because we consider that it is for the Conference on Disarmament to decide its own membership.
Resolution 44 Israeli Nuclear Capability Because we consider it invidious and counter-productive to single out specific nations for criticism.
Resolution 91 Implementation of Declaration on the Preparation of Societies for Life in Peace Because it was a purely declaratory resolution designed to serve Warsaw Pact propaganda interests.
Resolution 92 Implementation of Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security Because it contained unrealistic and outdated references to comprehensive disarmament and colonial domination.
Resolution 42h Disarmament Week Mistakenly recorded as having been passed by consensus in the First Committee; we abstained during the vote in Plenary because the resolution encourages UN specialised agencies to engage in activities likely to detract from the task with which they have been mandated.

Explanations of Vote

We gave national explanations of vote on:

Resolution 34b - Denuclearisation of Africa

Resolution 35 - New Weapons of Mass Destruction

Resolution 38j - Implementation on UN Disarmament Resolutions

Resolution 39a - Role of Security Council

Resolution 39g - World Disarmament Campaign

Resolution 42b - Participation in the CD