Pakistan pushes for right to use dual-use technologies for peaceful purposes

UNITED NATIONS, While strengthening steps to ensure non-proliferation of nuclear, biological and radiological weapons as well as materials to non-state actors, Pakistan has called for safeguarding the legitimate rights of States to use dual-use technologies for peaceful purposes.

“Access to materials, technologies and the equipment should not be monopolized by a minority of technology holders; nor should multilateral export-control regimes (MECRs), be used by a few States as instruments of coercion to further their political and strategic interests,” Pakistani delegate Gul Qaiser said during consultations on the review of UN Security Council Resolution 1540.

That resolution, adopted by the 15-member Council in 2004, required that all the countries of the world take steps to protect against the very serious threats of terrorists, or any other non-state actors, acquiring and potentially using weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

Qaiser, first secretary at the Pakistan Mission to the UN, said Pakistan had successfully implemented resolution 1540, and outlined legislative, regulatory, administrative and organizational steps taken in that regard.

Pointing out that Resolution 1540 had made a useful contribution to advancing non-proliferation goals, he said this was overshadowed by the several reversals in non-proliferation and WMD disarmament.

A new nuclear and conventional arms race was underway when there was no Biological Weapons Verification Regime.

“Established non-proliferation norms and standards have been eroded by discrimination and double standards in the pursuit of narrow national interests,” the Pakistani delegate told delegates.

Pakistan, he said, believes that the 1540 Committee should focus on capacity building, national legislation and voluntary assistance.

Provisions for technology control under resolution 1540 should be transformed into a treaty-based framework through specific treaties in the nuclear, radiological, biological and chemical weapons domains, the Pakistani delegate said.

In his remarks, Qaiser proposed the establishment of an Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) under UN’s auspices to prepare recommendation for more equitable access to the technologies, material and equipment, and called for evolving a UN-based review mechanism to address the denial cases that deprive countries of the technologies essential for development.

“We must bear in mind that the principal driver of proliferation – the insecurity of states must be unreservedly aaddressed,” he said.

“Non-proliferation is a global objective; it must be promoted within the framework of the principles of the UN Charter”.

Each nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to transfer to any recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; and not in any way to assist, encourage, or induce any non-nuclear-weapon State to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, or control over such weapons or explosive devices. Each non-nuclear-weapon State Party to the Treaty undertakes not to receive the transfer from any transferor whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or of control over such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly; not to manufacture or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; and not to seek or receive any assistance in the manufacture of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices.

Each Party to the Treaty undertakes to take appropriate measures to ensure that, in accordance with this Treaty, under appropriate international observation and through appropriate international procedures, potential benefits from any peaceful applications of nuclear explosions will be made available to non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty on a non-discriminatory basis and that the charge to such Parties for the explosive devices used will be as low as possible and exclude any charge for research and development. Non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty shall be able to obtain such benefits, pursuant to a special international agreement or agreements, through an appropriate international body with adequate representation of non-nuclear-weapon States. Negotiations on this subject shall commence as soon as possible after the Treaty enters into force. Non-nuclear-weapon States Party to the Treaty so desiring may also obtain such benefits pursuant to bilateral agreements.