New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive

The Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control, Hon D.A.M. Graham, today welcomed the news that New Zealand has become a full member of the Conference on Disarmament.

The move follows last September's decision to accept NZ and 22 other states as full members of the prestigious Geneva-based multilateral disarmament body currently negotiating a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

The implementation was delayed until today because of United States concerns about the implications of admitting Iraq while it was subject to UN sanctions. 'This problem has been overcome by the decision of all the new members that none of them acting alone would block a Conference consensus on a disarmament issue for the next two years,' Mr Graham said.

'I am particularly pleased that we are now able to take our membership of the Conference at the crucial final phase of negotiations on a CTBT. 'New Zealand has been working towards a CTBT for more than three decades and full membership of the Conference is a tribute to our strong record on disarmament and arms control.'

Mr Graham said he had personally raised the issue each time he had addressed the conference.

'It is satisfying that this has now resulted in success,' he said.