(95.02.09)田中大使ＣＤ（離任）

　 When I took the floor at this year's first Plenary of the Conference on Disarmament last week, I congratulated you on your assumption of the Presidency and expressed my confidence in your leadership. I should now like to congratulate you on your success in achieving agreement on the presidential statement on the organization of the work of the Conference and getting its substantive work under way. I reiterate my confidence in your able leadership and assure you of the full cooperation of the Delegation of Japan.

　 As it is only a few days before I shall leave Geneva, I feel greatly honoured to have this opportunity to address the Conference on Disarmament. It was in April 1992 when I arrived here to join those who had been working so hard to conclude the Chemical Weapons Convention. The success in totally prohibiting one category of the weapons of mass destruction impressed the world with the competence of this sole multilateral disarmament negotiating body. While addressing such issues as a comprehensive nuclear test ban (CTB), negative security assurances (NSA), outer space (OS), and transparency in armaments (TIA), I have welcomed many new colleagues and seen off many good friends. Finally, the time has come for me to bid farewell to the Conference.

　 I am proud to have been a part of the Conference on Disarmament. The CD is a small world. In fashion and music circles, of course, CD has a different meaning. While those other CDs may be more popular, our Conference on Disarmament has played and continues to play a crucial role in the maintenance of the peace and security of the international community. It has given birth to such agreements as the Partial Test Ban Treaty, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Sea-Bed Treaty, the Biological Weapons Convention, and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

　 In 1993, I had the privilege to chair the Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear Test Ban, which had been re-established after a one-year interval. Although the Committee did not have a negotiating mandate then, I was able to encourage the Committee to enter into such discussions as might be found useful once we did move into a negotiating mode. History was made when the Conference agreed to negotiate a CTBT on 10 August of that year.

　 Last year, substantial progress was made in the negotiations of the Ad Hoc Committee conducted under the chairmanship of Ambassador Marin-Bosch of Mexico. In particular, the Working Group on Verification chaired by Ambassador Hoffmann of Germany succeeded in providing us with a concrete idea as to how the verification system should look, building on the really intensive work of the experts. That work has already resumed this year in an effort to further elaborate and refine the system.

　 As basic technical issues have generally been clarified, it is now time for us to engage in the sensitive parts of these negotiations, which require political decisions by CD member States. These issues include the scope of the prohibition, questions relating to the CTBT Organization, including the composition and the powers of the Executive Council, the degree of intrusiveness and the decision-making procedure of on-site inspections, and those issues relating to the entry into force, duration of, and withdrawal from the treaty. As my last endeavour in this Conference, I would like to urge my colleagues to redouble their efforts to overcome their differences and conclude a CTBT as soon as possible. I wish Ambassador Dembinski of Poland, the new Chairman of the NTB Ad Hoc Committee, every success.

　 Among politically important issues, perhaps the most sensitive is the question of the scope of the CTBT. In the statement made by a senior official of the United States Government at the first Plenary meeting of this year's CD session, the basic position of one major nuclear weapon State was clearly expounded. From the Japanese point of view, what is of key importance is that the future CTBT be truly comprehensive. We must allow no exception to this rule, and should get rid of all possible loopholes. If we succeed in confirming this in the treaty text, it should be regarded as a major breakthrough in our negotiations and will no doubt facilitate an early conclusion of the treaty.

　 I should also like to briefly touch upon the issue of the fissile Cut-Off. In doing so, I am not implying that other issues such as NSA and TIA are not important. However, the Cut-Off is one such very important item in the field of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. We should not make ourselves choose all or nothing, but should seek steady, rather than dramatic, progress. The consultations on the mandate for the negotiations should not drag on endlessly. I hope that the difficulties will be overcome as soon as possible under the leadership of Ambassador Shannon of Canada, Special Coordinator on the topic, and that negotiations will commence in the Conference before long.

　 I said that I am proud of having been a part of the CD. I am not sorry that I have to leave Geneva before I see the conclusion of a CTBT and the commencement of the Cut-Off negotiations, as I am confident that both will take place. I leave these important matters in your hands, my colleagues. And I sincerely hope that at some point in the future I will hear you too say, perhaps with even a greater degree of satisfaction than mine, that you are proud of having been a part of the Conference on Disarmament.

　 I should also like to thank the Secretariat, headed by Mr. Petrovsky, Secretary-General of the Conference, and in particular, his deputy Mr. Bensmail, the political officers, interpreters, translators, and everyone else engaged in providing conference services for their valuable contributions to the important work of this august body.