UN Secretary-General decides not to take any action on the ME NWFZ in light of the ongoing peace process

Pursuant to resolution 46/30, the UN Secretary-General was requested to “conduct further consultations with the states, on the basis of the study undertaken by him in accordance with paragraph 8 of resolution 43/65.” The UN Secretary-General had planned to solicit the views of the members of the Arab League, Israel, and Iran on a potential NWFZ, including its geographical scope, basic prohibitions, verification mechanisms, duration of the arrangement, and various technical clauses. However, in his report on the implementation of the resolution of the “Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East”, the UN Secretary-General reported that, in light of the Madrid Peace Conference “it would be premature at this time for the Secretary-General to take any further action relating to the question of the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. The ongoing peace initiative on the Middle East offers a window of opportunity in the process of resolving the overall situation in the region.”

Photo credit: George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum

President Bush addresses the Middle East Peace Conference, Madrid, Spain. October 30, 1991