FOR PRESS: PM'S NO 63/ 72
ATMOSPHERIC TESTS OF NUCLEAR WEFAPONS
Statement by the Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, The
Rt Hon. William McMahon, and The Rt Hon. J. R. Marshall, M. P.
The Prime Ministers of Australia and New Zealand, meeting
in Canberra today, agreed to a joint message for transmission to the
Chairman of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament in Geneva.
The text of the joint message reads
Upon the resumption of the meetings of the Conference
of the Committee on Disarmament, it is a matter of the deepest
regret that it should prove necessary for the Australian and
New Zealand Prime Ministers, meeting in Canberra, to address
themselves to you to express their joint protest that a
further series of atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons should
be imminent in the South Pacific.
' Thc GOYr3= Qe-nt of France must bear the full responsibility
for the decision which it has apparently taken to proceed
with such tests. It does so contrary to the aopeals made
to it by many Pacific countries, contrary tolthe urging of
the General Assembly and contrary to the recent call by the
Stockholm Conference which has especially cohdemned those
tests carried out in the atmosohere.
" The Australian and New Zealand Governments
reflecting the grave concern felt throughout their
communities and conscious that the problem of
atmospheric testing in their region is part only of a
broader problem;
recalling . their support at the U. N. General Assembly
November 1971 for resolution 2828( c), which stressed
the urgency of bringing to a halt all nuclear weapon
testing in all environments by all States;
call jointly on the Conference of the Committee on
Disarmament to continue to accord high priority to the
question of the urgent need for the suspension of . such
tests and the formulation of a comprehensive test ban
treaty. / 2
" We should be grateful if you would take steps to arrange
for this message to be circulated as an official document
of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament.
Signed William McMahon,
Prime Minister of Australia.
Canberra June 1972 J. R. Marshall
Prime Minister of New Zealand.
Canberra June 1972
NOTE FOR PRESS:
The text of the joint message has also been released to the
New Zealand press.