PRIME MINISTER
PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH NOTES INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
AND DISARMAMENT
CHOGM, NEW DELHI, 23 NOVEMBER 1983
THE ARMS RACE HAS REACHED ALARMING PROPORTIONS
$ 700 BILLION PER YEAR,
IT IS GRAVELY THREATENING EVERYBODY ' S SECURITY,
ARMED CONFLICT CONTINUES IN MANY PARTS OF THE
WORLD, THERE ARE 10 MILLION REFUGEES AS A RESULT
OF SUCH CONFLICT.
IT IS A SCANDALOUS WASTE OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND
INGENUITY. ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOBS, AND ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT ARE BEING MATERIALLY SET BACK BY
EXPENDITURE ON ARMS.
THE SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS SPOKEN OF THE $ 1 MILLION
SPENT EACH MINUTE ON ARMS. MY CALCULATION IS THAT
THE EXPENDITURE IS NEARER TO $ 1.3M, BUT NONE OF US
NEED TO BE TOLD HOW MUCH $ 1 MILLION PER MINUTE COULD
PRODUCE IN TERMS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF, FOR EXAMPLE, THE
LEAST DEVELOPED COUNTRIES,
EAST/ WEST TENSION IS ALARMINGLY HIGH.
ARMS CONTROL NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE SUPER POWERS
ARE IN DIFFICULTY,
THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS PERMEATED WITH SUSPICION,
THE RHETORIC IS VERY DANGEROUS.
BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE OVERWHELMED BY A SENSE OF
GLOBAL PESSIMISM OR OF IMMINENT DISASTER,
IT WOULD BE STERILE TO SEEK TO APPORTION BLAME, BUT
AUSTRALIA DOES NOT SUBSCRIBE TO THE VIEW THAT THE
UNITED STATES BEARS THE GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE PRESENT DIFFICULTIES BETWEEN THE SUPER POWERS.
WESTERN SOCIETIES ARE OPEN. DEBATE TAKES PLACE
AND THIS EXPOSES THEIR CONCERNS FAR MORE THAN IS
THE CASE IN THE SOVIET UNION.
IT MUST ALSO BE RECOGNISED THAT THE SOVIET UNION
IS PURSUING AN ARMAMENTS PROGRAM OF UNPRECEDENTED
PROPORTIONS. MY OWN CONTACTS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE UNITED
STATES ADMINISTRATION HAVE LEFT ME IN NO DOUBT THAT THAT
ADMINISTRATION IS UTTERLY SINCERE IN WANTING TO STOP
THE ARMS RACE.
AUSTRALIA DOES NOT ACCEPT THAT THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES
ALONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DETERMINE THESE ISSUES.
THEIR CALCULATIONS THEIR MISCALCULATIONS COULD
AFFECT US ALL OR ELIMINATE US ALL.
THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT CONSIDER THAT
UNILATERAL DISARMAMENT WOULD BE AN EFFECTIVE WAY IN
BRINGING ABOUT AN END TO THE ARMS RACE.
WHAT IS REQUIRED ARE REALISTIC, CONCRETE AND BALANCED
PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE AT THEIR HEART A RECOGNITION OF
THE NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS INVOLVED,
AUSTRALIA'S SECURITY INTERESTS REQUIRE COLLECTIVE
ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR DEFENCE.
WE HAVE SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT IN THE ANZUS ALLIANCE,
COLLECTIVE SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS ARE SANCTIONED
BY THE CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS.
MY GOVERNMENT HAS CLARIFIED THE NATURE OF THE ANZUS
ALLIANCE AND THIS HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE THREE TREATY
PARTNERS. A CONSEQUENCE OF OUR SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS UNDER ANZUS
IS THE PRESENCE ON AUSTRALIAN SOIL OF JOINT FACILITIES.
THESE PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE IN MAINTAINING WESTERN
SECURITY. THEY ARE ALSO ABLE TO VERIFY ARMS CONTROL AND
DISARMAMENT AGREEMENTS.
WE ALREADY HAVE AND ARE DEVELOPING FURTHER A SEISMIC
MONITORING CAPACITY WITH REGARD TO NUCLEAR TESTING.
WE HAVE GREATLY ELEVATED ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT
GOALS WITHIN OUR FOREIGN POLICY
WE ARE A MEMBER OF EVERY MULTILATERAL DISARMAMENT
NEGOTIATING BODY.
IN THOSE BODIES WE ARE PROMOTING THE NEGOTIATION OF
TREATIES TO END NUCLEAR TESTING, TO BAN CHEMICAL
WEAPONS, AND TO PREVENT AN ARMS RACE IN OUTER SPACE,
IN THE WIDER POLITICAL ARENA WE ARE URGING BOTH SUPER
POWERS TO MODERATE THEIR ANTAGONISM, TO IMPROVE
UNDERSTANDING AND TO SEEK AN END TO AND A REDUCTION OF
THEIR NUCLEAR ARMS RACE.
AUSTRALIA'S DISARMAMENT OBJECTIVES ARE GUIDED BY THE
FOLLOWING GENERAL PRINCIPLES
SECURITY FOR ALL STATES AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE
LEVEL OF ARMAMENT
STABILITY IN THE NUCLEAR BALANCE
ADEQUATE VERIFICATION OF DISARMAMENT AGREEMENTS.
IN LINE WITH THESE OBJECTIVES WE ARE ATTACHING A PARTICULAR
PRIORITY TO EFFORTS AIMED AT SECURING NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
THROUGH REDUCTIONS IN THE NUCLEAR ARSENALS ( AS FOR EXAMPLE
THROUGH THE START AND INF NEGOTIATIONS), UPHOLDING OF THE
INTERNATIONAL NON-PROLIFERATION REGIME, AND CONCLUSION OF
COMPLETE BAN ON NUCLEAR TESTING.
IN ADDITION AUSTRALIA HAS PROPOSED TO ITS SOUTH PACIFIC
PARTNERS THE POSSIBILITY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
NUCLEAR FREE ZONE IN THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN ONLY BE DEVELOPED ON THE
BASIS OF AGREEMENT AMONGST THOSE PARTNERS
WE HOPE IT WOULD PROVIDE FOR THE BANNING OF ALL
NUCLEAR TESTING AND DUMPING OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
IN THE REGION, AND INVOLVE A REGION-WIDE COMMITMENT
TO THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
THE STARTING POINT IS TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF BOTH NUCLEAR
AND CONVENTIONAL ARSENALS AND BRINGING THEM UNDER THE
CONTROL OF VERIFIABLE AND EFFECTIVE AGREEMENTS.
ADEQUATE AND EFFECTIVE PROVISION FOR VERIFICATION IS
THE CRUCIAL PRECONDITION OF PROGRESS IN THIS AREA
IF ANY AGREEMENT IS TO COMMAND CONFIDENCE, GROUNDS
OF SUSPICION OF NON-COMPLIANCE MUST BE ELIMINATED.
AUSTRALIA WOULD WISH TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT ACTION
IN THIS FIELD
FOR EXAMPLE, IN CONSIDERING AUSTRALIA'S OWN CAPABILITIES
WE ARE ACTIVELY EXAMINING THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPROVING
AUSTRALIA'S CAPACITY TO MONITOR NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS BY
FURTHER, DEVELOPING OUR SEISMIC MONITORING CAPABILITY.
THE PROBLEM OF PROLIFERATION IS MORE DIFFICULT,
THERE IS NO FOOL-PROOF MEANS OF PREVENTING THE
PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES BUT AUSTRALIA IS AMONG
THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE PROCESS CAN AND SHOULD BE SLOWED
AND THE COSTS TO THE PROLIFERATOR INCREASED.
IT IS PERHAPS ENCOURAGING THAT IN MOST NON-NUCLEAR
WEAPONS STATES, PARTICULARLY DEVELOPED ONES, THE PERCEIVED
MILITARY, POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC UTILITY OF NUCLEAR
EXPLOSIVES HAS BEEN IN DECLINE SINCE THE 1960s,
AS AGAINST THIS, CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAMS ARE
INCREASINGLY INVOLVED WITH TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE
IMPORTANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIVES.
IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NON-PROLIFERATION OF NUCLEAR
WEAPONS AN ISSUE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO AUSTRALIA IS THE
POSITION OF SOUTH AFRICA.
THE APARTHEID SYSTEM IS TOTALLY UNJUST
IT WOULD BE UTTERLY UNACCEPTABLE IF APARTHEID WERE
TO BECOME NUCLEAR ARMED
WE MUST ALL ENSURE THAT THIS DOES NOT OCCUR.
THE NPT MUST REMAIN A CORNER-STONE OF INTERNATIONAL
EFFORT TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS
AUSTRALIA IS A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THIS VITAL TREATY
AND ITS ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS OF VERIFICATION,
BUT AUSTRALIA GOES FURTHER.
WE RECOGNISE OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER NPT ARTICLE IV AS
A PRODUCER AND EXPORTER OF URANIUM TO FACILITATE AND
PARTICIPATE IN THE EXCHANGE OF EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS
AND INFORMATION FOR THE PEACEFUL. USES OF ATOMIC ENERGY,
WITH DUE CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEEDS OF THE DEVELOPING
AREAS OF THE WORLD.
AUSTRALIA ALSO, AND AS PART OF THIS RECOGNITION, ACCEPTS
THAT IT HAS A PARTICULAR RESPONSIBILITY TO SECURE IMPROVED
INTERNATIONAL SAFEGUARDS AGAINST DIVERSION OF NUCLEAR
MATERIAL FROM PEACEFUL USES.
AUSTRALIA NEVERTHELESS DOES NOT CONSIDER IT ENOUGH TO
PUT IN PLACE A MORE STRINGENT SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM,
WE SHOULD ALSO LIKE TO BRING ABOUT AN END TO ALL FORMS
OF NUCLEAR TESTING THROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE TEST BAN TREATY,
THIS IS ALSO AN NPT OBLIGATION ( ARTICLE VI),
CONTINUED NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTING IS A SYMBOL OF
AN INCENTIVE TO THE ARMS RACE
THE GREAT MAJORITY OF NUCLEAR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED
BY THE SOVIET UNION AND THE UNITED STATES, BUT FRANCE
ALSO CONDUCTS TESTS EACH YEAR IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
REGION,
BRITAIN AND CHINA CONTINUE TO CONDUCT OCCASIONAL
TESTS, CHINA MOST REGRETTABLY IN THE ATMOSPHERE
WE ARE ONE OF THE MAIN PROMOTERS IN THE UNITED NATIONS
OFTHE NEGOTIATION OF A TREATY TO BAN NUCLEAR TESTING
BY ALL STATES IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL TIME,
THIS IS A POINT ON WHICH COLLECTIVE. INTERNATIONAL ACTION
IS OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE,
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS ARE SECOND ONLY TO
NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN THEIR CAPACITY TO INFLICT DEATH AND
HUMAN SUFFERING ON A LARGE SCALE,
AUSTRALIA BELIEVES THAT IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT
THAT THE RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS BE
STRENGTHENED AND WOULD DRAW ATTENTION TO THE
DISAPPOINTING FACT THAT ONLY 2/ 3 OF THE COMMONWEALTH
MEMBERS ARE PARTIES TO THE 1925 PROTOCOL, AND LESS THAN
2/ 3 HAVE AGREED TO THE 1972 BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION.
WE ALSO STRONGLY SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT THE ARMS
RACE DOES NOT EXTEND OFF THIS PLANET AND INTO OUTER SPACE
THE PROSPECT OF EXTENSION OF THE NUCLEAR ARMS RACE
INTO THAT ARENA IS FRIGHTENING IN ITS POSSIBILITIES
IT SHOULD BE HEADED OFF BEFORE THE INEXORABLE LOGIC
OF A NEW ROUND OF COMPETITIVE BIDDING IMPOSES ITSELF
AND PROVIDES US WITH YET A FURTHER DANGEROUS ARENA
OF INTRACTABLE DIFFICULTY.
HE COMMONWEALTH. CAN-PLAY A CONSTCIVROEN
DISARMAMENT AND IN REDUCING TENSIONS
THESE ISSUES ARE CHARACTERISED BY DISPUTE BETWEEN
THE EASTERN AND WESTERN BLOCS
THE-' COMMONWEALTH DOES NOT REPRESENT BLOCSj IT IS A
HETEROGENEOUS ORGANISATION
ITS VOICE CAN COMMAND THE ATTENTION OF THE SUPER POWERS.
IT CLEARLY IS AN ILLUSION TO BELIEVE THAT SECURITY CAN
BY OBTAINED ON THE BASIS OF AN ARMS RACE OF THE PROPORTIONS
WE FACE TODAY.
9,
NO-ONE SHOULD DOUBT THAT THE RESOURCES INVOLVED IN
THAT ARMS RACE COULD BE VASTLY MORE PRODUCTIVELY
EMPLOYED IN THE WORLD ECONOMY, IN CREATING JOBS,
AND IN MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.
ACTION IN THIS FIELD IS URGENTLY REQUIRED.