John R. Redick
/
CONFERENCE ON ENERGY AND NUCLEAR SECURny IN...
guards alone do not provide suffícient assurance agaínst further
proliferatíon of weapons. vVhile aH belíeved the
IAEA
should be
the príme unit in future global non-proliferation efforts, many
participants felt additional international cooperative efforts and
institutions are necessary to reinforce its work.
It
was pointed out
that Latin American nations have an excellent record of cooper–
ation with the
IAEA
in its inspection activities The
IAEA'S
respon–
sabilities in the Latin American region are going to increase in the
future and it was suggested that a11 Latin American nations should
adopt suggested
IAEA
accounting procedures.
NPT.-
The Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT)
produced consider–
able disagreement. Some stressed that the
NPT
has been successful,
noting the large numbers oí parties to the agreement and the im–
portant role the
NPT
has played in facilitating
IAEA
safeguard
agreements. Some stressed that particular care should be taken not
to cast doubt on the efficacy of the
NPT
ánd thereby undercut its
credibility.
Many participants however were highly critical of the
NPT
while
still supporting the objective of a global non-proliferatíon agree–
mento The
NPT
was attacked as flawed because it places unequal
demands upon nuclear and non-nuclear weapon sta tes and because
it
preserves the status quo whereby non-nuclear weapon states
pledge permanent abstention and nuclear weapon states remain free
to pursue an ever expanding nuclear weapons programo There was
considerable criticism of the lack of progress on vertical limitaLÍon
of nuclear weapons despite the obligations which appear in article
VI
of the
NPT.
It was also argued that advanced nuclear nations are
violating the spirit 'Of article
IV
by denying sophisticated technology
to those nations whích have ratífied the
NPT.
The lack of an agree–
ment or a comprehensive test ban
(CTB)
was also cited.
Most participants viewed
it
as unlikely that Argentina, Brazil
and Chile would be pursuaded to ratify the
NPT
without sígnificant
disarmament progress by the nuclear weapon countries. Support
for the
NPT
among current Latin American parties was seen as
weakening.
Nuclear supplier cooperation.-
In discussing nuclear supplier co–
operatíon the so-calIed London Nuclear Supplier's Club provoked
pointed discussion. Some defended the supplier cooperation as
