Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume III, National Security Policy; Arms Control and Disarmament, Microfiche Supplement

398. Telegram Supnu 121 From Geneva¹

Geneva, December 9, 1958, 10 a.m.

Supnu 121. Following is verbatim text of basic provisions tabled by SovDel at today’s meeting. Copies being pouched London, Moscow, Paris for USRO.

Begin verbatim text.

Basic provisions determining the establishment and activities of the control organization for the control over compliance with a treaty on the cessation of nuclear weapons tests

1. A control organization for the control over compliance with a treaty on the cessation of nuclear weapons tests, hereinafter referred to as the Control Organization, shall be established, on the basis of technical methods recommended by the Geneva Conference of Technical Experts, by the initial parties to the treaty, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, hereinafter referred to as the founder states of the Control Organization.

2. The Control Organization shall consist of a commission for control over compliance with a treaty on the cessation of nuclear weapons tests, together with the technical system at its disposal (departments, laboratories), necessary for carrying out its functions, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, as well as of ground control posts, control posts on ships, and specially equipped aircraft provided by the founder states of the Control Organization for the collection of radioactive debris over the high seas.

3. The direction of the entire Control Organization shall be vested in the Commission which must direct and coordinate the activities of all the elements of the Control Organization in such a way that it ensures:

(A) The carrying out by ground control posts and ships of continuous and effective observations over possible nuclear explosions, providing for the timely detection of violations of the Treaty on the Cessation of Nuclear Weapons tests.

(B) The carrying out of regular flights over the high seas by specially equipped aircraft provided by the founder states of the Control Organization for the collection of radioactive debris for the same purpose.

(C) The timely processing of documentary data on observations and the information by the governments of the states parties to the treaty concerning violations of this treaty.

(D) The organization and the carrying out of the on-site inspection of unidentified events suspected of being nuclear explosions the composition and functions of the Commission.

4. The Commission shall be established by the founder states of the Control Organization. The Commission shall carry out the following basic functions:

(A) It shall direct the entire activity of the Control Organization, approve instructions and control provisions and types of equipment

(B) It shall review all cases where data provided by the technical system of the Commission give evidence of the existence of events suspected of being nuclear explosions.

(C) It shall adopt decisions on the existence of sufficient ground for suspecting that a nuclear explosion has been carried out in an area.

(D) It shall inform the government of the state on whose territory a nuclear explosion has been suspected of having taken place and shall request its opinion thereon. Upon considering the reply of the said government, it shall adopt a decision as to the necessity or the lack of necessity for carrying out an inspection of the area where the explosion is suspected of having taken place, by despatching a ground or maritime (by ship) inspection team and by organizing an aircraft flight along the routes agreed upon in advance with the government of the state concerned for the purpose of air sampling radioactive debris.

All decisions of the Commission on the above mentioned and other important questions shall be adopted by agreement among the founder states of the Control Organization. In the event of disputes, the Commission shall inform the governments of the states parties to the treaty and the Security Council of the United Nations.

The technical system of the Commission referred to above in paragraph 2 shall comprise appropriate departments for processing and analyzing data received and for providing the Control Organization with the logistic and technical facilities and personnel. The personnel of the various departments shall be selected and approved by the Commission on the basis of an equal representation of the two sides of founder states of the Control Organization.

5. The technical system of the Commission shall provide, in accordance with instructions from the Commission, for carrying out the following basic functions by the Control Organization:

(A) The carrying out at control posts and on aircraft designated for collecting radioactive debris of continuous and effective observation of events which make it possible to detect nuclear explosions through methods recommended by the Geneva Conference of Technical Experts.

(B) The arranging for the timely analysis and processing of observation data from control posts for the purpose of rapid detection of signs of possible nuclear explosions.

(C) The obtaining if necessary, through requests for observation information, of data from the existing network of seismic and meteorological stations for the identification of natural events which, according to readings at control posts, could be taken for nuclear explosions.

(D) The arranging for, by decision of the Commission, an inspection on the site of a suspected nuclear explosion.

(E) The arranging for the development, testing, and acceptance of measuring instruments and equipment used by the control post network.

(F) The arranging for reliable communications with control posts as well as with the bases from which regular flights by specially designated aircraft for air sampling of radioactive debris are carried out, through the means of communication existing in the territories of the states where control posts are located.

(G) The arranging for trips to and from the control posts for personnel thereof as well as for visits by the Commission personnel to control posts when the latter are considered necessary by the Commission, using the existing means of transportation.

(H) The utilization of results of new scientific achievements for the purpose of raising the effectiveness and the scientific level of the Control Organization.

6. The administrative, logistic and representation expenses of the Control Organization shall be financed with funds allocated by the states parties to the treaty, in accordance with an estimate to be approved by the Commission. The amount of the contributions by states shall be determined by special agreement.

Ground Control Posts

7. The tasks of the ground control posts shall include the following:

(A) The arranging for a continuous round-the-clock, observation over nuclear explosions by means of technical facilities recommended by the Geneva Conference of technical experts.

(B) Regular, original processing of documentary data obtained by means of all types of equipment of the posts to detect signals characteristic of a nuclear explosion.

(C) Submission, under an established procedure, of reports to the Commission and to the government of the state on whose territory the control post is located on observation data and nuclear explosions.

(D) Timely carrying out of calibration and maintenance work ensuring that all technical equipment of the posts is in continuous operating condition and the maintenance of accurate relative time and of accurate measuring equipment.

8. Each ground control post shall be equipped with seismic and accoustic apparatus, with equipment for registering radiation from nuclear explosions, and instruments for sampling radioactive debris in accordance with the recommendations of the Geneva Conference of technical experts.

Certain coastal posts shall also be equipped with hydro-accoustic equipment. In this connection, the personnel of the control posts may not use measurement instruments which have not been provided for the equipment of such posts.

9. The personnel of a control post shall consist of no more than thirty specialists and of several supporting personnel. With the exception of controllers from either side, the personnel of the control posts shall be selected from among the nationals of the country on whose territory the post is located.

Each post shall include controllers designated by the founder states of the Control Organization on the basis of the two sides, with one or two persons from either side. The post shall be directed by a Chief of Post, a representative of the country on whose territory the post is located, and by a Chief Controller, representing the other side. In countries which are not members of NATO, SEATO and the Warsaw Pact organization, the posts shall have two Chief Controllers, representing both sides.

Foreign controllers shall enjoy diplomatic immunity equal to that of personnel of foreign embassies and missions.

Controllers shall place their seals on all self-recording registering instruments and on means of access to instrument data records, shall be present when documentary records are removed and processed, and shall supervise proper use of post instruments.

The right of extra-territoriality shall not extend to the territory and the premises of the control posts.

The security personnel of the control post, who shall be subordinate to the Chief of the Post, shall be the responsibility of the local authorities.

Movement of foreign personnel of the posts in the territory of the state must take place on regular terms and conditions in accordance with the procedure existing for foreigners. Any missions of foreign states in the state concerned must not interfere in the work of the control posts.

The provisions of this paragraph as well as those of paragraphs 10 and 11 shall also apply to control posts on ships.

10. Each control post shall maintain a special log-book for the registration of seismic oscillations, radiation, accoustic waves and data on the analysis of radioactive debris samples and, in the event of detection of a PAL which may be suspected as being caused by nuclear explosions, shall submit a report to the commission.

The reports of a control post shall be signed by the Chief of the Post and by the Chief Controller (or both Chief Controllers). In the event that the Chief Controller (or one of the Chief Controllers) does not agree with the conclusions of the Chief of the Post, he must state his dissenting opinion in the report.

Control posts must also submit the results of their observations at the request of the Commission.

In all cases, a copy of the control post’s report shall be transmitted to the appropriate government agencies of the state in whose territory the post is located.

All documentary records of the registering instrument and other observation data shall be preserved by the control post for three months, after which they shall be made available to the agencies concerned of the country in whose territory the post is located, to be used for scientific and technical purposes.

11. The communication between the Commission and the control posts, and between the control posts and the Commission, shall be through existing communication channels. Where control posts are located in remote areas, the governments of the states in which these regions are located must arrange for the construction of appropriate means of communication which would ensure a reliable, round-the-clock transmission of data from the control posts. The mail of the control posts shall be carried by airmail via existing airlines.

12. In the event that a state cannot with its own resources organize and staff a control post, the organization and the staffing of the post shall be carried out by decision of the Commission with the resources of both sides of the initial states parties to the treaty.

Control Posts on Ships

13. Control posts on ships shall be equipped with hydro-acoustic and acoustic instruments, radiation registration instruments, as well as with facilities of a maritime type for collection and analysis of radioactive debris.

14. Each ship control post shall be assigned a specific area of the ocean to cover.

15. The ship control posts shall be staffed by personnel of the state which owns such equipped vessel. The ship shall have on board one or two controllers of the other side (including one controller for navigation).

The Collection of Air Samples of Radioactive Debris

16. For the regular air sampling of radioactive aerosols, weather reconnaissance aircraft shall be used which make regular flights along routes in the open air space over oceans.

The said aircraft must be equipped with special instruments for the purpose of the detection and collection of radioactive aerosols.

At each base of these aircraft there shall be one or two controllers from the other side, whose functions shall include control over collection of samples and over their timely analysis at the radio-chemical laboratory of the base. One of the controllers must be on board the aircraft during air sampling. Air samples, the analysis of which indicates the existence of fresh radioactive debris from a nuclear explosion, shall be sent to the Commission, together with the conclusion on the results of the analysis of such samples as well as with technical documentation obtained on board the aircraft.

Arrangements for On-site Inspection of a Suspected Nuclear Explosion

17. An inspection team shall be despatched to the site of a suspected nuclear explosion by a decision of the Commission to be agreed in each individual case after careful examination of all available data on the identification of natural events. The adoption of a decision concerning the despatch of an inspection team must be preceded by a mandatory study of the data from the existing network of seismic stations and of other data which can contribute to the identification of the events under study.

An inspection team shall be created and supplied with the appropriate equipment in each individual case by decision of the Commission, depending upon the task of the team before it. The size of the group shall also be determined by decision of the Commission.

The supporting and technical personnel of an inspection team, transportation, and equipment shall be provided by the state on whose territory the inspection is to be carried out. In the event that such state is not in a position to provide the necessary equipment and the supporting and technical personnel, the procedure to ensure the inspection shall be determined by the Commission.

An inspection team shall include controllers designated by the founder states of the Control Organization on the basis of two sides. The size of inspection teams must be determined in each individual case in accordance with the FBYB assigned to the respective team.

An inspection team shall be under the Commission, and shall carry out all its instructions.

An inspection team shall submit to the Commission and to the government of the state where inspection is carried out a report on the investigation carried out on site.

18. Flights in the air-space of sovereign states to collect air samples for the purpose of inspection shall be made, with the participation of a representative of the Commission, by decision of the Commission in aircraft of such states along routes determined in advance and agreed upon with the governments of such states.

The Relationship of the Commission with the Governments of the States Participating in the Control Organization

19. In order to ensure day-to-day mutual relations between the Commission and the appropriate authorities of the states on whose territory a control post is located, the government of each such state shall authorize one of its government agencies to have continuing contact with the Commission on matters which are within the competence of the Control Organization.

20. The Commission shall establish mutual relations with such agency on the following matters:

The selection of the location of control posts;

The construction of control posts;

The selection of personnel for the staff of the Commission and control posts;

Transportation and means of communication for the Commission;

Assistance in the carrying out of inspection; and the provision for all other measures relating to the competence of the Commission.

Other Matters

21. The Commission and its technical system should be located in one of the European neutral states.

End verbatim text.

Villard

1. Source: Basic provisions text tabled by Soviet Delegation. Official Use Only. 12 pp. NARA, RG 59, Central Files, 700.5611/12–958.