Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–14, Part 2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1973–1976

175. Telegram 1126 From the Mission in Geneva to the Department of State¹

Geneva, February 18, 1976, 1148Z.

1126. Disto. Subject: CCD—688th Plenary Meeting, February 17, 1976.

Summary: U.S., USSR, and Mexico spoke at opening meeting of 1976 CCD session Feb 17. Martin (U.S.) called on CCD to make every effort to complete negotiations of environmental modification convention and proposed comprehensive review of CCD procedures. Roshchin (USSR) said it would be necessary for CCD to hold informal meetings with experts to consider Soviet UNGA proposal for convention banning new weapons of mass destruction. He recalled Soviet initiative concerning general and complete prohibition of nuclear weapons tests, insisting that all nuclear-weapon states participate in any comprehensive test ban. Roshchin also called for completion of negotiation of EnMod convention before 1976 UNGA. Mexican Foreign Minister Garcia Robles, attending opening week of CCD, called on CCD to adapt its priorities to UNGA resolutions and proposed establishment of subcommittee to deal with major issues. End summary.

1. Martin (U.S.) said CCD should make every effort during 1976 to conclude negotiation of a convention on the prohibition of military and other hostile uses of environmental warfare. Recalling identical drafts submitted last year by U.S. and USSR, Martin identified four general areas of concern that had emerged from discussions to date: definition of prohibited activities, provisions for assuring compliance, relationship between convention and environmental provisions of protocols under discussion at diplomatic conference on laws of war, and implications of convention for conduct and possible international regulation of peaceful uses of EnMod techniques. He expressed hope that these questions would be discussed in detail during spring session.

2. Martin also proposed that CCD undertake a comprehensive review of all its procedures during 1976, suggesting that this be carried out in a series of informal meetings. He said if review led to decisions on changes in procedures, it would be desirable to codify all procedures in a single set of rules. In proposing review, Martin emphasized unique role of CCD as multilateral disarmament forum and need to assure that any changes genuinely contribute to committee’s effectiveness.

3. Roshchin (USSR) recalled USSR’s 1975 UNGA resolution calling on CCD to negotiate convention to prohibit development of new weapons of mass destruction (MDW) and reviewed provisions of Soviet draft convention. He noted need to define specific categories of weapons to be banned, stating Soviet readiness to take part in detailed examination of question during CCD negotiations. He said consideration of MDW issues would require holding informal meetings with experts in which Soviet experts would participate.

4. Roshchin also reviewed Soviet proposal at 1975 UNGA for a treaty on general and complete prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests. He maintained that all nuclear-weapon states must participate in such a treaty, rejecting proposals calling only on some NWS to declare a moratorium or suspend tests. Such proposals, he said, create unilateral advantages for some states, violate principle that disarmament agreements must not diminish anyone’s security, and therefore “are clearly doomed to failure.” Roshchin also argued that verification of a test ban should be based on national technical means supplemented by exchange of seismic data. Recalling that UNGA resolution envisaged establishment of new body for negotiation of general test ban, Roshchin said CCD should continue its own work on subject in order to “facilitate progress.”

5. Roshchin referred briefly to environmental modification, emphasizing desirability of banning hostile use of EnMod techniques before they become militarily feasible. He expressed hope that CCD would examine and conclude convention and submit it to 1976 UNGA.

6. Garcia Robles (Mexico) reviewed in detail 1975 UNGA resolutions on nuclear-weapon-free zones and on SALT. He also noted establishment of ad hoc committee to review disarmament role of UN and resolution calling on CCD to reappraise its tasks and duties in order to accelerate pace of its work, saying that “if the committee is interested in preserving its existence” it should not report to the 1976 UNGA “empty-handed.” Garcia Robles called on CCD to adjust its work to priorities established by UNGA, with highest priority to CTB and second to chemical weapons. He also noted need to consider EnMod and MDW. He called for establishment of subcommittee of the whole, along lines of 1975 experts group on nuclear-weapon-free zones, to carry out specific tasks before the CCD this year. Garcia Robles departed from written text at one point to reject Soviet assertion that test ban without all NWS would diminish any country’s security.

7. Next plenary meeting Thursday, Feb 19.

Dale

1. Summary: The mission transmitted a summary of the opening plenary session of the spring session of the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament, noting that U.S. Representative to the CCD Martin had called on the CCD to “make every effort” to complete the negotiations of the EnMod convention and proposed that the CCD undertake, during 1976, a review of its procedures.

   Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D760060–0718. Limited Official Use; Priority. Repeated for information to Bonn, London, Mexico City, Moscow, the Mission to NATO, and USUN. The 29th session of the CCD opened in Geneva on February 17 and concluded on April 22. The full text of Martin’s February 17 statement is printed in Documents on Disarmament, 1976, pp. 44–46. On August 21, 1975, the United States and Soviet Union submitted identical draft conventions prohibiting military use of environmental modification techniques to the CCD. See ibid., 1975, pp. 385–388.