Madam Speaker, on May 11 I asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs what was being done to assure the extension of the non-proliferation treaty, which was then being negotiated in New York City. In particular, I asked what was being done to oblige the nuclear weapon states to respect article VI of the treaty.
According to article VI, the nuclear weapon states are obliged to reduce their nuclear weapons. That was part of the non-proliferation treaty bargain. The non-nuclear weapon states agreed not to develop nuclear weapons, while the nuclear weapon states committed themselves to reducing their nuclear arsenals.
What happened? Since the treaty was implemented in 1970 the non-nuclear weapon states, Canada included, developed or acquired no nuclear weapons. In other words, the non-nuclear weapon states totally respected the treaty. On the other hand, the three nuclear weapon states, the United States, the Soviet Union, and the United Kingdom, ignored their obligations under article VI.
In 1970, when the treaty was brought into force, the United States and the Soviet Union had 8,000 nuclear weapons. By 1990 they had 50,000 nuclear weapons. Not only did they not reduce their nuclear weapons, they increased them in a spectacular way.
Since the treaty was limited to 25 years, until March of this year, was necessary to renegotiate its continuation, and that is what was being done this spring in New York. However, one of the major problems with many of the countries that were brought to reconsider the treaty was the failure of the nuclear weapon states to live up to their obligations under article VI. Many non-nuclear weapon states asked why they should support the extension of a treaty that was not respected by the nuclear weapon states.
That was the question I put to the minister on May 11. Unfortunately, the parliamentary secretary did not answer that part of the question. He told me, and I was extremely pleased, that on that very day there had been an agreement to extend the non-proliferation treaty for an indefinite period of time. He did not, however, mention the conditions. He did not say what was being done to oblige the nuclear weapon states to reduce their nuclear weapons in accordance with article VI.
I have since learned that review conferences will continue to be held every five years to promote full implementation of the treaty and that there was a commitment to approve the comprehensive test ban treaty by 1996 as well as the establishment of certain nuclear free zones.
Once again ask the parliamentary secretary what measures are being taken to assure that the nuclear weapon states will comply with article VI of the NPT. Also, what is being done to assure universal adherence to this important treaty?