Chapter Seven. Establishing An Nwfz In The Middle East

Abstract

The security tensions in the world, especially in the Middle East, give rise to the dangers caused by the introduction of nuclear weapons in the region. This chapter discusses the history of efforts to establish an Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ) in the Middle East. After the idea of establishing an NWFZ in the Middle East captured the attention of international organisations and the different international forums dealing with nuclear disarmament in 1974, it became a long-standing issue in the annual General Assembly (GA) meetings and the subject of several studies and resolutions. On 11 December 1975, Resolution 3472 (xxx) of the GA defined an NWFZ as zone, recognised as such by the GA of the United Nations (UN), which any group of States, in the free exercise of their sovereignty, has established by virtue of a treaty or convention..Keywords: annual General Assembly (GA) meetings; international organisations; Middle East; Nuclear Weapon Free Zone (NWFZ)