the Conference on Disarmament, has so far been left out of the picture. In dealing with actual multilateral nuclear disarmament, the Conference is undoubtedly the very place where negotiations should be held. But three nuclear States say that pending the emergence of certain conditions, they are not prepared to join in negotiations on nuclear disarmament. This does not mean that conceptual work must not be pursued, let us say at the same informal meetings of ours. In this respect I would also like to draw attention to a particular nuclear disarmament issue, the prohibition of production of fissionable material for weapons purposes. In essence, such a ban would be the most radical and the shortest path to the elimination of nuclear weapons, for in the mean time the destruction of launchers alone is being negotiated, and warheads remain in States' arsenals. Therefore, strictly speaking, mankind has not yet embarked on nuclear disarmament proper, and this is a matter for justified concern on the part of the world community. The cessation of the production of highly enriched uranium and plutonium would inevitably lead to cuts in the actual industrial base for making key components of nuclear weapons. We believe that an objectively favourable situation now exists for the solution of this issue: in the United States the production of weapons-grade plutonium has virtually stopped; in the Soviet Union the production of weapons-grade uranium was halted in 1989, three reactors producing weapons-grade plutonium have been shut down and a programme has been adopted to decommission all plutonium reactors of this type by the year 2000. Hence we may certainly raise the point here that in these circumstances the Conference could start practical consideration of the monitored cessation of the production of fissionable material for weapons purposes - under effective control, of course.
**Analysis**
The text appears to be focused on the discussion of nuclear disarmament and the prohibition of production of fissionable material for weapons purposes. The language used is formal and diplomatic, suggesting that the text is a speech or a document related to international relations. The topic of nuclear disarmament is closely tied to international security and diplomacy, which is a key aspect of the field of science and technology.

**Category**
Science and technology