some of the outstanding points on the draft text in advance of next year's deadline to report to the General Assembly. Regrettably, the Conference was once again unable to agree even on a framework of systematic consideration on some other important subjects. One was a nuclear-test ban. Despite the proposal by a group of States, including the MLG/sm A/C.l/40/PV.ll 34 {Mr. Cromartie, United Kingdom) United Kingdom, which would have made possible "substantive examination of specific issues relating to a comprehensive test ban, including the issue of scope as well as those of compliance with a view to negotiation of a treaty on the subject", no mandate could be agreed for a subsidiary body on this subject. I remember that last year a large number of States voted in favour of paragraph 4 of resolution 39/53 which specified that the resumption of work at the Conference on Disarmament should take place on this very basis. The apparent determination of some countries to block proper consi~eration at the Conference on Disarmament of outstanding issues in the way of conclusion of a comprehensive test ban is therefore all the harder to understand. In our view, the issues which remain to be resolved before meaningful negotiations can be undertaken are scope, compliance and verification. As we have said before, we are not asking for 100 per cent verification, but we do expect serious examination of this complex, technical and absolutely vital issue. That is why we submitted at the Conference in July a paper on seismic monitoring for a comprehensive test ban which is a substantial technical contribution towards consideration of the subject. We look forward to proper examination of that paper. We hope that it will prove possible to re-establish an ad hoc committee in 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the Conference on Disarmament and the lack of progress in negotiating a comprehensive test ban treaty. The issues mentioned, such as scope, compliance, and verification, are technical and related to the development of a treaty. The text also mentions a paper on seismic monitoring, which is a scientific and technical contribution to the discussion.

**Category**
Science and technology