General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

12 December 1984

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                      A/RES/39/64
                                                      12 December 1984
                                                      Meeting no. 97
 
                            Reduction of military budgets
 
                                      A
        The General Assembly,
 
        Deeply concerned about the ever-spiralling arms race and growing
    military expenditures, which constitute a heavy burden for the economies
    of all nations and have extremely harmful effects on world peace and
    security,
 
        Reaffirming once again the provisions of the Final Document of the
    Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session
    devoted to disarmament, according to which the gradual reduction of
    military budgets on a mutually agreed basis, for example, in absolute
    figures or in terms of percentage, particularly by nuclear-weapon States
    and other militarily significant States, would contribute to curbing the
    arms race and would increase the possibilities for the reallocation of
    resources now being used for military purposes to economic and social
    development, particularly for the benefit of the developing countries,
 
        Convinced that the freezing and reduction of military budgets would
    have favourable consequences on the world economic and financial situation
    and might facilitate efforts made to increase international assistance for
    the developing countries,
 
        Recalling that at its twelfth special session, the second special
    session devoted to disarmament, all Member States unanimously and
    categorically reaffirmed the validity of the Final Document of the Tenth
    Special Session, as well as their solemn commitment to it,
 
        Recalling also, that, in the Declaration of the 1980s as the Second
    United Nations Disarmament Decade, it is provided that during this period
    renewed efforts should be made to reach agreement on the reduction of
    military expenditures and the reallocation of resources thus saved to
    economic and social development, especially for the benefit of developing
    countries,
 
        Recalling further the provisions of its resolution 34/83 F of
    11 December 1979, reaffirmed in its resolutions 35/142 A of
    12 December 1980, 36/82 A of 9 December 1981, 37/95 A of 13 December 1982
    and 38/184 A of 20 December 1983, in which it considered that a new
    impetus should be given to the endeavours to achieve agreements to freeze,
    reduce or otherwise restrain, in a balanced manner, military expenditure,
    including adequate measures of verification satisfactory to all parties
    concerned,
 
        Aware of the various proposals submitted by Member States and of the
    activities carried out so far within the framework of the United Nations
    in the field of the reduction of military budgets,
 
        Convinced that identification and elaboration of the principles which
    should govern further actions of States in freezing and reducing military
    budgets could contribute to harmonizing the views of States and create
    confidence among them conducive to achieving international agreements in
    the reduction of military budgets,
 
        Considering that the identification and elaboration of the principles
    which should govern further actions of States in freezing and reducing
    military budgets and the other current activities within the framework of
    the United Nations related to the question of the reduction of military
    budgets should be regarded as having the fundamental objective of reaching
    international agreements on the reduction of military expenditures,
 
        Taking note of the report of the Disarmament Commission on the work
    accomplished during its session in 1984 on the question of the reduction
    of military budgets,
 
        1.    Declares once again its conviction that it is possible to
        achieve international agreements on the reduction of military budgets
        without prejudice to the right of all States to undiminished security,
        self-defence and sovereignty;
 
        2.    Reaffirms that the human and material resources released through
        the reduction of military expenditures could be reallocated to
        economic and social development, particularly for the benefit of the
        developing countries;
 
        3.    Calls upon all Member States, in particular the most heavily
        armed States, to reinforce their readiness to co-operate in a
        constructive manner with a view to reaching agreements to freeze,
        reduce or otherwise restrain military expenditures;
 
        4.    Appeals to all States, in particular to the most heavily armed
        States, pending the conclusion of agreements on the reduction of
        military expenditures, to exercise self-restraint in their military
        expenditures with a view to reallocating the funds thus saved to
        economic and social development, particularly for the benefit of
        developing countries;
 
        5.    Requests the Disarmament Commission to continue, at its 1985
        substantive session, the consideration of the item entitled "Reduction
        of military budgets" on the basis of the relevant working paper
        annexed to its report, as well as other proposals and ideas on the
        subject-matter, with a view to finalizing the identification and
        elaboration of the principles which should govern further actions of
        States in the field of freezing and reduction of military
        expenditures, keeping in mind the possibility of embodying such
        principles in a suitable document at an appropriate stage;
 
        6.    Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fortieth
        session the item entitled "Reduction of military budgets".
 
                                      B
        The General Assembly,
 
        Deeply concerned about the arms race and present tendencies to
    increase further the rate of growth of military expenditures, the
    deplorable waste of human and economic resources and the potentially
    harmful effects on world peace and security,
 
        Considering that a gradual reduction of military expenditures on a
    mutually agreed basis would be a measure that would contribute to curbing
    the arms race and would increase the possibilities of reallocating
    resources now being used for military purposes to economic and social
    development, particularly for the benefit of the developing countries,
 
        Convinced that such reductions could and should be carried out on a
    mutually agreed basis without detriment to the national security of any
    country,
 
        Reaffirming its conviction that provisions for defining, reporting,
    comparing and verifying military expenditures will have to be basic
    elements of any international agreement to reduce such expenditures,
 
        Recalling that an international system for the standardized reporting
    of military expenditures has been introduced in pursuance of General
    Assembly resolution 35/142 B of 12 December 1980, and that annual reports
    on military expenditures are now being received from a number of Member
    States,
 
        Considering that a wider participation in the reporting system of
    States from different geographic regions and representing different
    budgeting systems would promote its further refinement and would, by
    contributing to greater openness in military matters, increase confidence
    between States,
 
        Noting, in this connection, the proposal to convene an international
    conference on military expenditures,
 
        Recalling its resolution 37/95 B of 13 December 1982, in which it
    requested the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a group of
    qualified experts and with the voluntary co-operation of States, to
    undertake the task of constructing price indices and purchasing-power
    parities for the military expenditures of participating States,
 
        Emphasizing that the above-mentioned activities and initiatives, as
    well as other ongoing activities within the United Nations related to the
    reduction of military budgets, have the objective of facilitating future
    negotiations aimed at the conclusion of international agreements on the
    reduction of military expenditures,
 
        1.    Takes note with appreciation of the report of the
        Secretary-General containing the replies received in 1984 from Member
        States in the framework of the above-mentioned reporting system;
 
        2.    Stresses the need to increase the number of reporting States
        with a view to the broadest possible participation from different
        geographic regions and representing different budgeting systems;
 
        3.    Reiterates its recommendation that all Member States should
        report annually, by 30 April, to the Secretary-General, using the
        reporting instrument, their military expenditures for the latest
        fiscal year for which data are available;
 
        4.    Also takes note with appreciation of the progress report of the
        Secretary-General on the ongoing exercise undertaken in pursuance of
        resolution 37/95 B, and which will result in a final report to the
        General Assembly at its fortieth session;
 
        5.    Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Group of Experts
        on the Reduction of Military Budgets with the necessary assistance and
        Secretariat services;
 
        6.    Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fortieth
        session the item entitled "Reduction of military budgets".