41. Assistance in mine clearance

The item entitled "Assistance in mine clearance" was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, at the request of the 12 States members of the European Community (A/48/193). The Assembly considered the item at that session and at each subsequent session (resolutions 48/7, 49/215 and 50/82).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸³⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the efforts made by the United Nations to foster the establishment of mine-clearance capacities in countries where mines constituted a serious threat to the safety, health and lives of the local population, and urged all Member States to assist afflicted countries in the establishment and development of their national mine-clearance capacities; invited Member States to develop national programmes to promote awareness of landmines, especially among children; appealed to Member States and regional organizations to continue to contribute to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in Mine Clearance; stressed the importance of international assistance for the rehabilitation of landmine victims and their full participation in society; emphasized the importance of effective coordination of mine-related activities; welcomed the establishment of comprehensive mine-action programmes; urged Member States, regional organizations, governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations to continue to extend full assistance and cooperation to the Secretary-General; urged Member States to provide the necessary information and technical and material assistance; encouraged Member States and organizations to continue to promote appropriate technology as well as standards for humanitarian mine-clearance activities; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the progress achieved on all relevant issues outlined in his previous reports to the Assembly on assistance in mine clearance and on the operation of the Trust Fund (resolution 51/149).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/149).

42. Cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization of African Unity

The question of cooperation between the United Nations and OAU was first considered by the General Assembly at its twentieth session, in 1965 (resolution 2011 (XX)).

From the twenty-first to twenty-sixth sessions, the question of cooperation between the two organizations continued to be considered by the General Assembly, but it was focused on specific areas (resolution 2103 (XXI), 2193 (XXII), 2505 (XXIV) and 2863 (XXVI)).

At its twenty-seventh to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly considered the question in the broader context of cooperation between OAU, on the one hand, and the United Nations, the specialized agencies and other organizations within the United Nations system on the other (resolutions 2962 (XXVII), 3066 (XXVIII), 3280 (XXIX), 3412 (XXX), 31/13, 32/19, 33/27, 34/21, 35/117, 36/80, 37/15, 38/5, 39/8, 40/20, 41/8, 42/9, 43/12, 44/17, 45/13, 46/20, 47/148, 48/25, 49/64 and 50/158).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁴⁾ the General Assembly called upon the United Nations to coordinate its efforts and to cooperate with OAU in the context of the pacific settlement of disputes and the maintenance of international peace and security in Africa; invited the United Nations to assist OAU in strengthening its institutional and operational capacity in the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts in Africa, in particular in the establishment of an early-warning system, technical assistance and training of personnel, exchange and coordination of information between their respective early-warning systems, logistical support and mobilization of financial support; urged the United Nations to enhance its cooperation with, and facilitate the participation of, OAU in its preventive diplomacy, peacemaking and peacekeeping operations and in joint fact-finding missions in Africa, by providing technical assistance and secondments and assisting in the mobilization of financial and logistical support; urged the United Nations to continue to support OAU in its efforts to manage a peaceful democratic transition in Africa, in particular in the areas of education for democracy, election observation, human rights and freedom, including technical support to the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights; urged all Member States and regional and international organizations, in particular those of the United Nations system, as well as non-governmental organizations, to provide the necessary and appropriate economic, financial and technical assistance to refugees and displaced persons, as well as to the African countries of asylum, taking into account recent disquieting developments in that respect; commended the continued efforts of OAU to promote multilateral cooperation and economic integration among African States, and requested the United Nations agencies to continue to support those efforts; stressed that the economic, technical and development assistance provided to Africa by the organizations of the United Nations system must continue, and emphasized the current need for those organizations to accord priority to Africa in that field; urged the Secretary-General, Member States, regional and international organizations, in particular those of the United Nations system, and non-governmental organizations to extend their support to the operations of the African Economic Community and to assist in economic integration and cooperation in Africa; invited the Secretary-General to associate OAU closely with the follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of the United Nations New Agenda for the Development of Africa in the 1990s, including the conduct of the final review of its implementation in 2002; called upon the relevant organs of the United Nations system to ensure the effective, fair and equitable representation of Africa at senior and policy levels at their respective headquarters and in their regional field operations; requested the relevant organs of the United Nations system to assist OAU in strengthening its capacity for information gathering, analysis and dissemination through the training of personnel and the mobilization of technical and financial assistance; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution and on the development of cooperation between OAU and the organizations of the United Nations system (resolution 51/151).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/151).

43. The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security¹

On 3 January 1980, a number of Member States requested an urgent meeting of the Security Council to consider the situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security. The Council met from 5 to 9 January 1980, and on 9 January decided, in view of the lack of unanimity of its permanent members, to call for an emergency special session of the General Assembly to examine the matter (resolution 462 (1980)).

At its sixth emergency special session, held in January 1980, the General Assembly strongly deplored the armed intervention in Afghanistan; appealed to all States to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non-aligned character of Afghanistan and to refrain from any interference in the internal affairs of that country; called for the immediate, unconditional and total withdrawal of the foreign troops; urged all parties concerned to assist in bringing about conditions necessary for the voluntary return of the Afghan refugees to their homes; and called upon the Security Council to consider ways and means to assist in the implementation of the resolution (resolution ES-6/2).

The item was included in the agenda of the thirty-fifth session of the General Assembly, in 1980, at the request of 35 Member States (A/35/144 and Add.1). At that session, the Assembly adopted a resolution on the question (resolution 35/37).

At its thirty-sixth to forty-sixth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 36/34, 37/37, 38/29, 39/13, 40/12, 41/33, 42/15, 43/20, 44/15, 45/12 and 46/23).

At its forty-seventh and forty-eighth sessions, the General Assembly did not consider the item but decided to retain it in the agenda of that session (decisions 47/467 and 48/484). No decision was taken on this item at the forty-ninth session.

At its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions, the General Assembly considered this item in conjunction with the question of emergency international assistance for peace, normalcy and reconstruction of war-stricken Afghanistan (see item 20 (c) above).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁵⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, stressed that the main responsibility for finding a political solution to the conflict lay with the Afghan parties; called upon all Afghan parties to cease immediately all armed hostilities, to renounce the use of force, to put aside their differences and to engage in a political dialogue aimed at achieving national reconciliation and a lasting political settlement of the conflict and establishing a fully representative and broad-based transitional government of national unity; reaffirmed its full support for the efforts of the United Nations, in particular the activities of the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, in facilitating, where appropriate in cooperation with interested States and international organizations, the political process towards the goals of national reconciliation and a lasting political settlement with the participation of all parties to the conflict and all segments of Afghan society; called upon all Afghan parties to cooperate with the United Nations Special Mission; requested the Secretary-General to authorize the United Nations Special Mission to continue its efforts to facilitate national reconciliation and reconstruction in Afghanistan, specifically to mediate an end to the conflict and to facilitate the implementation of a comprehensive peaceful settlement, to be agreed upon by the Afghan parties, which could include, inter alia: (a) an immediate and durable ceasefire among the Afghan parties to be supervised by a commission composed of representatives of all the warring parties, facilitated by the United Nations and the Organization of the Islamic Conference; (b) the demilitarization of Kabul, with adequate safeguards to ensure security and public order; and (c) the establishment of a broad-based and fully representative authoritative council; called upon all States strictly to refrain from any outside interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, including the involvement of foreign military personnel; also called upon all States immediately to end the supply of arms, ammunition, military equipment, training or any other military support to all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan; reiterated that the continuation of the conflict in Afghanistan provided a fertile ground for terrorism and drug-trafficking which destabilized the region and beyond, and called upon the leaders of the Afghan parties to halt such activities; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly every three months during its fifty-first session on the progress of the United Nations Special Mission and to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/195 B).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/195 B).

44. The situation of democracy and human rights in Haiti¹

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1991, at the request of Honduras (A/46/231).

The General Assembly considered the item at its forty-sixth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 46/7, 47/20 A and B, 48/27 A and B, 49/27 A and B, and 50/86 A and B).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁶⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, welcomed the recommendation of the Secretary-General contained in his report to renew the mandate of the joint participation of the United Nations with the Organization of American States in the International Civilian Mission to Haiti; decided to authorize, on the basis of the above recommendation, the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations component of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti until 31 July 1997, with the possibility of a further decision to renew the Mission until 31 December 1997, based upon a report to be submitted by the Secretary-General not later than 30 June 1997 on the mandate and further extension of the International Civilian Mission to Haiti, taking into consideration the recommendations contained in the report of the Secretary-General to be submitted to the Security Council by 31 March 1997 on the United Nations Support Mission in Haiti; requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly regular reports on the implementation of the resolution; reaffirmed once again the commitment of the international community to continue its technical, economic and financial cooperation with Haiti in support of its economic and social development efforts and in order to strengthen Haitian institutions responsible for dispensing justice and guaranteeing democracy, respect for human rights, political stability and economic development; requested the Secretary-General to continue to coordinate the efforts of the United Nations system in providing humanitarian aid and contributing to the development of Haiti; and decided to keep the item under review at its fifty-first session (resolution 51/196).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/196).

45. The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress infashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development²

The item entitled "The situation in Central America: threats to international peace and security and peace initiatives" was included in the agenda of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1983, at the request of the Government of Nicaragua (A/38/242).

The General Assembly considered the question at its thirty-eighth to forty-sixth sessions (resolutions 38/10 and 39/4, decision 40/470, and resolutions 41/37, 42/1, 43/24, 44/10, 45/15 and 46/109 A and B).

At its forty-seventh session, the General Assembly decided to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-eighth session an item entitled "The situation in Central America: procedures for the establishment of a firm and lasting peace and progress in fashioning a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development" (resolution 47/118). The Assembly also considered the item at its forty-eighth, forty-ninth and fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/161, 49/137 and 50/132).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁷⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, commended the efforts of the peoples and Governments of the Central American countries to consolidate peace and promote sustainable development by implementing the agreements adopted at the summit meetings, and requested the Secretary-General to continue to give the fullest possible support to the initiatives and activities of the Governments of the Central American countries; supported the decision of the Presidents of the Central American countries to declare Central America a region of peace, freedom, democracy and development, and encouraged the initiatives of the Central American countries, to consolidate Governments that base their development on democracy, peace, cooperation and respect for human rights; drew attention to the decision of the Presidents of the Central American countries embodied in the Declaration of Guácimo, in which the national and regional strategy known as the Alliance for the Sustainable Development of Central America became an integrated initiative reflected in a programme of immediate action in the political, moral, economic, social and environmental field; emphasized the work accomplished by the Central American Integration System in favour of subregional integration to promote economic growth oriented towards human development and in the strengthening of democracy and the consolidation of peace in the region, and called upon Member States and international organizations to provide effective cooperation for the strengthening of subregional integration; supported the adoption of the Framework Treaty on Democratic Security in Central America concerning the supremacy and strengthening of the power of civil society, a reasonable balance of forces, the security of individuals and of their property, the alleviation of poverty, the promotion of sustainable development, the protection of the environment, the eradication of violence, corruption, impunity, terrorism and trafficking in drugs and arms, and the increased channelling of resources into social investments; welcomed the agreement reached on 11 November 1996 by the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca to conclude their negotiations, with a view to finalizing and signing a firm and lasting peace agreement in Guatemala on 29 December 1996; called upon the parties to comply fully with their commitments under all the agreements reached between them and to implement the corresponding recommendations of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights in Guatemala; requested the Secretary-General, the organizations of the United Nations system and the international community to continue their support for the peace process and hence for efforts to promote national reconciliation, democracy and development in Guatemala, and reiterated its appreciation of the peace efforts of the Secretary-General, the Group of Friends (Colombia, Mexico, Norway, Spain, the United States of America and Venezuela), as well as its appreciation of the contribution of the Assembly of Civil Society and other Guatemalans within the constitutional framework and the peace agreements; called upon the Government of El Salvador and all the political forces involved in the peace process to make all possible efforts to complete the implementation of all remaining aspects of the Peace Agreement; reiterated its recognition of the effective participation of the Secretary-General and his representatives and encouraged them to continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the successful implementation of all the commitments made by the parties to the Peace Agreement in El Salvador; recognized the achievements made by the people and Government of Nicaragua in their efforts to consolidate peace, democracy and reconciliation among Nicaraguans, as well as the importance of political, economic and social consultation among all sectors of the country; welcomed with satisfaction the peaceful electoral process held in Nicaragua on 20 October 1996, and its importance as a further step towards the strengthening of democracy, peace, development and reconstruction in that country; supported the treatment accorded to Nicaragua in the light of its continuing exceptional circumstances, so that the international community and financial institutions could incorporate that treatment into programmes to support the country's economic recovery and social reconstruction; expressed its appreciation of the work of the support group for Nicaragua (Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden), which, under the coordination of the Secretary-General, was playing an active role in supporting the country's efforts towards economic recovery and social development, particularly with regard to solving the external debt problem and securing investments and new resources that would allow the country's economic and social programmes to continue towards national reconciliation, and requested the Secretary-General to continue to support those efforts; emphasized the importance of the current political dialogue and economic cooperation between the European Union and its member States and the Central American countries, with the participation of the Group of Three (Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela); also emphasized the commitments on sustainable development adopted at the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth meetings of the Summit of Central American Presidents, with the aim of fashioning a region of peace, democracy and sustainable development; reiterated the importance of the support of the United Nations system through its operational activities, in particular the United Nations Development Programme, aimed at facilitating the development of programmes and projects which were indispensable for strengthening peace and the development process in the region; reiterated its full appreciation to the Secretary-General for his efforts to promote the pacification process and the consolidation of peace in Central America and to the groups of friendly countries which had made a direct contribution to attaining those ends, and requested that those efforts be maintained; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/197).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/197).

United Nations Office of Verification in El Salvador

At its fifty-first session,⁸⁷ the General Assembly welcomed the continuing commitment of the Government and people of El Salvador to the consolidation of the peace process; paid tribute to the accomplishments of the United Nations Office of Verification in El Salvador; noted with satisfaction the commitment by the Government of El Salvador and other parties to the full implementation of the peace accords, and urged them to work together to complete that implementation without delay; decided in accordance with the recommendation of the Secretary-General, that: (a) the Representative of the Secretary-General in El Salvador should be withdrawn at the conclusion of the mandate of the United Nations Office of Verification in El Salvador on 31 December 1996; (b) the responsibilities of verification and good offices entrusted to the United Nations should be executed through periodic visits to El Salvador by a high-level envoy from Headquarters; also decided that the envoy would be assisted for a period of six months in the discharge of those responsibilities by a small support unit in El Salvador, working with the administrative support of the United Nations Development Programme; emphasized the importance of a continued and enhanced cooperation of the various agencies, offices and programmes of the United Nations system active in El Salvador with the efforts of the Organization in the consolidation of the peace process; called upon Member States and international institutions to continue to provide assistance to the Government and people of El Salvador and to lend support to the efforts of the United Nations in El Salvador for the purposes of peace-building and development; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report to it before the end of June 1997 on the implementation of the resolution, including an assessment of the peace process in El Salvador (resolution 51/199).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/199), A/51/917.

United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala

At its fifty-first session in December 1996,⁸⁷ the General Assembly called upon the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca to continue their efforts to comply with their commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala and the human rights aspects of the Agreement on Identity and Rights of Indigenous Peoples; encouraged the parties to maintain the momentum of the negotiating process in order to ensure that the agreement on a firm and lasting peace would be signed on 29 December 1996; authorized the renewal of the mandate of the Mission until 31 March 1997, in accordance with the recommendations of the Secretary-General; invited the international community to intensify its support for the peace process and for the implementation of the peace agreements, inter alia, through voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Guatemala Peace Process; and requested the Secretary-General to submit recommendations as soon as possible on how the structure and staffing of the Mission should be redesigned to enable the Mission to fulfil its new responsibilities after the signing of the agreement on a firm and lasting peace and to keep the Assembly fully informed of the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/198 A).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/198 A);

(b) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting a human rights report from MINUGUA (resolution 51/198 A).

United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala

At its resumed fifty-first session in March 1997,⁸⁷ the General Assembly commended the Government of Guatemala and the Unidad Revolucionaria Nacional Guatemalteca for their sustained efforts in search of peace, which culminated with the signing of the historic agreement of 29 December 1996; called upon both parties to continue to implement fully their commitments; decided to authorize the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Verification of Human Rights and of Compliance with the Commitments of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights in Guatemala, to be known henceforth as the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala, until 31 March 1998, to carry out international verification of the peace accords in accordance with the recommendations of the Secretary-General; requested the Secretary-General to continue to develop appropriate means to identify resources for the Mission within the limits of the approved budget for the current biennium; also requested him to submit a report to the Assembly with his recommendations on the structure and staffing of the Mission after 31 March 1998; invited the international community to intensify its support for peace-related activities in Guatemala, through voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the Guatemala Peace Process and through other mechanisms; and requested the Secretary-General to keep the Assembly fully informed on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/198 B).

Documents: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/198 B).

46. Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development

At its forty-seventh session, in 1992, the General Assembly decided to convene a World Summit for Social Development at the level of heads of State or Government (resolution 47/92). The Summit was held at Copenhagen from 6 to 12 March 1995.

The item entitled "Implementation of the outcome of the World Summit for Social Development" was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly at the request of Denmark (A/50/192). At the same session, the Assembly decided to hold a special session of the General Assembly in the year 2000 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit and to consider further actions and initiatives (resolution 50/161).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁸⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the commitments adopted by heads of State and Government at Copenhagen and their pledge to give the highest priority to national, regional and international policies and actions for the promotion of social progress, justice and the betterment of the human condition, based on full participation by all; noted with satisfaction the initiatives and actions taken by Governments towards the implementation of the commitments of the World Summit for Social Development; reiterated its call to Governments to define time-bound goals and targets for reducing overall poverty and eradicating absolute poverty, expanding employment and reducing unemployment, and enhancing social integration, within each national context; urged national Governments to formulate or strengthen comprehensive cross-sectoral strategies for implementing the outcome of the Summit and national strategies for social development; reaffirmed the need to strengthen, in a spirit of partnership, international, regional and subregional cooperation for social development and implementing the outcome of the Summit; recognized that the implementation of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and the Programme of Action of the World Summit would require the mobilization of financial resources at the national and international levels, and that in developing countries, in particular in Africa and the least developed countries, additional financial resources and more effective development cooperation and assistance would be needed; stressed the need for all countries to develop economic policies to promote and mobilize domestic savings and attract external resources for productive investment, and to seek innovative sources of funding, both public and private, for social programmes; reaffirmed the need for effective partnership and cooperation between Governments and the relevant actors of civil society in the implementation of and follow-up to the Summit; encouraged non-governmental organizations to participate in the work of the Commission for Social Development; took note of Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/7, by which it decided that the Commission should have the primary responsibility for the follow-up to and review of the implementation of the Summit and decided to enlarge the Commission's membership from 32 to 46 and to annualize its meetings; took note also of the Council's decision on a new structure of the agenda and multi-year programme of work of the Commission for 1997-2000, and on its revised method of work; invited Governments to support the work of the Commission, including through the participation of high-level representatives on social development issues and policies; renewed its call to all relevant organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system to be involved in the follow-up to the Summit; urged the regional commissions to continue their involvement and support in the promotion of the implementation of the objectives of the Summit at the regional and subregional levels, by, inter alia, convening on a biennial basis a meeting at a high political level to review the progress made towards implementing the outcome of the Summit; decided that the Commission for Social Development would undertake work in 1999-2000 for the preparation of the special session of the Assembly in 2000 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the outcome of the Summit, in accordance with its programme of work as set out in Council resolution 1996/7, and that a preparatory committee of the whole of the General Assembly would be established at its fifty-second session, which would hold an organizational session in 1998 and would initiate its substantive activities in 1999 on the basis of inputs of the Commission and the Economic and Social Council, taking into account contributions by other relevant organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system; and requested the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the outcome of the Summit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/202).

At its thirty-fifth session, held in February/March 1997, the Commission for Social Development considered the priority theme "Productive employment and sustainable livelihoods" under the item "Follow-up to the World Summit for Social Development", in accordance with its restructured agenda and multi-year programme of work, and adopted resolution 35/2 containing a set of agreed conclusions on the subject, and decided to transmit them to the Economic and Social Council to provide input to the high-level segment of its substantive session of 1997 (see the report of the Commission on its thirty-fifth session, E/1997/26, chap. I, sect. A).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/202);

(b) Relevant sections of the report of the Economic and Social Council at its 1997 substantive session (A/52/3).

47. The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina¹

Various aspects of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been dealt with by the Security Council and by the General Assembly. The issue was included in the agenda of the forty-sixth session of the Assembly, in 1991, at the request of Turkey (A/46/237).

The General Assembly considered the question at its forty-sixth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 46/242, 47/121, 48/88 and 49/10 and decision 50/492).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁸⁹⁾ the General Assembly expressed its support for the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina; welcomed the conclusions of the Peace Implementation Conference held in London on 4 and 5 December 1996; recognized that responsibility for consolidating the peace lay primarily with the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina; underlined the relationship between the fulfilment by the parties of their commitments under the Peace Agreement and the readiness of the international community to commit resources for reconstruction and development; stressed the importance of the full, comprehensive and consistent implementation of the Peace Agreement, including cooperation and compliance with the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, the establishment of the necessary conditions for the voluntary return of refugees and displaced persons and the establishment of the necessary conditions for freedom of movement (resolution 51/203).

No advance documentation is expected.

48. Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)

The item entitled "Question of the Falkland Islands (Malvinas)" was included in the agenda of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly, in 1982, at the request of 20 Member States (A/37/193).

The General Assembly considered the question at its thirty-seventh to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 37/9, 38/12, 39/6, 40/21, 41/40, 42/19 and 43/25; and decisions 38/405, 39/404, 40/410, 41/414, 42/410, 43/409, 44/406, 45/424, 46/406, 47/408, 48/408, 49/408 and 50/406).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁰⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/407).

No advance documentation is expected.

49. Report of the International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991

The International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 was established by the Security Council in its resolution 827 (1993) of 25 May 1993. The Tribunal submits an annual report to the General Assembly under article 34 of its statute; the Assembly considers the report in accordance with article 15, paragraph 2.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹¹⁾ the General Assembly took note of the third report of the International Tribunal, covering the period from 31 July 1995 to 31 July 1996 (decision 51/409).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the fourth report of the International Tribunal (decision 51/409).

50. Report of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994

The International Criminal Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994 was established on 8 November 1994 by the Security Council in resolution 955 (1994). By resolution 977 (1995), the Council decided that the seat of the Tribunal would be Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, and by resolution 989 (1995) it established the list of candidates for the position of judge of the Tribunal, for election by the General Assembly.

At its forty-ninth session, in 1994, the General Assembly elected the six judges of the Trial Chamber of the International Tribunal for Rwanda (decision 49/324). On 9 September 1995, the Secretary-General, following consultations with the judges of the Tribunal, appointed the first Registrar of the Tribunal. The current Registrar is Mr. Agwu U. Okali.

This item was included in the agenda of the fiftieth session of the General Assembly, pursuant to Security Council resolution 955 (1994).

Under article 32 of its statute, the International Tribunal submits an annual report to the General Assembly.

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹²⁾ the General Assembly took note of the first annual report of the International Tribunal (decision 51/410).

Document: Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the second annual report of the International Tribunal.

83. References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 34):

51. Declaration of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity on the aerial and naval military attack against the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya by the present United States Administration in April 1986

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-first session of the General Assembly, in 1986, at the request of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya (A/41/241). At that session, the Assembly condemned the military attack perpetrated against the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya on 15 April 1986; called upon the Government of the United States of America to refrain from the threat or use of force in the settlement of disputes and differences with the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; called upon all States to refrain from extendingany assistance or facilities for perpetrating acts of aggression against the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; affirmed the right of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to receive appropriate compensation for the material and human losses inflicted upon it; requested the Security Council to remain seized of the matter and requested the Secretary-General to report thereon to the Assembly at its forty-second session (resolution 41/38).

At its forty-second to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly decided to include the item in the provisional agenda of the forty-third to fifty-first sessions (decisions 42/457, 43/417, 44/417, 45/429, 46/436, 47/463, 48/435, 49/444 and 50/422).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹³⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/432).

No advance documentation is expected.

52. Armed Israeli aggression against the Iraqi nuclear installations and its grave consequences for the established international system concerning the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and international peace and security

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1981, at the request of 43 Member States (A/36/194 and Add.1 and 2).

The General Assembly considered the item at its thirty-sixth to fortieth sessions (resolutions 36/27, 37/18, 38/9, 39/14 and 40/6).

At its forty-first session, the General Assembly called upon Israel urgently to place all its nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards in accordance with Security Council resolution 487 (1981); considered that Israel had not yet committed itself not to attack or threaten to attack nuclear facilities in Iraq or elsewhere, including facilities under Agency safeguards; reaffirmed that Iraq was entitled to compensation for the damage it had suffered as a result of the Israeli armed attack on 7 June 1981; and requested the Conference on Disarmament to continue negotiations with a view to reaching an immediate conclusion of the agreement on the prohibition of military attacks on nuclear facilities as a contribution to promoting and ensuring the safe development of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes (resolution 41/12).

At its forty-second and forty-third sessions, the General Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda (decisions 42/460 and 43/459). At its forty-fourth to fiftieth sessions, the Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of the next session (decisions 44/470, 45/430, 46/442, 47/464, 48/436, 49/474 and 50/444).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁴⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/433).

No advance documentation is expected.

53. Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait

The item entitled "Iraqi aggression and the continued occupation of Kuwait in flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations" was included in the agenda of the forty-fifth session of the General Assembly, in 1990, at the request of Kuwait (A/45/233). At that session, the Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of its forty-fifth session (decision 45/455).

At its forty-sixth session, the General Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of that session under the new title "Consequences of the Iraqi occupation of and aggression against Kuwait" (see A/46/PV.3 and 79) and to include it in the provisional agenda of its forty-seventh session (decision 46/475).

At the forty-seventh, forty-eighth and forty-ninth sessions, the General Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of those sessions (decisions 47/467, 48/484 and 49/474). At its fiftieth session, the Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session, (decision 50/445).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁵⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/434).

54. Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-seventh session of the General Assembly, in 1982, at the request of Cyprus (A/37/245).

At its thirty-seventh to fifty-first sessions,⁽⁹⁶⁾ the General Assembly decided to include the item in the provisional agenda of its subsequent session (decisions 37/457, 38/459, 39/465, 40/470, 41/470, 42/402, 43/421, 44/458, 45/454, 46/444, 47/466, 48/438, 49/474, 50/457 and 51/435).

No advance documentation is expected.

55. Question of the Comorian island of Mayotte

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-first session of the General Assembly, in 1976, at the request of Madagascar (A/31/241). At that session, the Assembly condemned and considered null and void the referendums of 8 February and 11 April 1976 organized in Mayotte by the Government of France and called upon France to withdraw immediately from the island (resolution 31/4).

At its thirty-second to forty-ninth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of this item (resolutions 32/7, 34/69, 35/43, 36/105, 37/65, 38/13, 39/48, 40/62, 41/30, 42/17, 43/14, 44/9, 45/11, 46/9, 47/9, 48/56 and 49/18 and decision 33/435).

At its fiftieth and fifty-first sessions,⁽⁹⁷⁾ the General Assembly decided to postpone consideration of the item to a later date (decisions 50/475 and 51/436).

No advance documentation is expected.

56. Launching of global negotiations on international economic cooperation for development

At its thirty-second session, in 1977, the General Assembly decided to convene a special session of the Assembly in 1980, at a high level, in order to assess the progress made in the various forums of the United Nations system in the establishment of the new international economic order and, on the basis of that assessment, to take appropriate action for the promotion of the development of developing countries and international economic cooperation, including the adoption of the new international development strategy for the 1980s. At its thirty-fourth, eleventh special and thirty-fifth to forty-eighth and fiftieth sessions, the Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolution 34/139 and decisions S-11/24, 35/443, 35/454, 36/461, 37/438, 38/448, 39/454 A and B, 40/450, 41/467, 42/458, 43/457, 44/459, 45/435, 46/443, 47/465, 48/437 and 50/468).

At its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁸⁾ the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item and to include it in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session (decision 51/452).

No advance documentation is expected.

57. The situation in Burundi⁴

This item was included in the agenda of the forty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1993, at the request of Burundi (A/48/240).

The General Assembly considered the item at its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 48/17, 49/7 and 50/159).

The item, which has not been considered by the General Assembly at its fifty-first session,⁽⁹⁹⁾ remains on the agenda of that session (decision 51/462). Its inclusion in the provisional agenda of the fifty-second session is subject to any action that the Assembly might take on it at its fifty-first session.

58. Restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields⁴

At its forty-fifth session, in 1990, the General Assembly decided to reconvene in a resumed session for an in-depth consideration and negotiations of proposals for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic and social fields (resolution 45/177). At its resumed forty-fifth session, the Assembly adopted the text contained in the annex to its resolution 45/264, including the basic principles and guidelines, goals and measures, as well as issues to be addressed in the future, for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields, and decided to carry out at its forty-sixth session a review of the subsidiary bodies of the Economic and Social Council and the General Assembly (resolution 45/264).

At its forty-sixth session, the General Assembly adopted the text contained in the annex to resolution 46/235; and requested the Secretary-General to implement the proposed restructuring measures as contained in that annex and to report to the Assembly at its forty-seventh session on the action he had taken (resolution 46/235).

The General Assembly also considered the item at its forty-seventh to forty-ninth sessions (decision 47/467, resolution 48/162 and decision 49/411).

At its fiftieth session, the General Assembly adopted the texts contained in the annexes to resolution 50/227; requested the Secretary-General to implement the further measures for the restructuring and revitalization of the United Nations in the economic, social and related fields falling within his responsibility, as set out in annex I to the resolution; and also requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session, through the Economic and Social Council at its substantive session of 1997, on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/227).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁰⁰⁾ the General Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of that session (decision 51/462).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/227), A/52/155-E/1997/68 and Add.1.

59. Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters¹

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in 1979, at the request of Algeria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Guyana, India, Maldives, Nepal, Nigeria and Sri Lanka (A/34/246). At that session, the Assembly decided to transmit to its thirty-fifth session the draft resolution submitted at the thirty-fourth session and related documents (decision 34/431).

At its thirty-fifth to forty-sixth sessions, the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of the item (decisions 35/453, 36/460, 37/450, 38/454, 39/455, 40/460, 41/469, 42/459, 43/458, 44/460, 45/421 and 46/418).

At its forty-seventh session, the General Assembly adopted resolution 47/62 and, in response, the Secretary-General issued a report containing comments made by Member States on a possible review of the membership of the Security Council (A/48/264 and Add.1, 2 and Add.2/Corr.1 and Add.3-10).

At its forty-eighth session, the General Assembly established the Open-ended Working Group on the Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council and Other Matters Related to the Security Council; and requested the Working Group to submit a report on the progress of its work to the Assembly before the end of its forty-eighth session (resolution 48/26). In September 1994, September 1995 and September 1996, the Open-ended Working Group submitted reports on the progress of its work (A/48/47, A/49/47 and A/50/47/Rev.1).

The General Assembly decided at its forty-eighth to fiftieth sessions that the Open-ended Working Group should continue its work and submit a report to the Assembly before the end of the following session (decisions 48/498, 49/499 and 50/489).

Accordingly, the Open-ended Working Group continued its work during 1995, 1996 and 1997.⁽¹⁰¹⁾

Document: Report of the Open-ended Working Group (decision 50/489).

60. Strengthening of the United Nations system¹

At its forty-ninth session, in the course of its consideration of the item entitled "Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization", the General Assembly decided to establish an open-ended high-level working group of the Assembly, under the Chairmanship of the President of the General Assembly and with two vice-chairmen to be elected by the working group; decided also that the Working Group would undertake a thorough review of the studies and reports of the relevant United Nations bodies and submissions of Member States and observers, as well as studies and reports of independent commissions, non-governmental organizations, institutions, scholars and other experts, on subjects relating to the revitalization, strengthening and reform of the United Nations system, and specify by consensus those ideas and proposals drawn therefrom that it concludes would be appropriate for the purpose of revitalization, strengthening and reform of the United Nations system in fulfilment of the purposes and principles of the Charter; and requested the working group to submit a report on its work before the end of the fiftieth session (resolution 49/252).

The General Assembly decided at its fiftieth session that the Open-ended High-level Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System should continue its work and submit a report to the Assembly at its fifty-first session (decision 50/491).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁰²⁾ the General Assembly continued its consideration of the question and decided to retain the item on the agenda of that session (decision 51/462).

Document: Report of the Open-ended High-level Working Group on the Strengthening of the United Nations System, Supplement No. 24, A/51/24 (decision 50/491).

B>Please click on the items numbers to go directly to those items  

61. Question of Cyprus⁴

Various aspects of the question of Cyprus have been dealt with by the United Nations, particularly by the Security Council and the General Assembly, since 1963.

In March 1964, the Security Council established the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and instituted a mediation effort to promote an agreed settlement of the problem (resolution 186 (1964)). The mandate of the Force has subsequently been extended by the Council, usually for a period of six months. The latest report of the Secretary-General to the Council on the United Nations operation in Cyprus was issued on 5 June 1997 (S/1997/437), and the latest report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices in Cyprus was issued on 20 June 1997 (S/1997/480).

At its twenty-ninth session, in 1974, the General Assembly called upon all States to respect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and non-alignment of the Republic of Cyprus and to refrain from all acts and interventions directed against it; and urged the speedy withdrawal of all foreign armed forces from Cyprus (resolution 3212 (XXIX)). Since 1975, the Security Council has periodically requested the Secretary-General to undertake missions of good offices to facilitate comprehensive negotiations and to keep it informed of the progress made.

From April 1993 until July 1994, by agreement of the two Cypriot parties, the efforts of the Secretary-General's mission of good offices concentrated on a package of confidence-building measures (see S/26026) first presented to the two Cypriot parties in May 1993.

On 29 July 1994, the Security Council requested the Secretary-General to consult with members of the Council, with the Guarantor Powers and with the two leaders in Cyprus with a view to undertaking a fundamental and far-reaching reflection on ways of approaching the Cyprus problem in a manner that would yield results, and requested the Secretary-General to report by the end of October 1994 (resolution 939 (1994)).

In September 1994, the Special Representative had consultations with the Guarantor Powers and the Cypriot parties, and reported to the Secretary-General that matters were close to an impasse both on the substance of the Cyprus problem and on the confidence-building measures.

Before reporting to the Security Council, the Secretary-General wrote to both Cypriot leaders on 10 October 1994 informing them that he had requested his Deputy Special Representative to invite them to join him for a number of informal consultations with a view to exploring in a concrete manner ways in which progress might be made both in the implementation of the confidence-building measures and in the overall settlement of the Cyprus problem. Both leaders accepted and five meetings took place between 18 and 31 October 1994. In November and December 1994, the Secretary-General met separately with each Cypriot community leader to hear his views on the informal meetings. In resolution 969 (1994) renewing the mandate of UNFICYP, the Council welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to continue contacts with the two leaders in order to find common ground for the basis for a resumption of direct talks. The Council also reaffirmed the importance it attached to early progress on the substance of the Cyprus problem and on the implementation of the confidence-building measures.

In March and May 1995, the Special Representative reviewed with the Cypriot leaders and the Guarantor Powers the situation in the light of developments since the beginning of the year. After hearing the views of all concerned, the Secretary-General's representatives concluded that grounds did not yet exist for the resumption of face-to-face meetings.

In resolution 1032 (1995) of 19 December 1995, the Security Council welcomed the Secretary-General's decision to continue contacts with the two leaders, to make every effort to find common ground for the basis for a resumption of direct talks.

On 1 May 1996, Professor Han Sung-Joo of the Republic of Korea was appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General. In resolution 1062 (1996) of 28 June 1996, renewing the mandate of UNFICYP, the Council recognized the decision of the European Union concerning the opening of accession negotiations with Cyprus, as noted in the report of the Secretary-General on his mission of good offices (S/1996/467), as an important new development that should facilitate an overall settlement.

Tension rose on the island in August 1996 in anticipation of a demonstration organized by the Cyprus Motorcycle Federation. Incidents resulted in the killing of two civilian Greek Cypriots and the wounding of 19 UNFICYP soldiers. In resolution 1092 (1996) of 23 December 1996 renewing the mandate of UNFICYP, the Security Council expressed its grave concern over the escalation of violence along the ceasefire lines to a level not seen since 1974, as stated in the report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations operation in Cyprus (S/1996/1016

open-ended direct negotiations in the first half of 1997 b*&*&*&*&*&* ⁽¹⁰³⁾ the General Assembly decided to retain the item on the agenda of that session (decision 51/462).

No advance documentation is expected.

93. References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 51):

62. Compliance with arms limitation and disarmament obligations

The item entitled "Compliance with arms limitation and disarmament agreements" was included in the agenda of the fortieth session of the General Assembly, in 1985, as a sub-item under the item entitled "General and complete disarmament". At that session, the Assembly urged all States parties to arms limitation and disarmament agreements to implement and comply with the entirety of the provisions subscribed to; and appealed to all Member States to support efforts aimed at the resolution of non-compliance questions (resolution 40/94 L).

At its forty-first to forty-fourth, forty-sixth and forty-eighth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of this question (resolutions 41/59 J, 42/38 M, 43/81 A, 44/122, 46/26 and 48/63).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁰⁴⁾ the General Assembly urged all States parties to arms limitation and disarmament agreements to implement and comply with the entirety of the spirit and all provisions of such agreements; called upon all Member States to give serious consideration to the implications that non-compliance with arms limitation and disarmament obligations had for international security and stability, as well as for the prospects for further progress in the field of disarmament; also called upon all Member States to support efforts aimed at the resolution of compliance questions by means consistent with such agreements and international law, with a view to encouraging strict observance by all parties of the provisions of arms limitation and disarmament agreements and maintaining or restoring the integrity of such agreements; welcomed the role that the United Nations had played in restoring the integrity of, and fostering negotiations on, certain arms limitation and disarmament agreements and in the removal of threats to peace; requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide assistance that might be necessary in restoring and protecting the integrity of arms limitation and disarmament agreements; encouraged efforts by States parties to develop additional cooperative measures, as appropriate, that could increase confidence in compliance with existing arms limitation and disarmament obligations and reduce the possibility of misinterpretation and misunderstanding; and noted the contribution that verification experiments and research could make and already had made in confirming and improving verification procedures for arms limitation and disarmament agreements under study or negotiation, thereby providing an opportunity, from the time that such agreements enter into force, for enhancing confidence in the effectiveness of verification procedures as a basis for determining compliance (resolution 50/60).

No advance documentation is expected.

63. Verification in all its aspects, including the role of the United Nations in the field of verification

The item entitled "Verification in all its aspects" was included in the agenda of the fortieth session of the General Assembly, in 1986, as a sub-item under the item entitled "Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session: implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the tenth special session". At that session, the Assembly invited Member States to communicate to the Secretary-General their views and suggestions on verification principles, procedures and techniques for promoting the inclusion of adequate verification in arms limitation and disarmament agreements and on the role of the United Nations in the field of verification (resolution 40/152 O).

At its forty-first to forty-third, forty-fifth, forty-seventh and forty-eighth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of this item (resolutions 41/86 Q, 42/42 F, 43/81 B, 45/65, 47/45 and 48/68).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁰⁵⁾ in 1995, the General Assembly took note of the report of the Secretary-General which was unanimously approved by the Group of Governmental Experts on Verification in All its Aspects, including the Role of the United Nations in the Field of Verification; requested the Secretary-General to give the report the widest possible circulation and to seek the views of Member States on the report; encouraged Member States to consider the recommendations contained in the report and to assist the Secretary-General in their implementation; also requested him to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the views received from Member States on the report and on actions taken by Member States and by the Secretariat with respect to the recommendations contained in the report (resolution 50/61).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 50/61), A/52/269.

64. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

The question of the cessation of nuclear tests, independently of agreement on other disarmament measures, was discussed by the General Assembly as early as the ninth session, in 1954.

At its thirty-fifth session, the General Assembly requested the Committee on Disarmament to take the necessary steps, including the establishment of a working group, to initiate substantive negotiations on a comprehensive test-ban treaty as a matter of the highest priority at the beginning of its session to be held in 1981 and to determine the institutional and administrative steps necessary for establishing, testing and operating an international seismic monitoring network and effective verification system (resolution 35/145 B).

The General Assembly continued to consider this question at its thirty-sixth through fiftieth sessions (resolutions 36/85, 37/73, 38/63, 39/53, 40/81, 41/47, 42/27, 43/64, 44/107, 45/51, 46/29, 47/47, 48/70, 49/70, 50/65 and 50/245).

At its fiftieth session,⁽¹⁰⁶⁾ the General Assembly declared its readiness to resume consideration of the item, as necessary, before its fifty-first session in order to endorse the text of a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (resolution 50/65).

At its resumed fiftieth session,¹⁰⁶ on 10 September 1996, the General Assembly adopted the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, as contained in document A/50/1027; requested the Secretary-General, as depositary of the Treaty, to open it for signature, at United Nations Headquarters, at the earliest possible date; called upon all States to sign and, thereafter, according to their respective constitutional processes, to become parties to the Treaty at the earliest possible date; and also requested the Secretary-General, as depositary of the Treaty, to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the status of signature and ratifications of the Treaty (resolution 50/245).

On 24 September 1996, the Secretary-General, as its depositary, opened the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty for signature at United Nations Headquarters.

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁰⁷⁾ the General Assembly took note of part VII of the report of the First Committee (decision 51/413).

65. Reduction of military budgets

(a) Reduction of military budgets

(b) Objective information on military matters, including transparency of military expenditures

The question of the reduction of military budgets was included in the agenda of the twenty-eighth session of the General Assembly, in 1973, at the request of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (A/9191). At that session, the Assembly recommended that all States permanent members of the Security Council should reduce their military budgets by 10 per cent from the 1973 level during the following financial year; appealed to those States to allot 10 per cent of the funds thus released for assistance to developing countries; established a Special Committee on the Distribution of Funds Released as a Result of the Reduction of Military Budgets (resolution 3093 A (XXVIII)); and requested the Secretary-General to prepare, with the assistance of qualified experts, a report on the matter (resolution 3093 B (XXVIII)).

The General Assembly continued to consider the question at its twenty-ninth to thirty-second, tenth special, thirty-third to thirty-sixth, twelfth special, thirty-seventh to forty-fourth and forty-sixth to forty-ninth sessions (resolutions 3245 (XXIX), 3463 (XXX), 31/87, 32/85, S-10/2, para. 89, 33/67, 34/83 F, 35/142 A and B, 36/82 A, S-12/24, 37/95 A and B, 38/184 B, 39/64 A and B, 40/91 A and B, 41/57, 42/36, 43/73, 44/114 A and B and 46/25, decision 47/418, and resolutions 48/62 and 49/66).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁰⁸⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, recommended the guidelines and recommendations for objective information on military matters to all Member States for implementation, fully taking into account specific political, military and other conditions prevailing in a region, on the basis of initiatives and with the agreement of the States of the region concerned; called upon all Member States to report annually, by 30 April, to the Secretary-General their military expenditures for the latest fiscal year for which data are available; requested the Secretary-General to circulate annually the reports on military expenditures as received from Member States; also requested the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and make recommendations on necessary changes to the content and structure of the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures in order to strengthen and broaden participation, and to submit a report within existing resources on the subject to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and called on all Member States, in time for the deliberation by the Assembly at that session, to provide the Secretary-General with their views on ways and means to strengthen and broaden participation in the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures, including necessary changes to its content and structure (resolution 51/38).

Documents: Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 35/142 B and 51/38).

66. The role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament

The General Assembly considered this question at its forty-fourth session, in 1989, under the item entitled "Scientific and technological developments and their impact on international security" (resolution 44/118 A), and at its forty-fifth and forty-seventh to fiftieth sessions under the same item (resolutions 45/60, 47/43, 48/66, 49/67 and 50/62). At its fiftieth session, the Assembly decided that an item entitled "The role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament" should be included in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first session (resolution 50/62).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹⁰⁹⁾ the General Assembly affirmed that scientific and technological progress should be used for the benefit of all mankind and that international cooperation in the use of science and technology for peaceful purposes should be promoted; invited Member States to undertake additional efforts to apply science and technology for disarmament-related purposes and to make disarmament-related technologies available to interested States; urged Member States to undertake multilateral negotiations in order to establish universally acceptable, non-discriminatory guidelines for international transfers of dual-use goods and technologies and high technology with military applications; requested the Secretary-General to update and further develop the report entitled "Scientific and technological developments and their impact on international security" in order to evaluate the impact of recent scientific and technological developments, especially those which have potential military applications; and encouraged United Nations bodies to contribute, within existing mandates, to promoting the application of science and technology for peaceful purposes (resolution 51/39).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/39).

67. Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East

This item was included in the agenda of the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1974, at the request of Iran, later joined by Egypt (A/9693 and Add.1-3).

The General Assembly continued to consider this question at its thirtieth to thirty-second, tenth special session, and thirty-third to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 3474 (XXX), 31/71, 32/82, S-10/2, para. 63 (d), 33/64, 34/77, 35/147, 36/87 B, 37/75, 38/64, 39/54, 40/82, 41/48, 42/28, 43/65, 44/108, 45/52, 46/30, 47/48, 48/71, 49/71 and 50/66).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁰⁾ the General Assembly urged all parties directly concerned to consider seriously taking the practical and urgent steps required for the implementation of the proposal to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the Assembly, and, as a means of promoting that objective, invited the countries concerned to adhere to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; called upon all countries of the region that had not done so, pending the establishment of the zone, to agree to place all their nuclear activities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; invited all countries of the region, pending the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East, to declare their support for establishing such a zone, consistent with paragraph 63 (d) of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and to deposit those declarations with the Security Council; also invited those countries, pending the establishment of the zone, not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or permit the stationing on their territories, or territories under their control, of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices; invited the nuclear-weapon States and all other States to render their assistance in the establishment of the zone and at the same time to refrain from any action that runs counter to both the letter and the spirit of the resolution; invited all parties to consider the appropriate means that might contribute towards the goal of general and complete disarmament and the establishment of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the region of the Middle East; requested the Secretary-General to continue to pursue consultations with the States of the region and other concerned States, in accordance with paragraph 7 of resolution 46/30 and taking into account the evolving situation in the region, and to seek from those States their views on the measures outlined in chapters III and IV of the study annexed to his report (A/45/435) or other relevant measures, in order to move towards the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East; and also requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/41).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/41), A/52/271.

68. Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia

This item was included in the agenda of the twenty-ninth session of the General Assembly, in 1974, at the request of Pakistan (A/9706).

The General Assembly considered the question at each session from the twenty-ninth to the fiftieth (resolutions 3265 B (XXIX), 3476 A (XXX), 3476 B (XXX), 31/73, 32/83, 33/65, 34/78, 35/148, 36/88, 37/76, 38/65, 39/55, 40/83, 41/49, 42/29, 43/66, 44/109, 45/53, 46/31, 47/49, 48/72, 49/72 and 50/67).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹¹⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed its endorsement, in principle, of the concept of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia; urged once again the States of South Asia to continue to make all possible efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia and to refrain, in the meantime, from any action contrary to that objective; welcomed the support of all the five nuclear-weapon States for the proposal, and called upon them to extend the necessary cooperation in the efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in South Asia; requested the Secretary-General to communicate with the States of the region and other concerned States in order to ascertain their views on the issue and to promote consultations among them; and also requested him to report on the subject to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/42).

Documentation: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/42).

69. Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons

The item entitled "Conclusion of an international convention on the strengthening of guarantees of the security of non-nuclear States" was included in the agenda of the thirty-third session of the General Assembly, in 1978, at the request of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (A/33/241).

The General Assembly considered the question at each session from the thirty-third to the fiftieth (resolutions 33/72 B, 34/85, 35/155, 36/95, 37/81, 38/68, 39/58, 40/86, 41/52, 42/32, 43/69, 44/111, 45/54, 46/32, 47/50, 48/73, 49/73 and 50/68).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹²⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; appealed to all States, especially the nuclear-weapon States, to work actively towards an early agreement on a common approach and, in particular, on a common formula that could be included in an international instrument of a legally binding character; recommended, inter alia, that further intensive efforts should be devoted to the search for such a common approach or common formula; and recommended also that the Conference on Disarmament should actively continue intensive negotiations with a view to reaching early agreement and concluding effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons (resolution 51/43).

Document: Report of the Conference on Disarmament, Supplement No. 27 (A/52/27).

70. Prevention of an arms race in outer space

This item was included in the agenda of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1981, at the request of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (A/36/192).

The General Assembly considered the question at each session from the thirty-sixth to the fiftieth (resolutions 36/99, 37/83, 38/70, 39/59, 40/87, 41/53, 42/33, 43/70, 44/112, 45/55 A and B, 46/33, 47/51, 48/74 A, 49/74 and 50/69).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹³⁾ the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the importance and urgency of preventing an arms race in outer space, and the readiness of all States to contribute to that common objective, in conformity with the provisions of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies; reaffirmed its recognition that the legal regime applicable to outer space by itself does not guarantee the prevention of an arms race in outer space, that this legal regime plays a significant role in the prevention of an arms race in that environment, that there was a need to consolidate and reinforce that regime and enhance its effectiveness, and that it was important strictly to comply with existing agreements, both bilateral and multilateral; emphasized the necessity of further measures with appropriate and effective provisions for verification to prevent an arms race in outer space; called upon all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race in outer space and to refrain from actions contrary to that objective and to the relevant existing treaties; reiterated that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, had the primary role in the negotiation of a multilateral agreement or agreements, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects; requested the Conference on Disarmament to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space with a negotiating mandate at the beginning of its 1997 session; and urged States conducting activities in outer space to keep the Conference on Disarmament informed of the progress of bilateral or multilateral negotiations relating to the prevention of an arms race in outer space, if any, so as to facilitate its work (resolution 51/44).

Document: Report of the Conference on Disarmament, Supplement No. 27 (A/52/27).

B>Please click on the items numbers to go directly to those items  

71. General and complete disarmament

(a) Notification of nuclear tests

(b) Small arms

(c) Transparency in armaments

(d) Nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas

(e) Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament: report of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament

(f) Relationship between disarmament and development<

(g) Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control

(h) Measures to curb the illicit transfer and use of conventional arms

(i) Prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes

(j) Regional disarmament

(k) Follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons

(l) Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures

(m) Nuclear disarmament

(n) Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels

(o) Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction

(p) Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of vehicles for their delivery in all its aspects

The item entitled "General and complete disarmament" was included in the agenda of the fourteenth session of the General Assembly, in 1959, at the request of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (A/4218). It has since been placed on the agenda of every session.

At its sixteenth to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (see resolutions 1722 (XVI), 1767 (XVII), 1884 (XVIII), 2031 (XX), 2162 (XXI), 2342 (XXII), 2454 (XXIII), 2602 (XXIV), 2661 (XXV), 2825 (XXVI), 2932 A and B (XXVII), 3184 A to C (XXVIII), 3261 A to G (XXIX), 34/84 A to E (XXX), 31/189 B, 32/87 A to G, 33/91 A to I, 34/87 A to F, 35/156 A to K, 36/97 A to L, 37/99 A to K, 38/188 A to J and decision 38/447, resolutions 39/151 A to J, 40/94 A to O, 41/59 A to O, 42/38 A to O and decision 42/407, resolutions 43/75 A to T and decision 43/422, resolutions 44/116 A to U and decision 44/432, resolutions 45/58 A to P and decisions 45/415 to 45/418, resolutions 46/36 A to L and decisions 46/412 and 46/413, resolutions 47/52 A to L and decisions 47/419 and 47/420, resolutions 48/75 A to L and 49/75 A to P, decision 49/427, resolutions 50/70 A to R and decision 50/420).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁴⁾ the General Assembly adopted 20 resolutions under the item (resolutions 51/45 A to T) and one decision (decision 51/414).

In its first resolution, entitled "Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and its Preparatory Committee", the General Assembly took note of the decision of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, following appropriate consultations, to hold the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee in New York from 7 to 18 April 1997 (resolution 51/45 A).

In the second resolution, entitled "The nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas", the General Assembly recognized with satisfaction that the Antarctic Treaty and the treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok and Pelindaba were gradually freeing the entire southern hemisphere and adjacent areas covered by those treaties from nuclear weapons; called upon all States to consider proposals to establish further nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in areas such as the Middle East and South Asia, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned, to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and, with particular reference to the responsibilities of the nuclear-weapons States, to advance the process of nuclear disarmament with the ultimate goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons; and called upon the States parties and signatories to the treaties of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok and Pelindaba to explore and implement further ways and means of cooperation, including the consolidation of the status of the nuclear-weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas (resolution 51/45 B).

In its third resolution, entitled "Convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament", the General Assembly decided, subject to the emergence of a consensus on its objectives and agenda, to convene its fourth special session devoted to disarmament in 1999; noted the view of the Secretary-General that preparations for the special session could begin in 1997; and decided, subject to the outcome of deliberations concerning the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament at the 1997 substantive session of the Disarmament Commission, to convene a meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament before the end of the fifty-first session of the Assembly in order to set an exact date and to decide on organizational matters relating to the convening of the special session, and requested the Preparatory Committee to submit its progress report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/45 C).

In the fourth resolution, entitled "Relationship between disarmament and development", the General Assembly invited all Member States to communicate to the Secretary-General their views and proposals for the implementation of the action programme adopted at the International Conf

In the fifth resolution, entitled "Observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control", the General Assembly invited the Conference on Disarmament to take every necessary measure to include the relevant environmental norms and provisions in negotiating treaties and agreements on disarmament and arms limitation, taking into account the need to preserve the world's environment and to ensure the strict observance of such environmental norms and provisions during the entire process of implementation of the provisions of the treaties and agreements, particularly during the process of destruction of the arms covered by them; urged States parties to consider all the relevant norms related to the protection of the environment in implementing the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction; and called upon States to adopt unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures so as to contribute to ensuring the application of scientific and technological progress in the framework of international security, disarmament and other related spheres, without detriment to the environment or to its effective contribution to attaining sustainable development (resolution 51/45 E).

In the sixth resolution, entitled "Measures to curb the illicit transfer and use of conventional arms", the General Assembly invited Member States: (a) to enact adequate national legislation and/or regulations and adopt administrative procedures in order to exercise effective control over armaments and the export and import of arms, inter alia, with the aim of preventing trafficking in illicit arms and bringing offenders to justice; (b) to provide the Secretary-General with relevant information on national control measures on arms transfers with a view to preventing illicit arms transfers; also invited Member States to provide the Secretary-General with their views on: (a) effective ways and means of collecting weapons transferred illicitly, in particular in the light of experience gained by the United Nations; and (b) concrete proposals concerning measures at national, regional and international levels to curb the illicit transfer and use of conventional arms; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report containing the views expressed by Member States and also to report on the effective implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/45 F).

In the seventh resolution, entitled "Nuclear disarmament with a view to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons", the General Assembly urged States not parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to accede to it at the earliest possible date, recognizing the importance of universal adherence to the Treaty; and called upon all States parties to the Treaty to make their best efforts for a smooth start of the strengthened review process of the Treaty as they convened their first Preparatory Committee, in 1997, with a view to the success of the next Review Conference, which should be held in the year 2000 (resolution 51/45 G).

In the eighth resolution, entitled "Transparency in armaments", the General Assembly reaffirmed its decision, with a view to the further development of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, to keep the scope of and participation in the Register under review, and, to that end: (a) recalled its request to Member States to provide the Secretary-General with their views on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development and on transparency measures related to weapons of mass destruction; and (b) recalled its request to the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a group of governmental experts to be convened in 1997, to prepare a report on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the progress made in implementing the resolution (resolution 51/45 H).

In the ninth resolution, entitled "Bilateral nuclear arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament", the General Assembly encouraged the United States of America and the Russian Federation to continue their efforts aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons and strategic offensive arms on the basis of existing agreements, and welcomed the contributions that other States were making to such cooperation as well; welcomed the removal of all nuclear weapons from the territory of Kazakhstan, as from June 1995, and from the territory of Ukraine, as from June 1996; and encouraged and supported the Russian Federation and the United States of America in intensifying their work for deep reductions in their nuclear armaments, and called upon those States to accord the highest priority to that work, in order to contribute to the elimination of nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework (resolution 51/45 I).

In the tenth resolution, entitled "Prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes", the General Assembly requested the Conference on Disarmament to take into account, in the negotiations for a convention on the prohibition of radiological weapons, radioactive wastes as part of the scope of such a convention; and also requested the Conference on Disarmament to intensify efforts towards an early conclusion of such a convention and to include in its report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session the progress recorded in the negotiations on that subject (resolution 51/45 J).

In the eleventh resolution, entitled "Regional disarmament", the General Assembly called upon States to conclude agreements, wherever possible, for nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels; welcomed the initiatives towards disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation and security undertaken by some countries at the regional and subregional levels; and supported and encouraged efforts aimed at promoting confidence-building measures at the regional and subregional levels in order to ease regional tensions and to further disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation measures at the regional and subregional levels (resolution 51/45 K).

In the twelfth resolution, entitled "Assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and collecting them", the General Assembly encouraged the Secretary-General to continue his efforts to curb the illicit circulation of small arms and to collect such arms in the affected States that so request, with the support of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa and in close cooperation with the Organization of African Unity; noted that, as part of its efforts to halt the flow of small arms into Mali and the Saharo-Sahelian subregion, the Malian Government oversaw the destruction, at the "Flame of Peace" ceremony held at Timbuktu on 27 March 1996, of thousands of small arms handed over by ex-combatants of the armed movements of northern Mali; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to examine the issue and to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/45 L).

In the thirteenth resolution, entitled "Advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons", the General Assembly took note of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons, issued on 8 July 1996; underlined the unanimous conclusion of the Court that there exists an obligation to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control; and called upon all States to fulfil that obligation immediately by commencing multilateral negotiations in 1997 leading to an early conclusion of a nuclear-weapons convention prohibiting the development, production, testing, deployment, stockpiling, transfer, threat or use of nuclear weapons and providing for their elimination (resolution 51/45 M).

In the fourteenth resolution, entitled "Consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures", the General Assembly stressed the particular importance of certain practical disarmament measures, such as the collection, control and disposal of arms, especially small arms and light weapons, coupled with restraint over the production and procurement as well as transfers of such arms, the demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, demining and conversion, for the maintenance and consolidation of peace and security in areas that had suffered from conflict; underlined the important role of the United Nations in providing a political framework for such practical disarmament measures in those areas and in facilitating their implementation; requested the Secretary-General, in the light of experience gained from conflict resolution, to make recommendations and suggestions for an integrated approach to such practical disarmament measures, taking also into account the work of the United Nations expert panel on small arms, and to report thereon to the Assembly at its fifty-second session; and also requested the Secretary-General, in that connection, to seek the views of Member States on that subject and to include them in his report (resolution 51/45 N).

In the fifteenth resolution, entitled "Nuclear disarmament", the General Assembly urged the nuclear-weapon States to stop immediately the qualitative improvement, development, production and stockpiling of nuclear warheads and their delivery systems; called upon the nuclear-weapon States to undertake the step-by-step reduction of the nuclear threat and a phased programme of progressive and balanced deep reductions of nuclear weapons, and to carry out effective nuclear disarmament measures with a view to the total elimination of those weapons within a time-bound framework; called upon the Conference on Disarmament to establish, on a priority basis, an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament to commence negotiations early in 1997 on a phased programme of nuclear disarmament and for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons within a time-bound framework through a nuclear weapons convention; urged the Conference on Disarmament to take into account in that regard the proposal of the 28 delegations for a programme of action for the elimination of nuclear weapons; and requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/45 O).

In the seventeenth resolution, entitled "Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels", the General Assembly decided to give urgent consideration to the issues involved in conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels; and requested the Conference on Disarmament to consider the formulation of principles that could serve as a framework for regional agreements on conventional arms control, and looked forward to a report of the Conference on that subject (resolution 51/45 Q).

In the eighteenth resolution, entitled "Bilateral nuclear arms negotiations and nuclear disarmament", the General Assembly expressed its satisfaction at the entry into force and ongoing implementation of the 1991 Treaty as well as the ratification by the United States of America of the 1993 Treaty, and expressed the hope that it would soon be possible for the Russian Federation to ratify that Treaty also; expressed further satisfaction at the continuing implementation of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles, in particular at the completion by the parties of the destruction of all their declared missiles subject to elimination under the Treaty; welcomed the removal of all nuclear weapons from the territory of Kazakhstan as of 1 June 1995, and from the territory of Ukraine as of 1 June 1996; encouraged the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to continue their cooperative efforts aimed at eliminating nuclear weapons and strategic offensive arms on the basis of existing agreements, and welcomed the contributions that other States were making to such cooperation as well; welcomed the accession of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as non-nuclear-weapon States, which thereby provided notable enhancement to the non-proliferation regime; encouraged and supported the Russian Federation and the United States of America in their efforts to reduce their nuclear weapons and to continue to give those efforts the highest priority in order to contribute to the ultimate goal of eliminating those weapons; and invited the Russian Federation and the United States of America to keep other States Members of the United Nations duly informed of progress in their discussions and in the implementation of their strategic offensive arms agreements and unilateral decisions (resolution 51/45 R).

In the nineteenth resolution, entitled "An international agreement to ban anti-personnel landmines", the General Assembly urged States to pursue vigorously an effective, legally binding international agreement to ban the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines with a view to completing the negotiation as soon as possible; urged States that had not yet done so to accede to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects and Protocol II as amended on 3 May 1996, and urged all States immediately to comply to the fullest extent possible with the applicable rules of Protocol II as amended; welcomed the various bans, moratoriums or other restrictions already declared by States on anti-personnel landmines; called upon States that had not yet done so to declare and implement such bans, moratoriums or other restrictions -- particularly on operational use and transfer -- at the earliest possible date; requested the Secretary-General to prepare a report on steps taken to complete an international agreement banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines, and on other steps taken by Member States to implement such bans, moratoriums or other restrictions and to submit it to the Assembly at its fifty-second session under the item entitled "General and complete disarmament" (resolution 51/45 S).

In the twentieth resolution, entitled "Status of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction", the General Assembly welcomed the fact that the required 65 instruments of ratification had now been deposited and that the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction would therefore enter into force on 29 April 1997; stressed the importance to the Convention that all possessors of chemical weapons, chemical weapons production facilities or chemical weapons development facilities should be among the original parties to the Convention and, in that context, the importance of the United States of America and the Russian Federation, having declared possession of chemical weapons, being among the original States parties to the Convention; called upon all States that had not yet done so to sign and/or ratify the Convention without delay; noted that the Preparatory Commission for the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, at its fourteenth session from 22 to 26 July 1996, entrusted the Chairman of the Commission, in close consultation with its member States, with the task of convening, as necessitated by circumstances in connection with the occurrence of the trigger point, a meeting of the Commission to provide appropriate guidance; and urged the Preparatory Commission for the Organization on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to intensify efforts to complete its remaining work (resolution 51/45 T).

In addition to the adoption of 20 resolutions, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the First Committee, recalling its decision 50/420, also decided to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-second session the item entitled "Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and of vehicles for their delivery in all its aspects" (decision 51/414).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Disarmament Commission, Supplement No. 42 (A/52/42);

(b) Report of the Conference on Disarmament, Supplement No. 27 (A/52/27);

(c) Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 46/36 L, 47/52 L, 50/70 B, 51/45 D, F, H, L, N, O and S), A/52/264, A/52/229 and A/52/268;

(d) Notes by the Secretary-General:

(i) Notification of nuclear tests (resolution 42/38 C), A/52/88;

(ii) Relationship between disarmament and development (resolution 51/45 D), A/52/228.

104. References for the fiftieth session (agenda item 57):

72. Review and implementation of the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session of the General Assembly

(a) United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific

(b) Regional confidence-building measures

(c) Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons

At its twelfth special session, in 1982, the General Assembly approved the report of the Ad Hoc Committee of the Twelfth Special Session as the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session, in which the Committee recommended that the items on which the special session had not reached decisions should be taken up at the thirty-seventh session of the Assembly for further consideration (decision S-12/24).

At its thirty-seventh to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 37/100 A to J, 38/73 A to J, 39/63 A to K, 40/151 A to I, 41/60 A to J, 42/39 A to K, 43/76 A to H, 44/117 A to F, 45/59 A to E, 46/37 A to F and 47/53 A to F, decision 47/421, and resolutions 48/76 A to E, 49/76 A to E and 50/71 A to E).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁵⁾ the General Assembly adopted six resolutions under the item (resolutions 51/46 A to F).

In the second resolution, entitled "United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific", the General Assembly reaffirmed its resolutions 50/71 D, in particular its strong support for the continued operation and further strengthening of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific as an essential promoter of the regional peace and disarmament dialogue in the Asia-Pacific region known as the "Kathmandu process"; appealed to Member States, in particular those within the Asia-Pacific region, as well as to international governmental and non-governmental organizations and foundations, to make voluntary contributions in order to strengthen the programme of activities of the Regional Centre and its implementation; requested the Secretary-General to provide all necessary support, within existing resources, to the Regional Centre in carrying out its programme of activities; and also requested him to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/46 B).

In the third resolution, entitled "Regional confidence-building measures", the General Assembly, inter alia, took note of the report of the Secretary-General dealing with the activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa; reaffirmed its support for the programme of work of the Standing Advisory Committee; welcomed with great satisfaction the signature of the Non-Aggression Pact among the States members of the Standing Advisory Committee, and reaffirmed its conviction that the Pact was likely to contribute to the prevention of conflicts and further confidence-building in the Central African subregion; invited the States members of the Standing Advisory Committee that had not yet signed the Pact to do so, and encouraged all member States to expedite ratification so that it might enter into force as soon as possible; welcomed with satisfaction the Final Declaration of the First Summit of Heads of State and Government of Countries Members of the Standing Advisory Committee, held at Yaoundé on 8 July 1996; commended the Secretary-General for having established the Trust Fund for the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa; appealed to Member States and governmental and non-governmental organizations to make additional voluntary contributions to the Trust Fund for the implementation of the programme of work of the Standing Advisory Committee; requested the Secretary-General to continue to provide assistance to the States members of the Standing Advisory Committee to ensure that they were able to carry on with their efforts; and also requested him to submit to the Assembly at its fifty-second session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 50/71 C).

In the fourth resolution, entitled "Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons", the General Assembly reiterated its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations, in order to reach agreement on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances, taking as a possible basis the draft Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons annexed to the resolution; and requested the Conference on Disarmament to report to the Assembly on the results of those negotiations (resolution 51/46 D).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Conference on Disarmament, Supplement No. 27 (A/52/27);

(b) Reports of the Secretary-General (resolutions 51/46 B and C).

73. Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session

(a) Report of the Disarmament Commission

At its tenth special session, in 1978, the General Assembly decided that an item entitled "Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session" should be included in the provisional agenda of its thirty-third and subsequent sessions (resolution S-10/2, para. 115).

At its thirty-third to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of the item (resolutions 33/71 A to H, 34/83 A to M, 35/152 A to J, 36/92 A to M, 37/78 A to K, 38/183 A to P, 39/148 A to R, 40/18 and 40/152 A to Q, 41/86 A to R, 42/42 A to N, 43/78 A to M, 44/119 A to H, 45/62 A to G, 46/38 A to D, 47/54 A to G, 48/77 A and B, 49/77 A to D and 50/72 A to C, and decisions 34/422, 39/423, 40/428, 41/421, 44/432 and 47/422).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁶⁾ the General Assembly adopted three resolutions under the item (resolution 51/47 A to C).

In the first resolution, entitled "Expansion of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament", the General Assembly, inter alia, recognized the legitimate aspirations of all countries that had applied for membership to participate fully in the work of the Conference on Disarmament; and called upon the Conference on Disarmament to consider all remaining applications for membership with a view to reaching a decision on its further enlargement before the end of its 1997 session (resolution 51/47 A).

In the second resolution, entitled "Report of the Disarmament Commission", the General Assembly, inter alia, commended the Disarmament Commission for its adoption by consensus, at its 1996 substantive session, of a set of guidelines for international arms transfers in the context of Assembly resolution 46/). The Cou endorsed the guidelines for international arms transfers in the context of Assembly resolution 46/36 H, as adopted by the Commission; noted with satisfaction that the Commission had made significant progreetwee the discussions on its agenda item regarding the convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; reaffirmed the role of the Commission as the specialized, deliberative body within the United Nations multilateral disarmament machinery that allowed for in-depth deliberations on specific disarmament issues, leading to the submission of concrete recommendations on those issues; and requested the Commission to meet for a period not exceeding four weeks during 1997 and to submit a substantive report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/47 B).

In the third resolution, entitled "Report of the Conference on Disarmament", the General Assembly, inter alia, reaffirmed the role of the Conference on Disarmament as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community; welcomed the determination of the Conference to fulfil that role in the light of the evolving international situation, with a view to making early substantive progress on priority items of its agenda; also welcomed the decision taken by the Conference on 17 June 1996 to expand its membership with the admission of 23 new members; encouraged the Conference to continue further review of its membership; also encouraged the Conference to intensify further the ongoing review of its agenda and methods of work; urged the Conference to make every effort to reach a consensus on its agenda and programme of work at the beginning of its 1997 session; and requested the Conference to submit a report on its work to the Assembly at its fifty-second session (resolution 51/47 C).

Documents:

(a) Report of the Disarmament Commission, Supplement No. 42 (A/52/42);

(b) Report of the Conference on Disarmament, Supplement No. 27 (A/52/27);

(c) Report of the Secretary-General: Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (resolution 38/183 O);

(d) Note by the Secretary-General transmitting the report of the Deputy Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (resolutions 39/148 H and 45/62 G), A/52/272.

74. The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East

This item, previously referred to as "Israeli nuclear armament", was included in the agenda of the thirty-fourth session of the General Assembly, in 1979, at the request of Iraq (A/34/142). The Assembly considered the question at each session from the thirty-fourth to the fiftieth (resolutions 34/89, 35/157, 36/98, 37/82, 38/69, 39/147, 40/93, 41/93, 42/44, 43/80, 44/121, 45/63, 46/39, 47/55, 48/78, 49/78 and 50/73).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁷⁾ the General Assembly called upon the only State in the region that was not yet party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and had not declared its intention to do so, to accede to the Treaty without further delay, and not to develop, produce, test or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons and to renounce possession of nuclear weapons, and to place all unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as an important confidence-building measure among all States of the region and as a step towards enhancing peace and security; and requested the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly at its fifty-second session on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/48).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/48).

75. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects

The General Assembly first considered this question at its twenty-seventh session, in 1972, under the item entitled "General and complete disarmament" (resolution 29/32 A (XXVII)). At its twenty-eighth to fiftieth sessions, the Assembly discussed the question under agenda items relating to certain conventions; it welcomed the adoption, on 10 October 1980, of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, the Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol I), the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) and the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III). The Convention was opened for signature on 10 April 1981 and entered into force, with the three annexed Protocols, on 2 December 1983 (resolutions 3076 (XXVIII), 3255 A and B (XXIX), 3464 (XXX), 31/64, 32/152, 33/70, 34/82, 35/153, 36/93, 37/79, 38/60, 39/56, 40/84, 41/50, 42/30, 43/67, 44/430, 45/64, 46/40, 47/56, 48/79 and 49/79, decision 44/430 and resolution 50/74).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁸⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the fact that additional States had ratified or accepted the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, which was opened for signature in New York on 10 April 1981, or had exceeded to the Convention; urgently called upon all States that had not yet done so to take all measures to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention and its Protocols; called upon the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto, to continue to inform it periodically of ratifications and acceptances of and accessions to the Convention and the Protocols; took note with appreciation of the final report of the Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, adopted at Geneva on 3 May 1996; commended the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) to all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to that instrument at an early date, and called, in particular, on the States parties to express their consent to be bound by the Protocol with a view to its entry into force as soon as possible; and again commended the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) to all States (resolution 51/49).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/49), A/52/227.

76. Strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region

At its thirty-sixth session, in 1981, the General Assembly, in the course of its consideration of the item entitled "Review of the implementation of the Declaration on the Strengthening of International Security", considered that further efforts were necessary for the transformation of the Mediterranean into a zone of peace and cooperation (resolution 36/102).

At its thirty-eighth to fiftieth sessions, the General Assembly continued its consideration of this question (resolutions 38/189, 39/153, 40/157, 41/89, 42/90, 43/84, 44/125, 45/79, 46/42, 47/58, 48/81, 49/81 and 50/75).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹¹⁹⁾ the General Assembly reaffirmed that security in the Mediterranean was closely linked to European security as well as to international peace and security; commended the efforts by the Mediterranean countries in meeting common challenges and encouraged them to strengthen such efforts; called upon all States of the Mediterranean region that had not yet done so to adhere to all the multilaterally negotiated legal instruments related to the field of disarmament; encouraged all States of the region to favour the necessary conditions for strengthening the confidence-building measures among them by promoting genuine openness and transparency on all military matters; encouraged them to strengthen their cooperation in combating terrorism; encouraged the continued widespread support among the Mediterranean countries for the convening of a conference on security and cooperation in the Mediterranean as well as the ongoing regional consultations to create the appropriate conditions for its convening; and requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on means to strengthen security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region (resolution 51/50).

Document: Report of the Secretary-General (resolution 51/50).

77. Implementation of the Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace

The item entitled "Declaration of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace" was included in the agenda of the twenty-sixth session of the General Assembly, in 1971, at the request of Sri Lanka, later joined by the United Republic of Tanzania (A/8492 and Add.1).

The General Assembly considered the question at each session from the twenty-sixth to the fiftieth (resolutions 2832 (XXVI), 2922 (XXVII), 3080 (XXVIII), 3259 A (XXIX), 3468 (XXX), 31/88, 32/86, 33/68, 34/80 B, 35/150, 36/90, 37/96, 38/185, 39/149, 40/153, 41/87, 42/79, 43/79, 44/120, 45/77, 46/49, 47/59, 48/82, 49/82 and 50/76).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²⁰⁾ the General Assembly reiterated its conviction that the participation of all the permanent members of the Security Council and the major maritime users of the Indian Ocean in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean was important and would greatly facilitate the development of a mutually beneficial dialogue to advance peace, security and stability in the Indian Ocean region; requested the Ad Hoc Committee to examine its future work, taking into account, inter alia, the statement made by its Chairman on 8 July 1996, and to make recommendations for consideration by the General Assembly at its fifty-second session; and further requested the Ad Hoc Committee to submit to the Assembly at that session a report on the implementation of the resolution (resolution 51/51).

Document: Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Indian Ocean, Supplement No. 29 (A/52/29).

78. Consolidation of the regime established by the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)

The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was opened for signature at Tlatelolco, Mexico, in February 1967, was welcomed by the General Assembly at its twenty-second session. The Assembly then recommended States that were or might become signatories of the Treaty and those contemplated in Additional Protocol I of the Treaty to strive to take all the measures within their power to ensure that the Treaty speedily obtained the widest possible application among them (resolution 2286 (XXII)).

The item entitled "Implementation of General Assembly resolution 2286 (XXII) concerning the signature and ratification of Additional Protocol I of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America (Treaty of Tlatelolco)" was included in the agenda of the twenty-ninth session of the Assembly, in 1974, at the request of 18 Latin American States (A/9692).

The General Assembly considered the question at its twenty-ninth, thirtieth, thirty-second, tenth special, thirty-third to forty-fifth and forty-seventh to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 3262 (XXIX), 3473 (XXX), 32/76, S-10/2, para. 63 (b), 33/58, 34/71, 35/143, 36/83, 37/71, 38/61, 39/51, 40/79, 41/45, 42/25, 43/62, 44/104, 45/48, 47/61, 48/85, 49/83 and 50/77).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²¹⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the concrete steps taken by some countries of the region during the past year for the consolidation of the regime of military denuclearization established by the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco); noted with satisfaction the full adherence of Guyana to the Treaty of Tlatelolco; and urged the countries of the region that had not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification of the amendments to the Treaty of Tlatelolco approved by the General Conference of the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean in its resolutions 267 (E-V), 268 (XII) and 290 (E-VII) (resolution 51/52).

No advance documentation is expected.

79. African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty

The item entitled "Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa" was included in the agenda of the twentieth session of the General Assembly, in 1965, at the request of 34 African States (A/5975).

The General Assembly considered the item at its twentieth, twenty-ninth to thirty-second, tenth special and thirty-third to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 2033 (XX), 3261 E (XXIX), 3471 (XXX), 31/69, 32/81, S-10/2, para. 63 (c), 33/63, 34/76 A and B, 35/146 A and B, 36/86 A and B, 37/74 A and B, 38/181 A and B, 39/61 A and B, 40/89 A and B, 41/55 A and B, 42/34 A and B, 43/71 A and B, 44/113 A and B, 45/56 A and B, 46/34 A and B, 47/76, 48/86, 49/138 and 50/78).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²²⁾ the General Assembly called upon African States to sign and ratify the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty as soon as possible so that it might enter into force without delay; expressed its appreciation to the international community and in particular to the nuclear-weapon States which had signed the Protocols that concerned them, and called upon them to ratify the Protocols as soon as possible; called upon the States contemplated in Protocol III to the Treaty of Pelindaba to take all necessary measures to ensure the speedy application of the Treaty to territories for which they were, de jure or de facto, internationally responsible and which lay within the limits of the geographical zone established in the Treaty; called upon the African States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that had not yet concluded comprehensive safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency pursuant to the Treaty to do so, thereby satisfying the requirements of article 9 (b) and annex II to the Treaty of Pelindaba when it enters into force; expressed its profound gratitude to the Secretary-General for the diligence with which he had rendered effective assistance to the signatories of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty in accordance with resolution 50/78; expressed its gratitude to the Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity and the Director-General of IAEA for the diligence with which they had rendered effective assistance to the signatories of the Treaty; and requested the Secretary-General to continue to extend assistance, within existing resources, to the signatories in 1997 in order to achieve the aims of the resolution (resolution 51/53).

No advance documentation is expected.

80. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction

Various aspects of the question of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons have been considered by the General Assembly at different times under several items. At the twenty-first to twenty-third sessions, from 1966 to 1968, the question was considered under the item "General and complete disarmament" (see item 71). An item entitled "Question of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons" was included in the agenda of the Assembly for the first time at its twenty-fourth session.

The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction entered into force on 26 March 1975.

The General Assembly considered the question at its twenty-fourth to fiftieth sessions (resolutions 2603 (XXIV), 2662 (XXV), 2826 (XXVI), 2933 (XXVII), 3077 (XXVIII), 3256 (XXIX), 3465 (XXX), 31/65, 32/77, 33/59 B, 34/72, 35/144 A to C, 36/96 A to C, 37/98 A, C and D, 38/187 A to C, 39/65 A to E, 40/92 A to C, 41/58 A to D, 42/37 A to C, 43/74 A to C, 44/115 A to C, 45/57 A to C, 46/35 A to C, 47/39, 48/65, 49/86 and 50/79).

At its fifty-first session,⁽¹²³⁾ the General Assembly welcomed the progress made by the Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts to Identify and Examine Potential Verification Measures from a Scientific and Technical Standpoint in pursuing the mandate established by the Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention in 1994 and urged it to intensify its work with a view to completing it as soon as possible before the commencement of the Fifth Review Conference and to submit its report, which should be adopted by consensus, to the States parties to be considered at a special conference (resolution 51/54).

Document: Compilation of submissions by States parties of information and data agreed to in the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference to be issued under the symbol CDA/BWC/1997/CBM.

115. References for the fifty-first session (agenda item 72):