52/42 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

Date: 9 December 1997 Meeting: 67

Adopted without a vote Report: A/52/604

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 51/49 of 10 December 1996 and previous resolutions referring 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, ⁽¹⁴⁶⁾

Recalling with satisfaction the adoption, on 10 October 1980, of the Convention, together with the Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol I), ⁽¹⁴⁷⁾ the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) ⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ and the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III), ⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ which entered into force on 2 December 1983,

Also recalling with satisfaction the adoption by the Review Conference of the States Parties 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, on 13 October 1995 of the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV), ⁽¹⁵⁰⁾ and on 3 May 1996 of the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II), ⁽¹⁵¹⁾

Recalling the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in the elaboration of the Convention and its Protocols,

Noting that, in conformity with article 8 of the Convention, conferences may be convened to examine amendments to the Convention or to any of the Protocols thereto, to examine additional protocols concerning other categories of conventional weapons not covered by existing Protocols or to review the scope and application of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto and to examine any proposed amendments or additional protocols, and welcoming the decision adopted by the Review Conference in its Final Declaration on 3 May 1996 ⁽¹⁵²⁾ to convene a Review Conference not later than 2001,

1. Welcomes the additional ratifications and acceptances of or accessions 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, as well as the ratifications and acceptances of or accessions to the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II); ⁽¹⁵³⁾

2. Urgently calls upon all States that have not yet done so to take all measures to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention and its Protocols, and in particular to amended Protocol II, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to this instrument at an early date, and calls upon successor States to take appropriate measures so that ultimately adherence to these instruments will be universal;

3. Calls, in particular, upon the States parties to the Convention to express their consent to be bound by the amended Protocol II with a view to its entry into force as soon as possible, and, pending its entry into force to respect and ensure respect for its substantive provisions to the fullest extent possible;

4. Commends the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) ⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ to all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to this instrument at an early date and calls, in particular, upon 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;

5. Calls 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, and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "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".

147. Ibid.

148. Ibid.

149. Ibid.

150. CCW/CONF.I/16 (Part I), annex A.

151. Ibid., annex B.

152. Ibid., annex C.

153. A/52/227 and Corr.1 and 2.

154. CCW/CONF.I/16 (Part I), annex A.