A/RES/1652(XVI) GA

4 General Assembly-Sixteenth Session 1649 (XVI). The urgent need for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons tests under effective inter- national control The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1252 (XIII) of 4 Novem- ber 1958, 1402 (XIV) of 21 November 1959 and 1577 (XV) and 1578 (XV) of 20 December 1960, Noting with regret the recent initiation of nuclear weapons testing and the rejection of the proposal of the Governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that further nuclear tests in the earth's at- mosphere should be suspended, Noting that the negotiations at Geneva on the dis- continuance of nuclear weapons tests have been recessed pending completion of the discussion of this matter by the General Assembly, Recognizing that a permanent and continuing ces- sation of nuclear weapons testing in all environments would be guaranteed only by an effective and impartial system, of verification in which all States have con- fidence, 1. Reaffirms that it is urgently necessary to reach an agreement prohibiting all nuclear weapons tests under effective control which would be a first step towards reversing the dangerous and burdensome arms race, would inhibit the spread of nuclear weapons to other countries, would contribute to the reduction of inter- national tensions and would eliminate any health hazards associated with nuclear testing; 2. Urges the States negotiating at the Conference on the Discontinuance of Nuclear Weapons Tests at Geneva to renew at once their efforts to conclude at the earliest possible time a treaty on the cessation of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons tests on the fol- lowing basis : (a) The treaty should have as its objective the ces- sation of all nuclear weapons tests in all environments under inspection and control machinery adequate to ensure compliance with its terms ; ( b) International control machinery should be or- ganized so as to be representative of all parties to the treaty and should be staffed and operated to guarantee its objectivity and effectiveness, avoiding self-inspec- tion, under procedures which would ensure that its facilities will be used exclusively for purposes of ef- fective control ; ( c) The day-to-day executive and administrative operations of the control system established under the treaty should not be susceptible to obstruction by the exercise of a veto, a~d administrative responsibility should be concentrated in the hands of a single Ad- ministrator acting impartially and functioning under the supervision of a commission composed of repre- sentatives of parties to the treaty ; 3. Requests the negotiating States to report to the Disarmament Commission by 14 December 1961 on the progress of the:r negotiations ; 4. Calls upon all States, upon the conclusion of a treaty which will ensure that nuclear weapons tests will be permanently prohibited under effective controls, to ratify or to adhere to that treaty. 1049th plenary meeting, 8 November 1961. 1652 (XVI). Consideration of Africa as a denuclearized zone The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1378 (XIV) of 20 Novem- ber 1959 on general and complete disarmament, 1379 (XIV) of 20 November 1959 on the question of French nuclear tests in the Sahara, 1576 (XV) of 20 Decem- ber 1960 on the prevention of the wider dissemination of nuclear weapons, and 1577 (XV) and 1578 (XV) of 20 December 1960 on the suspension of nuclear and thermo-nuclear tests, Recalling further its resolution 1629 (XVI) of 27 October 1961, which declared that both concern for the future of mankind and the fundamental principles of international law impose a responsibility on all States concerning actions which might have harmful biological consequences for the existing and future generations of peoples of other States, by increasing the levels of radio-active fall-out, Concerned about the present rate of nuclear arma- ment and the possible spread of nuclear weapons, as well as the resumption of nuclear tests in the continent of Africa which is being emancipated, Recognizing the need to prevent Africa from be- coming involved in any competition associated with the ideological struggles between the Powers engaged in the arms race and, particularly, with nuclear weapons, Recognizing further that the task of economic and social development in the African States requires the uninterrupted attention of those States in order to al- low them to fulfil their goals and to contribute fully to the maintenance of international peace and security, Calls upon Member States: (a) To refrain from carrying out or continuing to carry out in Africa nuclear tests in any form; ( b) To refrain from using the territory, territorial waters or air space of Africa for testing, storing or transporting nuclear weapons ; ( c) To consider and respect the continent of Africa as a denuclearized zone. 1063rd plenary meeting, 24 November 1961. 1653 (XVI). Declaration on the prohibition of the use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons The General Assembly, Mindful of its responsibility under the Charter of the United Nations in the maintenance of international peace and security, as well as in the consideration of principles governing disarmament, Gravely concerned that, while negotiations on dis- armament have not so far achieved satisfactory results, the armaments race, particularly in the nuclear and thermo-nuclear fields, has reached a dangerous stage requiring all possible precautionary measures to pro- tect humanity and civilization from the hazard of nuclear and thermo-nuclear catastrophe, Recalling that the use of weapons of mass destruc- tion, causing unnecessary human suffering, was in the past prohibited, as being cont.rary to the laws of human- ity and to the principles of international law, by inter- national declarations and binding agreements, such as

UN Project. “A/RES/1652(XVI).” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-1652(XVI)/. Accessed .

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