A/RES/1653(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 ResolutiOl18 adopted on report.I of the First Committee 5 the Declaration of St. Petersburg of 1868, the Declara- tion of the Brussels Conference of 1874, the Conven- tions of The Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907, and the Geneva Protocol of 1925, to which the majority of nations are still parties, Considering that the use of nuclear and thermo- nuclear weapons would bring about indiscriminate suffering and destruction to mankind and civilization to an even greater extent than the use of those weapons declared by the aforementioned international declara- tions and agreements to be contrary to the laws · of humanity and a crime _under international law, Believing that the use of weapons of mass destruc- tion, such as nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons, is a direct negation of the high ideals and objectives which the United Nations has been established to achieve through the protection of succeeding generations from the scourge of war: and through the preservation and promotion of their cultures, 1. Declares that: (a) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons is contrary to the spirit, letter and aims of the United Nations and, as such, a direct violation of the Charter of the United Nations; ( b) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons would exceed even the scope of war and cause in- discriminate suffering and destruction to mankind and civilization and, as such, is contrary to the rules of international law and to the laws of humanity ; ( c) The use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons is a war directed not against an enemy or enemies alone but also against mankind in general, since the peoples of the world not involved in such a war will be subject- ed to all the evils generated by the use of such weapons; ( d) Any State using nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons is to be considered as violating the Charter of the United Nations, as acting contrary to the laws of humanity and as committing a crime against man- kind and civilization ; 2. Requests the Secretary-General to consult the Governments of Member States to ascertain their views on the possibility of convening· a special conference for signing a colivention on the prohibition of the use of nuclear and thermo-nuclear weapons for war purposes and to report on the results of such consultation to the General Assembly at its--...seventeenth session. 1063rd plenary meeting, 24 November 1961. 1660 (XVI). Question of disarmament The General Assnnbly, Welcoming the agreement between the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America, as a result of negotiations between them, that general and complete disarmament should be accomplished, and their agreement on the principles which should guide disarmament negotia- tions, Noting that the two Governments are desirous of resuming disarmament negotiations in an appropriate body, whose composition is yet to be agreed upon, Considering it essential that these two principal parties should agree to and accept a negotiating body, Having regard to the success of negotiations between these two parties resulting in the emergence of an agreement on principles, 1. Urges the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America to reach agreement on the composition of a negotiating body which both they and the rest of the world can regard as satisfactory ; 2. Expresses the hope that such negotiations will be started without delay and will lead to an agreed re- commendation to the General Assembly; 3. Requests the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America to report to the General Assembly, before the conclusion of its sixteenth session, on the results of such negotiations. 1067th plenary meeting, 28 November 1961. 1664 (XVI). Question of disarmament The General Assembly, Convinced that all measures should be taken that could halt further n~clear weapons tests and prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons, Recognizing that the countries not possessing nuclear weapons have a grave interest, and an important part to fulfil, in the preparation and implementation of such measures, Believing that action taken by those countries will facilitate agreement by the nuclear Powers to discon- tinue all nuclear tests and to prevent any increase in the number of nuclear Powers, Taking note of the suggestion that an inquiry be made into the conditions under which countries not possessing nuclear weapons might be willing to enter into specific undertakings to refrain from manufactur- ing or otherwise acquiring such weapons and to refuse to receive, in the future, nuclear weapons in their ter~ ritories on behalf of any other country, 1. Requests the Secretary-General to make such an inquiry as soon as possible and to submit a report on its results to the Disarmament Commission not later than 1 April 1962 ; 2. Requests the Disarmament Commission to take such further measures as appear to be warranted in the light of that report; 3. Calls ,i.pon the nuclear Powers to extend their fullest co-pperation and assistance with regard to the implementation of the present resolution. 1070th plenary meeting, 4 December 1961. 1665 (XVI). Prevention of the wider diNemina• tion of nuclear weapons The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1380 (XIV) of 20 Novem- ber 1959 and 1576 (XV) of 20 becember 1960, Convinced that an increase in the number of States possessing nuclear weapons is growing more imminent and threatens to extend and intensify the arms race and

UN Project. “A/RES/1653(XVI).” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-1653(XVI)/. Accessed .

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