A/RES/40/12 GA

II. Resolution~ adopted without reference to a Main Committ_ee ___________ _ 21 2. Invites Member States, as well as organs and subsid- iary bodies of the United Nations, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, educational, scientific, cultural and research institutions and the communication media to commemorate the International Year of Peace in the most appropriate form, highlighting, inter alia, the role of the United Nations in the promotion and maintenance of international peace and security; 3. Decides to convene a second pledging conference during the first quarter of 1986 so that Member States which have not yet announced their contributions may have an opportunity to do so; 4. Requests the Secretary-General, on the basis of the Voluntary Fund for the Programme of the International Year of Peace, to assist in the commemoration of the Year and to ensure the widest possible dissemination of infor- mation about the Year and its objectives; 5. Emphasizes the importance of continuing the co- ordination and co-operation established among United Nations programmes and activities related to the promo- tion of the International Year of Peace; 6. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Gen- eral Assembly at its forty-first session on the implementa- tion of the programme of the International Year of Peace; 7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "International Year of Peace". 70th plenary meeting I I November 1985 40/11. Right of peoples to peace The General Assembly, Bearing in mind that the year 1986 was proclaimed the International Year of Peace, Reca//ing that the principal aim of establishing the United Nations forty years ago, as enshrined in the Char- ter, was to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, Reaffirming the strong resolve of peoples to maintain and strengthen international peace and security, Reca//ing its Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace, approved on 12 November 1984,21 Reca//ing further that, pursuant to the Declaration, all States and international organizations are urged to do their utmost to contribute to the implementation of the right of peoples to peace, Bearing in mind that peace is an inalienable right of every human being and that, in the Proclamation of the International Year of Peace approved on 24 October 1985, 18 the General Assembly, having reaffirmed that peace constitutes a universal ideal, called upon all peoples to join with the United Nations in resolute efforts to safe- guard peace and the future of humanity, Taking note of the programme for the International Year of Peace, 22 I. Calls upon all States and international organizations to do their utmost to implement the provisions of the Dec- laration on the Right of Peoples to Peace; 2. Requests the Secretary-General, when submitting his report on the implementation of the programme for the International Year of Peace, to report on the measures taken by Member States and international organizations in 21 Resolution 39/ 11, annex. 22 A/40/669 and Add. I, annex I. the implementation of the Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace. 70th plenary meeting I l November 1985 40/12. The situation in Afghanistan and its implica- tions for international peace and security The General Assemb{v. Having considered the item entitled "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security", Recalling its resolutions ES-6/2 of 14 January 1980, 35/ 37 of 20 November 1980, 36/34 of 18 November 1981, 37/37 of29 November 1982, 38/29 of23 November 1983 and 39/ 13 of 15 November 1984, Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the obligation of all States to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territo1ial integrity and political independence of any State, Reaffirming further the inalienable right of all peoples to determine their own form of government and to choose their own economic, political and social system free from outside intervention, subversion. coercion or constraint of any kind whatsoever, Gravelv concerned at the continuing foreign armed inter- vention ·in Afghanistan, in contravention of the above principles, and its serious implications for international peace and security, Noting the increasing concern of the international com- munity over the continued and serious sufferings of the Afghan people and over the magnitude of social and eco- nomic problems posed to Pakistan and Iran by the pres- ence on their soil of millions of Afghan refugees, and the continuing increase in their numbers, Deeply conscious of the urgent need for a political solu- tion of the grave situation in respect of Afghanistan, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General,23 and the status of the diplomatic process initiated by him, Recognizing the importance of the initiatives of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the efforts of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries for a political solution of the situation in respect of Afghanistan, I. Reiterates that the preservation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and non- aligned character of Afghanistan is essential for a peaceful solution of the problem: 2. Reaffirms the right of the Afghan people to deter- mine their own form of government and to choose their economic, political and social system free from outside intervention, subversion, coercion or constraint of any kind whatsoever; 3. Calls for the immediate withdrawal of the foreign troops from Afghanistan: 4. Calls upon all parties concerned to work for the urgent achievement of a political solution, in accordance with the provisions of the present resolution, and the crea- tion of the necessary Cllnditions which would enable the Afghan refugees to return voluntarily to their homes in safety and honour: 5. Renews its appeal to all States and national and international organizations to continue to extend humani- tarian relief assistance with a view to alleviating the hard- BA- 4ll 709-S' 17527. For ihe printed text. see Otfi,:ia/ Record., oj tire Se, umr ( ·ouncil. Fortieth l'rnr. Supp/emenr r,,, Oc1ober. NcJl'embcr and f)er("t,0! 1:" !'18'. documC'nl S ..,'i~.,. 22 General Assembly-Fortieth Session ship of the Afghan refugees, in co-ordination with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 6. Expresses its appreciation and support for the efforts and constructive steps taken by the Secretary-General, especially the diplomatic process initiated by him, in the search for a solution to the problem; 1. Requests the Secretary-General to continue those efforts with a view to promoting a political solution, in accordance with the provisions of the present resolution, and the exploration of securing appropriate guarantees for the non-use of force, or threat of force, against the political independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and secu- rity of all neighbouring States, on the basis of mutual guar- antees and strict non-interference in each other's internal affairs and with full regard for the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; 8. Requests the Secretary-General to keep Member States and the Security Council concurrently informed of progress towards the implementation of the present resolu- tion and to submit to Member States a report on the situa- tion at the earliest appropriate opportunity; 9. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "The situation in Afghanistan and its implications for international peace and security". 74th plenary meeting 13 November 1985 40/13. International relief to Colombia The General Assembly, Deeply distressed by the loss of lives, the number of afflicted persons and the enormous destruction wrought by the volcanic activity ofNevado de! Ruiz, affecting areas of the departments of Caldas, Tolima and Valle de! Cauca in Colombia, Noting the efforts of the Government and people of Colombia to save lives and alleviate the sufferings of the victims of this natural disaster, Considering the enormous effort that will be required to alleviate the grave situation caused by this natural disaster, Recognizing that the magnitude of the catastrophe and its effects will require, as a complement to the effort being made by the people and Government of Colombia, a dem- onstration of international solidarity to ensure the neces- sary multilateral co-operation in order to meet the imme- diate emergency in the affected areas, as well as to undertake the task of reconstruction, 1. Expresses its solidarity and support to the Govern- ment and people of Colombia in this tragedy; 2. Expresses its appreciation to the States, interna- tional and regional agencies, non-governmental organiza- tions and individuals providing emergency relief to Colombia; 3. Calls upon the Governments of the Member States to contribute generously to the relief and reconstruction efforts in the affected areas and, to the extent possible, to channel their assistance through the United Nations sys- tem; 4. Requests the Secretary-General to mobilize resources in order to assist in the relief and reconstruction task of the Government of Colombia; 5. Also requests the Secretary-General to co-ordinate the multilateral assistance and, in consultation with the 24 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Records of the General Conference, Sixteenth Session. vol. I, Reso/utwns, p. 135. Government of Colombia, to determine the emergency and reconstruction needs of the affected areas. 79th plenary meeting 15 November 1985 40/19. Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 3026 A (XXVII) of 18 Decem- ber 1972, 3148 (XXVIII) of 14 December 1973, 3187 (XXVIII) of 18 December 1973, 3391 (XXX) of 19 November 1975, 31/40 of 30 November 1976, 32/18 of 11 November 1977, 33/50 of 14 December 1978, 34/64 of 29 November 1979, 35/127 and 35/128 of 11 December 1980, 36/64 of 27 November 1981 and 38/34 of 25 November 1983, Recalling also the Convention on the Means of Prohibi- ting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property,24 adopted on 14 November 1970 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Taking note with satisfaction of the report of the Secre- tary-General submitted in co-operation with the Director- General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, 25 Noting with satisfaction that following its appeal other Member States have become parties to the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, Aware of the importance attached by the countries of origin to the return of cultural property which is of funda- mental spiritual and cultural value to them, so that they may constitute collections representative of their cultural heritage, Noting with satisfaction that some countries have taken positive steps towards the return or restitution of museum pieces, archives and objets d'art to their countries of origin, Reaffirming the importance of inventories as an essen- tial tool for the understanding and protection of cultural property and for the identification of dispersed heritage and as a contribution to the advancement of scientific and artistic knowledge and intercultural communication, Deeply concerned at the clandestine excavations and the illicit traffic in cultural property that continue to impover- ish the cultural heritage of all peoples, Supporting the solemn appeal made on 7 June 1978 by the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the return of irre- placeable cultural heritage to those who created it, I. Commends the United Nations Educational, Scien- tific and Cultural Organization and the Intergovernmental Committee for Promoting the Return of Cultural Property to its Countries of Origin or its Restitution in Case of Illicit Appropriation on the work they have accomplished, in particular through the promotion of bilateral negotia- tions, for the return or restitution of cultural property, the preparation of inventories of movable cultural property, the reduction of illicit traffic in cultural property and the dissemination of information to the public; 2. Reaffirms that the restitution to a country of its objets d'art, monuments, museum pieces, archives, manu- scripts, documents and any other cultural or artistic treasures contributes to the strengthening of international co-operation and to the preservation and flowering of uni- 2.I A/40/344.

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