A/RES/40/87 GA

72 General Assembly-Fortieth Session 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "Conclusion of effec- tive international arrangements to assure non-nuclear- weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons". 113th plenary meeting 12 December 1985 40/87. Prevention of an arms race in outer space The General Assembly, Inspired by the great prospects opening up before man- kind as a result of man's entry into outer space, Recognizing the common interest of all mankind in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, Reaffirming that the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be car- ried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries, irrespective of their degree of economic or scientific devel- opment, and shall be the province of all mankind, Reaffirming further the will of all States that the explora- tion and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall be for peaceful purposes, Recalling that the States parties to the Treaty on Princi- ples Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, 20 have undertaken, in article III, to carry on activities in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, in accord- ance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co-operation and understanding, Reaffirming, in particular, article IV of the above-men- tioned Treaty, which stipulates that States parties to the Treaty undertake not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner, Reaffirming also paragraph 80 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, 10 the first special session devoted to disarmament, in which it is stated that, in order to prevent an arms race in outer space, further measures should be taken and appropriate interna- tional negotiations held in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty, Recalling its resolutions 36/97 C and 36/99 of9 Decem- ber 1981, as well as resolutions 37/83 of 9 December 1982, 3 7 /99 D of 13 December 1982, 38/70 of 15 Decem- ber 1983 and 39/59 of 12 December 1984, Gravely concerned at the danger posed to all mankind by an arms race in outer space and in particular by the impending threat of the exacerbation of the current state of insecurity by developments that could further undermine international peace and security, retard the pursuit of gen- eral and complete disarmament, and risk creating obsta- cles to the development of international co-operation in the peaceful uses of outer space, Mindful of the widespread interest expressed by Mem- ber States in the course of the negotiations on and follow- ing the adoption of the above-mentioned Treaty in ensuring that the exploration and use of outer space should be for peaceful purposes, and taking note of proposals sub- 20 Resolution 2222 (XXI), annex. 21 See Report of the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Use of Outer Space. Vienna, 9-21 August 1982 (A/CONF.IOI/ I O and Corr. I and 2), para. 426. mitted to the General Assembly at its tenth special session and at its regular sessions and to the Conference on Dis- armament, Noting the grave concern expressed by the Second United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peace- ful Uses of Outer Space at the extension of an arms race into outer space and the recommendations21 made to the competent organs of the United Nations, in particular the General Assembly, and also to the Committee on Disarm- ament, 15 Convinced that further measures are needed for the pre- vention of an arms race in outer space, Recognizing that, in the context of multilateral negotia- tions for preventing an arms race in outer space, bilateral negotiations between the Union of Soviet Socialist Repub- lics and the United States of America could make a signifi- cant contribution to such an objective, in accordance with paragraph 27 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session, 10 Noting with satisfaction that bilateral negotiations between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America have begun in 1985, on a com- plex of questions concerning space and nuclear arms, both strategic and intermediate-range, and in their interrela- tionship, with the declared objective of working out effec- tive agreements aimed, inter alia, at preventing an arms race in outer space, Anxious that concrete results should emerge from these negotiations as soon as possible, as was urged in resolution 39/59, Taking note of the part of the report of the Conference on Disarmament relating to this question, 22 Welcoming the establishment of an Ad Hoe Committee on the prevention of an arms race in outer space during the 1985 session of the Conference on Disarmament, in the exercise of the negotiating responsibilities of this sole mul- tilateral negotiating body on disarmament, to examine, as a first step at this stage, issues relevant to the prevention of an arms race in outer space., Mindful that consensus had not yet been reached in the Conference on Disarmament on concrete proposals for re- establishing the ad hoe committee on this question during the 1986 session of the Conference on Disarmament, I. Recalls the obligation of all States to refrain from the threat or use of force in their space activities; 2. Reaffirms that general and complete disarmament under effective international control warrants that outer space shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it shall not become an arena for an arms race; 3. Emphasizes that further measures with appropriate and effective provisions for verification to prevent an arms race in outer space should be adopted by the international community; 4. Calls upon all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and to take immediate measures to prevent an arms race in outer space in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and promoting international co-operation and understand- mg; 5. Requests the Secretary-General to invite Member States to submit their views on the possibility of enhancing international co-operation in the field of preventing an arms race in outer space and the peaceful uses of outer 22 Official Records of the General Assembly. Fortieth Session, Supplement No. 27(A/40/27 and Corr I). sect. 111.E. III. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the First Committee 73 space, including the desirability of establishing relevant machinery for that purpose, and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its forty-first session; 6. Reiterates that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, has the primary role in the negotiation of a multilateral agree- ment or agreements, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects; 1. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to con- sider as a matter of priority the question of preventing an arms race in outer space; 8. Also requests the Conference on Disarmament to intensify its consideration of the question of the preven- tion of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, taking into account all relevant proposals including those presented in the Ad Hoe Committee on the prevention of an arms race in outer space at the 1985 session of the Con- ference and at the fortieth session of the General Assem- bly; 9. Further requests the Conference on Disarmament to re-establish an ad hoe committee with an adequate man- date at the beginning of its session in 1986, with a view to undertaking negotiations for the conclusion of an agree- ment or agreements, as appropriate, on the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects; 10. Urges the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America to pursue intensively their bilateral negotiations in a constructive spirit aimed at reaching early agreement for preventing an arms race in outer space, and to advise the Conference on Disarma- ment periodically of the progress of their bilateral sessions so as to facilitate its work; 11. Calls upon all States, especially those with major space capabilities, to refrain, in their activities relating to outer space, from actions contrary to the observance of the relevant existing treaties or to the objective of preventing an arms race in outer space; 12. Invites Member States to transmit to the Secretary- General, not later than 1 April 1986, their views on the scope and content of the study being undertaken by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research23 on disarmament problems relating to outer space and the con- sequences of extending the arms race into outer space, and requests the Secretary-General to convey the views of the Member States to the Advisory Board on Disarmament Studies for consideration in order to enable it, in its capac- ity of Board of Trustees of the Institute, to give the Insti- tute such possible guidance with respect to the elaboration of its study as it may derive from those views; 13. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to report on its consideration of this subject to the General Assembly at its forty-first session; 14. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Conference on Disarmament all documents relating to the consideration of this subject by the General Assembly at its fortieth session; 15. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "Prevention of an arms race in outer space". 113th plenary meeting 12 December 1985 23 See A/40/725, paras. 47-54. 24 A/40/114-S/16921, annex. For the printed text, see Official Records of the Security Council, Fortieth Year, Supplement for January, February and March I 985, document S/ 16921, annex. • 40/88. Implementation of General Assembly resolu- tion 39 /60 on the immediate cessation and prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests The General Assembly, Deeply concerned about the intensification of the nuclear-arms race and the growing threat of nuclear war, Recalling that over the past three decades the need for cessation and prohibition of nuclear-weapon testing has been in the focus of attention of the General Assembly, Reaffirming its conviction that the conclusion of a multi- lateral treaty on the prohibition of nuclear-weapon tests by all States would constitute an indispensable element for the success of efforts to halt and reverse the nuclear-arms race and the qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons, and to prevent the expansion of existing nuclear arsenals and the spread of nuclear weapons to additional countries, thus contributing to the achievement of the final goal of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons under appro- priate verification, Stressing once again that the elaboration of such a treaty is the task of the highest priority and should not be made dependent on the attainment of any other measure in the field of disarmament, Welcoming the proposals contained in the Delhi Decla- ration issued on 28 January 1985 by the heads of State or Government of six States Members of the United Nations24 - Argentina, Greece, India, Mexico, Sweden and the United Republic of Tanzania - and their joint message of 24 October 1985 addressed to the leaders of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Social- ist Republics, 25 Recalling its previous resolutions on this subject, in par- ticular resolutions 39/52 and 39/60 of 12 December 1984, by which it called for a moratorium or moratoria on all nuclear-test explosions and for the negotiation of a treaty for the prohibition of all nuclear-weapon tests, Deeply deploring that the Conference on Disarmament has been unable to carry out negotiations with a view to reaching agreement on such a treaty, 1. Urges the Conference on Disarmament to proceed promptly to negotiations on all aspects of this matter, including adequate measures of verification, with the aim of preparing without delay a draft treaty that would effec- tively ban all test explosions of nuclear weapons by all States everywhere and would contain provisions, accept- able to all, preventing the circumvention of this ban by means of nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes; 2. Resolutely urges all States, and especially all nuclear-weapon States, to exert maximum efforts and exercise political will for the elaboration and conclusion without delay of such a treaty; 1. Welcomes the unilateral cessation by one major nuclear-weapon State of all its nuclear explosions, effective 6 August 1985, as well as the proposal for the suspension of all nuclear tests for a period of 12 months, with the pos- sibility of its extension, contained in the joint message of 24 October 1985 addressed to the leaders of the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics by the Heads of State or Government of six States Members of the United Nations; 4. Expresses its hope that all other nuclear-weapon States will also consider joining in such a moratorium; S. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session an item entitled "Implementation of 25 A/40/825-S/l 7596, annex. For the printed text, see Official Records of the Securrty Council, Fortieth Year, Supplement for October. November and DPCember 1985. document S' 17596. annex.

UN Project. “A/RES/40/87.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-40-87/. Accessed .

Copy citation