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A/RES/40/90 GA

Prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

40
Session
128
Yes
1
No
21
Abstentions
Draft symbol A/RES/40/90
Adopted symbol A/RES/40/90
Category POLITICAL AND LEGAL QUESTIONS
Voeten Topics
P5 Positions
Russia United States United Kingdom ~ China ~ France ~
UN Document A/RES/40/90 ↗

Vote Recorded VoteA/40/PV.113 Dec. 12, 1985

— Abstain (21)
✗ No (1)
Absent (9)
✓ Yes (128)
Full text of resolution OCR extract — may contain errors
III. Resolutions adopted on the reports of the First Committee 75 and in consultation with the Organization of African Unity, Expressing regret that despite the threat South Africa's nuclear capability constitutes to international peace and security and, in particular, to the realization of the objec- tive of the Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa, the Disarmament Commission has, once again, in 1985, failed to reach a consensus on this important item on its agenda, Gravely concerned that South Africa, in flagrant viola- tion of the principles of international law and the relevant provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, has con- tinued its acts of aggression and subversion against the peoples of the independent States of southern Africa, Strongly condemning the continued military occupation by South African troops of parts of the territory of Angola in violation of its national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and urging the immediate and uncon- ditional withdrawal of South African troops from Angolan soil, Expressing its grave disappointment that, despite repeated appeals by the international community, certain Western States and Israel have continued to collaborate with the racist regime of South Africa in the military and nuclear fields and that some of the same Western States have, by a ready recourse to the use of the veto, consist- ently frustrated every effort in the Security Council to deal decisively with the question of South Africa, Recalling its decision taken at the tenth special session that the Security Council should take appropriate effective steps to prevent the frustration of the implementation of the decision of the Organization of African Unity for the denuclearization of Africa, 29 Stressing the need to preserve peace and security in Africa by ensuring that the continent is a nuclear-weapon- free zone, 1. Condemns the massive build-up of South Africa's military machine, in particular its frenzied acquisition of nuclear-weapon capability for repressive and aggressive purposes and as an instrument of blackmail; 2. Expresses its full support for the African States faced with the danger of South Africa's nuclear capability; 3. Reaffirms that the acquisition of nuclear-weapon capability by the racist regime constitutes a very grave danger to international peace and security and, in particu- lar, jeopardizes the security of African States and increases the danger of the proliferation of nuclear weapons; 4. Condemns all forms of nuclear collaboration by any State, corporation, institution or individual with the racist regime of South Africa, in particular the decision by some Member States to grant licences to several corporations in their territories to provide equipment and technical and maintenance services for nuclear installations in South Africa; S. Demands that South Africa and all other foreign interests put an immediate end to the exploration for and exploitation of uranium resources in Namibia; 6. Calls upon all States, corporations, institutions and individuals to terminate forthwith all forms of military and nuclear collaboration with the racist regime; 7. Requests the Disarmament Commission to consider as a matter of priority during its session in 1986 South Africa's nuclear capability, taking into account, inter alia, the findings of the report of the United Nations Institute 29 See resolution S-10/2, para. 63 (c). 30 See O/licial Records of the Security Council, Thirty-fifth Year, Supple- ment for July, August and September I 980, document SI 141 79. for Disarmament Research on South Africa's nuclear capability; 8. Requests the Security Council, for the purposes of disarmament and to fulfil its obligations and responsibil- ity, to take enforcement measures to prevent any racist regime from acquiring arms or arms technology; 9. Further requests the Security Council to conclude expeditiously its consideration of the recommendations of its Committee established by resolution 421 (1977) con- cerning the question of South Africa, 30 with a view to blocking the existing loopholes in the arms embargo so as to render it more effective, and prohibiting, in particular, all forms of co-operation and collaboration with the racist regime of South Africa in the nuclear field; 10. Demands once again that South Africa submit forthwith all its nuclear installations and facilities to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency; 11. Requests the Secretary-General to follow very closely South Africa's evolution in the nuclear field and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its forty-first session. 113th plenary meeting 12 December 1985 40/90. Prohibition of the development and manufac- ture of new types of weapons of mass destruc- tion and new systems of such weapons The General Assembl.v, Recalling its resolutions 3479 (XXX) of 11 December 1975, 31/74 of 10 December 1976, 32/84 A of 12 Decem- ber 1977, 33/66 B of 14 December 1978, 34/79 of 11 December 1979, 35/149 of 12 December 1980, 36/89 of9 December 1981, 37/77 A of9 December 1982, 38/182 of 20 December 1983 and 39/62 of 12 December 1984 con- cerning the prohibition of new types of weapons of mass destruction, Bearing in mind the provisions of paragraph 39 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the Gen- eral Assembly, 10 according to which qualitative and quan- titative disarmament measures are both important for halting the arms race and efforts to that end must include negotiations on the limitation and cessation of the qualita- tive improvement of armaments, especially weapons of mass destruction, and the development of new means of warfare, Recalling the decision contained in paragraph 77 of the Final Document to the effect that, in order to help to pre- vent a qualitative arms race and so that scientific and tech- nological achievements might ultimately be used solely for peaceful purposes, effective measures should be taken to prevent the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction based on new scientific principles and achieve- ments, and that efforts aiming at the prohibition of such new types and new systems of weapons of mass destruc- tion should be appropriately pursued, Expressing once again its firm belief, in the light of the decisions adopted at the tenth special session, in the importance of concluding an agreement or agreements to prevent the use of scientific and technological progress for the development of new types of weapons of mass destruc- tion and new systems of such weapons, Noting that in the course of its session in 1985 the Con- ference on Disarmament considered the item entitled 76 General Assembly- Fortieth Session "New types of weapons of mass destruction and new sys- tems of such weapons; radiological weapons", Convinced that all ways and means should be utilized to prevent the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons, Taking into consideration the part of the report of the Conference on Disarmament relating to this question, 31 I. Reaffirms the necessity of prohibiting the develop- ment and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; 2. Requests the Conference on Disarmament, in the light of its existing priorities, to keep constantly under review, with the assistance of a periodically convened group of experts, the question of the prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons with a view to making, when necessary, recommendations on undertaking specific negotiations on the identified types of such weapons; 3. Calls upon all States to contribute, immediately fol- lowing the identification of any new type of weapon of mass destruction, to the commencement of negotiations on its prohibition with the simultaneous introduction of a moratorium on its practical development; 4. Once again urges all States to refrain from any action that could adversely affect the efforts aimed at the prevention of the emergence of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; 5. Calls again upon all States to undertake efforts to ensure that ultimately scientific and technological achieve- ments may be used solely for peaceful purposes; 6. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Conference on Disarmament all documents relating to the consideration of this item by the General Assembly at its fortieth session; 7. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to submit a report on the results achieved to the General Assembly for consideration at its forty-first session; 8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "Prohibition of the development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons: report of the Conference on Disarmament". 113th plenary meeting 12 December 1985 40/91. Reduction of military budgets A The General Assembly, Deeply concerned about the ever-spiralling arms race and growing military expenditures, which constitute a heavy burden for the economies of all nations and have extremely harmful effects on world peace and security, Reaffirming once again the provisions of paragraph 89 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, 10 the first special session devoted to disarmament, according to which the gradual reduction of !11-ilitary budgets on a mutually agreed basis, for example, m absolute figures or in terms of percentage, particularly by nuclear-weapon States and other militarily significant 31 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fortieth Session, Supplement No. 27 (A/40/27 and Corr. I), paras. 102 and IOS-109. 32 Ibid .. Twelfth Special Session. Annexes. agenda items 9 to 13 document AIS-12/32, para. 62. • States, would contribute to curbing the arms race and would increase the possibilities for the reallocation of resources now being used for military purposes to econo- mic and social development, particularly for the benefit of the developing countries, Convinced that the freezing and reduction of military budgets would have favourable consequences on the world economic and financial situation and might facilitate efforts made to increase international assistance for the developing countries, Recalling that at its twelfth special session, the second special session devoted to disarmament, all Member States unanimously and categorically reaffirmed the validity of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session, as well as their solemn commitment to it, 32 Recalling also that, in the Declaration of the 1980s as the Second United Nations Disarmament Decade, it is provided that during this period renewed efforts should be made to reach agreement on the reduction of military expenditures and the reallocation of resources thus saved to economic and social development, especially for the benefit of developing countries, 33 Recallingfurtherthe provisions of its resolution 34/83 F of l l December 1979, subsequently reaffirmed in its reso- lutions 35/142 A of 12 December 1980, 36/82 A of 9 December 1981, 37/95 A of 13 December 1982, 38/184 A of20 December 1983 and 39/64 A of 12 December 1984, in which it considered that a new impetus should be given to the endeavours to achieve agreements to freeze, reduce or otherwise restrain, in a balanced manner, military expenditure, including adequate measures of verification satisfactory to all parties concerned, Aware of the various proposals submitted by Member States and of the activities carried out so far within the framework of the United Nations in the field of the reduc- tion of military budgets, Considering that the identification and elaboration of the principles that should govern further actions of States in freezing and reducing military budgets and the other current activities within the framework of the United Nations related to the question of the reduction of military budgets should be regarded as having the fundamental objective of reaching international agreements on the reduction of military expenditures, Taking note of the report of the Disarmament Commis- sion on the work accomplished during its session in 1985 on the item entitled "Reduction of military budgets",34 I. Declares agam its conviction that it is possible to achieve international agreements on the reduction of mili- tary budgets without prejudice to the right of all States to undiminished security, self-defence and sovereignty; 2. Appeals to all States, in particular to the most heav- ily armed States, pending the conclusion of agreements on the reduction of military expenditures, to exercise self- restraint in their military expenditures with a view to real- locating the funds thus saved to economic and social development, particularly for the benefit of developing countnes; 3. Reaffirms that the human and material resources released through the reduction of military expenditures coul~ be reallocated for economic and social development, particularly for the benefit of the developing countries; 4. Requests the Disarmament Commission to continue the consideration of the item entitled "Reduction of mili- 33 See resolution 35146. annex. para. 15. 34 See Official Records o( the General Assemblv. For11e1h Session. Supple- men1 No. 42 (A/40/42). para. 28 •
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