A/RES/56/7 GA

United Nations A/RES/56/7 General Assembly Distr.: General 4 December 2001 Fifty-sixth session Agenda item 36 01 47549 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/56/L.12 and Add.1)] 56/7. Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 41/11 of 27 October 1986, in which it solemnly declared the Atlantic Ocean, in the region between Africa and South America, a zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, Recalling also its subsequent resolutions on the matter, including resolution 45/36 of 27 November 1990, in which it reaffirmed the determination of the States of the zone to enhance and accelerate their cooperation in the political, economic, scientific, cultural and other spheres, Reaffirming the importance of the purposes and objectives of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic as a basis for the promotion of cooperation among the countries of the region, Reaffirming also that the questions of peace and security and those of development are interrelated and inseparable and that cooperation for peace and development among States of the region will promote the objectives of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, Recalling the agreement reached at the third meeting of the States members of the zone, held in Brasilia in 1994, to encourage democracy and political pluralism and, in accordance with the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993,1 to promote and defend all human rights and fundamental freedoms and to cooperate towards the achievement of these goals, Aware of the importance that the States of the zone attach to the protection of the environment of the region, and recognizing the threat that pollution from any source poses to the marine and coastal environment, its ecological balance and its resources, Welcoming the adoption of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects at _______________ 1 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III. A/RES/56/7 2 the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, held in New York from 9 to 20 July 2001,2 Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General, submitted in accordance with General Assembly resolution 55/49 of 29 November 2000,3 1. Calls upon all States to cooperate in the promotion of the objectives established in the declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic and to refrain from any action inconsistent with those objectives and with the Charter of the United Nations and relevant resolutions of the Organization, in particular actions that may create or aggravate situations of tension and potential conflict in the region; 2. Welcomes the progress towards the full entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco)4 and of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba);5 3. Encourages all States, in particular the members of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic, to cooperate in promoting and strengthening global, regional, subregional and national initiatives to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons; 4. Welcomes in this regard the entry into force of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and Other Related Materials, adopted in November 1997,6 and the adoption of the Inter-American Convention on Transparency in Conventional Weapons Acquisitions by the Organization of American States in June 1999;7 5. Also welcomes the Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons, adopted by the Ministers of the States members of the Organization of African Unity on 1 December 2000,8 the Declaration concerning Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials in the Southern African Development Community, adopted by the Heads of State or Government of the States members of the Community at Windhoek on 9 March 2001,9 as well as the Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials in the Southern African Development Community Region, adopted by the Heads of State and Government of the States members of the Community at Blantyre, Malawi, in August 2001, and the initiatives taken by States members of the Economic Community of West African States to further extend their agreement on a moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of light weapons; 6. Reaffirms the importance for Member States to contribute by all means at their disposal to an effective and lasting peace in Angola, and in that context reiterates that the primary cause of the present situation in Angola is the failure of _______________ 2 A/CONF.192/15, para. 24. 3 A/56/454 and Add.1. 4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 634, No. 9068. 5 See A/50/426, annex. 6 A/53/78, annex. 7 CD/1591. 8 A/CONF.192/PC/23, annex. 9 A/CONF.192/PC/35, annex. A/RES/56/7 3 the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, under the leadership of Jonas Savimbi, to comply with its obligations under the Peace Accords,10 the Lusaka Protocol11 and relevant Security Council resolutions; 7. Affirms the importance of the South Atlantic to global maritime and commercial transactions and its determination to preserve the region for all peaceful purposes and activities protected by international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea;12 8. Calls upon Member States to continue their efforts towards the achievement of appropriate regulation of maritime transport of radioactive and toxic wastes, taking into account the interests of coastal States and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the regulations of the International Maritime Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency; 9. Views with concern the increase in drug trafficking and related crimes, including drug abuse, and calls upon the international community and the States members of the zone to promote regional and international cooperation to combat all aspects of the problem of drugs and related offences; 10. Recognizes, in the light of the number, magnitude and complexity of natural disasters and other emergencies, the need to continue to strengthen the coordination of humanitarian assistance by States members of the zone, so as to ensure a timely and effective response; 11. Welcomes the offer by Benin to host the sixth meeting of the States members of the zone; 12. Requests the relevant organizations, organs and bodies of the United Nations system to render all appropriate assistance that States members of the zone may seek in their joint efforts to implement the declaration of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic; 13. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the implementation of resolution 41/11 and subsequent resolutions on the matter under review and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fifty-eighth session, taking into account, inter alia, the views expressed by Member States; 14. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session the item entitled “Zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic”. 61st plenary meeting 21 November 2001 _______________ 10 See S/22609. 11 See S/1994/1441. 12 See The Law of the Sea: Official Texts of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 and of the Agreement relating to the Implementation of Part XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 with Index and Excerpts from the Final Act of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.97.V.10).

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