A/RES/72/251 GA

United Nations A/RES/72/251 General Assembly Distr.: General 12 January 2018 17-23349 (E) 160118 *1723349* Seventy-second session Agenda item 99 (cc) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 December 2017 [on the report of the First Committee (A/72/409)] 72/251. Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 67/39 of 3 December 2012, 68/32 of 5 December 2013, 69/58 of 2 December 2014, 70/34 of 7 December 2015 and 71/71 of 5 December 2016, Welcoming the convening of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament, on 26 September 2013, and recognizing its contribution to furthering the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Emphasizing the importance of seeking a safer world for all and achieving peace and security in a world without nuclear weapons, Reaffirming that effective measures of nuclear disarmament have the highest priority, as affirmed at the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, Convinced that nuclear disarmament and the total elimination of nuclear weapons are the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, Acknowledging the significant contribution made by a number of countries towards realizing the objective of nuclear disarmament by the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, as well as by voluntary renunciation of nuclear weapon programmes or withdrawal of all nuclear weapons from their territories, and strongly supporting the speedy establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East, Recalling the resolve of the Heads of State and Government, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,1 to strive for the elimination of weapons of __________________ 1 Resolution 55/2. A/RES/72/251 Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament 17-23349 2/4 mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, and to keep all options open for achieving this aim, including the possibility of convening an international conference to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers, Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in the field of disarmament, and also reaffirming the continued importance and relevance of multilateral disarmament machinery as mandated by the General Assembly at its first special session devoted to disarmament, Acknowledging the important role of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia, parliamentarians and the mass media, in advancing the objective of nuclear disarmament, Sharing the deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, and in this context reaffirming the need for all States at all times to comply with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to resolution 71/71,2 and welcoming the fact that a large number of Member States contributed their views to this report, Noting the adoption, with a vote, of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons3 on 7 July 2017 at the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination, Mindful of the solemn obligations of States parties, undertaken in article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,4 particularly to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, Expressing its deep concern that the negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament for the conclusion of a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons have not yet commenced, Determined to work collectively towards the realization of nuclear disarmament, 1. Underlines the strong support, expressed at the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament, held on 26 September 2013, for taking urgent and effective measures to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons; 2. Calls for urgent compliance with the legal obligations and the fulfilment of the commitments undertaken on nuclear disarmament; 3. Endorses the wide support expressed at the high-level meeting for a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons; 4. Calls for the urgent commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on effective nuclear disarmament measures to achieve the total elimination of nuclear weapons, including, in particular, on a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons; 5. Decides to convene, in New York from 14 to 16 May 2018, a United Nations high-level international conference on nuclear disarmament to review the progress made in this regard; __________________ 2 A/72/339. 3 A/CONF.229/2017/8. 4 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament A/RES/72/251 3/4 17-23349 6. Also decides that the United Nations high-level international conference shall include a one-day organizational meeting, to be held in New York on 28 March 2018, which shall be conducted under the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, to decide on all relevant procedural matters; 7. Requests the Secretary-General to send letters to all States Members of the United Nations and members of specialized agencies inviting them to participate in the conference, and encourages all States Members of the United Nations and members of specialized agencies to participate in the conference at the highest level; 8. Decides that the Secretary-General or his designate shall act as Secretary- General of the conference; 9. Also decides that the conference shall be held with the participation of the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General; 10. Requests the Secretary-General to invite relevant regional and international organizations, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and institutions related to the treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, to participate in the conference; 11. Encourages the wider participation of civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia and parliamentarians, in the conference, and requests the Secretary-General to draw up a list of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council that will participate in the conference; 12. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the conference with the assistance necessary for the performance of its work, including full conference services, essential background information and relevant documents; 13. Takes note of the views provided by Member States with regard to achieving the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, in particular on the elements of a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons, as reflected in the report submitted by the Secretary-General pursuant to resolution 71/71,2 and requests the Secretary-General to forward this report to the Conference on Disarmament and the Disarmament Commission for their early consideration; 14. Welcomes the commemoration and promotion of 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons devoted to furthering this objective; 15. Expresses its appreciation to Member States, the United Nations system and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia, parliamentarians, the mass media and individuals that developed activities in promotion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; 16. Reiterates its request to the President of the General Assembly to organize, on 26 September every year, a one-day high-level plenary meeting of the Assembly to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons; 17. Decides that the aforementioned high-level plenary meeting shall be held with the participation of Member and observer States, represented at the highest possible level, as well as with the participation of the President of the General Assembly and the Secretary-General; 18. Requests the Secretary-General to undertake all arrangements necessary to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear A/RES/72/251 Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament 17-23349 4/4 Weapons, including through the United Nations Offices at Geneva and Vienna, as well as the United Nations regional centres for peace and disarmament; 19. Calls upon Member States, the United Nations system and civil society, including non-governmental organizations, academia, parliamentarians, the mass media and individuals, to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons through all means of educational and public awareness-raising activities about the threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons and the necessity for their total elimination in order to mobilize international efforts towards achieving the common goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world; 20. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States with regard to achieving the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons, in particular on effective nuclear disarmament measures, including elements of a comprehensive convention on nuclear weapons, and to submit a report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, and also to transmit the report to the Conference on Disarmament; 21. Also requests the Secretary-General to report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session; 22. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-third session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament”. 76th plenary meeting 24 December 2017

UN Project. “A/RES/72/251.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-72-251/. Accessed .

Copy citation