A/RES/72/39 GA

United Nations A/RES/72/39 General Assembly Distr.: General 12 December 2017 17-21715 (E) 141217 *1721715* Seventy-second session Agenda item 99 (q) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2017 [on the report of the First Committee (A/72/409)] 72/39. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 1 (I) of 24 January 1946, 70/51 of 7 December 2015 and 71/54 of 5 December 2016, Reiterating its grave concern at the danger to humanity posed by nuclear weapons, which should inform all deliberations, decisions and actions relating to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, Recalling the expression of deep concern by the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, and its resolve to seek a safer world for all and to achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,1 Noting with satisfaction the renewed attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences and risks associated with nuclear weapons that has been generated by the international community since 2010 and the growing awareness that these concerns should underpin the need for nuclear disarmament and the urgency of achieving and maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free world, and noting with satisfaction also the prominence accorded to the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in multilateral disarmament forums, Recalling the discussions held at the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, hosted by Norway, on 4 and 5 March 2013, Mexico, on 13 and 14 February 2014, and Austria, on 8 and 9 December 2014, aimed at understanding __________________ 1 See 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. I)), part I, Conclusions and recommendations for follow-on actions. A/RES/72/39 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 17-21715 2/6 and developing a greater awareness of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapon detonations which further reinforce the urgency of nuclear disarmament, Emphasizing the compelling evidence, including that presented at the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, that has detailed the catastrophic consequences that would result from a nuclear weapon detonation, reaching well beyond national borders and also imperilling the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the lack of capacity of States and international organizations to deal with the aftermath and the risk of an occurrence, due to an accident, systems failure or human error, Noting the research findings presented to the Vienna Conference regarding the strongly disproportionate and gendered impact of exposure to ionizing radiation for women and girls, Recalling the convening, on 26 September 2013, of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament and its resolution 70/34 of 7 December 2015 on the follow-up to that meeting and the decisions contained therein, and taking note of the report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to that resolution,2 Welcoming the commemoration and promotion of 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, Welcoming also the adoption on 7 July 2017 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, negotiated by the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination, pursuant to resolution 71/258 of 23 December 2016,3 Underlining the importance of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education, Reaffirming that transparency, verifiability and irreversibility are cardinal principles applying to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, which are mutually reinforcing processes, Recalling the decisions and the resolution adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,4 the basis upon which the Treaty was indefinitely extended, and the Final Documents of the 20005 and the 20106 Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in particular the unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals, leading to nuclear disarmament, in accordance with commitments made under article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,7 __________________ 2 A/71/131. 3 A/CONF.229/2017/8. 4 See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I)/Corr.2), annex. 5 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vols. I–III (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II), NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Part III) and NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Part IV)). 6 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vols. I–III (NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. I), NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. II) and NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. III)). 7 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/72/39 3/6 17-21715 Reaffirming the commitment of all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to applying the principles of irreversibility, verifiability and transparency in relation to the implementation of their treaty obligations, Recognizing the continued vital importance of the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty8 to the advancement of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation objectives, Recalling that the total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and the legitimate interest of non-nuclear-weapon States in receiving unequivocal and legally binding negative security assurances from nuclear-weapon States pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Reaffirming the conviction that, pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, the establishment and maintenance of nuclear-weapon-free zones enhances global and regional peace and security, strengthens the nuclear non-proliferation regime and contributes towards realizing the objectives of nuclear disarmament, and welcoming the Conferences of States Parties and Signatories to Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia, Urging States to continue to make real progress towards strengthening all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones, inter alia, through the ratification of existing treaties and relevant protocols and the withdrawal or revision of any reservations or interpretative declarations contrary to the object and purpose of the treaties establishing such zones, Recalling the encouragement expressed at the 2010 Review Conference for the establishment of further nuclear-weapon-free zones, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned, reaffirming the expectation that this will be followed by concerted international efforts to create such zones in areas where they do not currently exist, especially in the Middle East, in this context noting with deep disappointment the non-fulfilment of the agreement at the 2010 Review Conference on practical steps to fully implement the 1995 resolution on the Middle East, and disappointed that no agreement could be reached at the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on this issue, Deeply disappointed at the continued absence of progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament at the Conference on Disarmament, which has been unable for the past 21 years to agree upon and implement a programme of work, and disappointed that the Disarmament Commission has not produced a substantive outcome on nuclear disarmament since 1999, Deeply regretting the lack of any substantive outcome of the 2015 Review Conference, Disappointed that the 2015 Review Conference missed an opportunity to strengthen the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, enhance progress towards its full implementation and universality and monitor the implementation of commitments made and actions agreed upon at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences, and deeply concerned about the impact of this failure on the Treaty and the balance between its three pillars, __________________ 8 See resolution 50/245 and A/50/1027. A/RES/72/39 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 17-21715 4/6 Welcoming the discussions that took place at the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, held in Vienna from 2 to 12 May 2017, Encouraging efforts towards the full implementation of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, while re-emphasizing the encouragement of the 2010 Review Conference to both States to continue discussions on follow-on measures in order to achieve deeper reductions in their nuclear arsenals, Underlining the importance of multilateralism in relation to nuclear disarmament, while recognizing the value of unilateral, bilateral and regional initiatives and the importance of compliance with the terms of these initiatives, 1. Reiterates that each article of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons7 is binding on the States parties at all times and in all circumstances and that all States parties should be held fully accountable with respect to strict compliance with their obligations under the Treaty, and calls upon all States parties to comply fully with all decisions, resolutions and commitments made at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences; 2. Also reiterates the deep concern expressed by the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, and the need for all States at all times to comply with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law;1 3. Acknowledges the evidence presented at the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, and calls upon Member States, in their relevant decisions and actions, to give due prominence to the humanitarian imperatives that underpin nuclear disarmament and to the urgency of achieving this goal; 4. Recalls the reaffirmation of the continued validity of the practical steps agreed to in the Final Document of the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,9 including the specific reaffirmation of the unequivocal undertaking of the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament, to which all States parties are committed under article VI of the Treaty, recalls the commitment of the nuclear-weapon States to accelerating concrete progress on the steps leading to nuclear disarmament, and calls upon the nuclear-weapon States to take all steps necessary to accelerate the fulfilment of their commitments; 5. Calls upon the nuclear-weapon States to fulfil their commitment to undertaking further efforts to reduce and ultimately eliminate all types of nuclear weapons, deployed and non-deployed, including through unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures; 6. Urges all States possessing nuclear weapons to decrease the operational readiness of nuclear-weapon systems in a verifiable and transparent manner with a view to ensuring that all nuclear weapons are removed from high alert status; __________________ 9 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II)), part I, section entitled “Article VI and eighth to twelfth preambular paragraphs”, para. 15. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/72/39 5/6 17-21715 7. Encourages the nuclear-weapon States to make concrete reductions in the role and significance of nuclear weapons in all military and security concepts, doctrines and policies, pending their total elimination; 8. Encourages all States that are part of regional alliances that include nuclear-weapon States to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their collective security doctrines, pending their total elimination; 9. Underlines the recognition by States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of the legitimate interest of non-nuclear- weapon States in the constraining by the nuclear-weapon States of the development and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons and their ending the development of advanced new types of nuclear weapons, and calls upon the nuclear-weapon States to take steps in this regard; 10. Encourages further steps by all nuclear-weapon States, in accordance with the previous obligations and commitments on nuclear disarmament, to ensure the irreversible removal of all fissile material designated by each nuclear-weapon State as no longer required for military purposes, and calls upon all States to support, within the context of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the development of appropriate nuclear disarmament verification capabilities and legally binding verification arrangements, thereby ensuring that such material remains permanently outside military programmes in a verifiable manner; 11. Calls upon all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to work towards the full implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,4 which is inextricably linked to the indefinite extension of the Treaty, and expresses disappointment and deep concern at the lack of a substantive outcome of the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including on the process to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction as contained in the 1995 resolution on the Middle East, which remains valid until fully implemented; 12. Urges the co-sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East to present proposals and exert their utmost efforts with a view to ensuring the early establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction as contained in the 1995 resolution on the Middle East; 13. Stresses the fundamental role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in achieving nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, and looks forward to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to be held in Geneva from 23 April to 4 May 2018; 14. Calls upon all States parties to spare no effort to achieve the universality of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in this regard urges India, Israel and Pakistan to accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear-weapon States promptly and without conditions, and to place all their nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards; 15. Urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fulfil its commitments under the Six-Party Talks, including those in the September 2005 joint statement, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, to return, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to adhere to its International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement, 10 __________________ 10 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1677, No. 28986. A/RES/72/39 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 17-21715 6/6 with a view to achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, and reaffirms its firm support for the Six-Party Talks; 16. Urges all States to work together to overcome obstacles within the international disarmament machinery that are inhibiting efforts to advance the cause of nuclear disarmament in a multilateral context, and urges the Conference on Disarmament once again to commence, without delay, substantive work that advances the agenda of nuclear disarmament, particularly through multilateral negotiations; 17. Urges all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to fully implement without delay their obligations and commitments under the Treaty and as agreed to at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences; 18. Urges the nuclear-weapon States to implement their nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, both qualitative and quantitative, in a manner that enables the States parties to regularly monitor progress, including through a standard detailed reporting format, thereby enhancing confidence and trust not only among the nuclear-weapon States but also between the nuclear-weapon States and the non-nuclear-weapon States and contributing to nuclear disarmament; 19. Also urges the nuclear-weapon States to include in their reports to be submitted throughout the 2020 review cycle of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons concrete and detailed information concerning the implementation of their obligations and commitments on nuclear disarmament; 20. Encourages States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to discuss options, including tools such as a set of benchmarks or similar criteria, to improve the measurability of the implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, in order to ensure and facilitate the objective evaluation of progress;11 21. Urges Member States to pursue multilateral negotiations without delay in good faith on effective measures for the achievement and maintenance of a nuclear- weapon-free world, in keeping with the spirit and purpose of General Assembly resolution 1 (I) and article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; 22. Calls upon Member States to continue to support efforts to identify, elaborate, negotiate and implement further effective legally binding measures for nuclear disarmament, and welcomes in this regard the adoption on 7 July 2017 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons;3 23. Recommends that measures be taken to increase awareness among civil society of the risks and catastrophic impact of any nuclear detonation, including through disarmament education; 24. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-third session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments” and to review the implementation of the present resolution at that session. 62nd plenary meeting 4 December 2017 __________________ 11 See NPT/CONF.2020/PC.I/WP.13.

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