A/RES/74/53 GA

United Nations A/RES/74/53 General Assembly Distr.: General 19 December 2019 19-21842 (E) 311219 *1921842* Seventy-fourth session Agenda item 98 (g) General and complete disarmament: transparency in armaments Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 12 December 2019 [on the report of the First Committee (A/74/368)] 74/53. Transparency in armaments The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 46/36 L of 9 December 1991, 47/52 L of 15 December 1992, 48/75 E of 16 December 1993, 49/75 C of 15 December 1994, 50/70 D of 12 December 1995, 51/45 H of 10 December 1996, 52/38 R of 9 December 1997, 53/77 V of 4 December 1998, 54/54 O of 1 December 1999, 55/33 U of 20 November 2000, 56/24 Q of 29 November 2001, 57/75 of 22 November 2002, 58/54 of 8 December 2003, 60/226 of 23 December 2005, 61/77 of 6 December 2006, 63/69 of 2 December 2008, 64/54 of 2 December 2009, 66/39 of 2 December 2011, 68/43 of 5 December 2013 and 71/44 of 5 December 2016, entitled “Transparency in armaments”, Continuing to take the view that an enhanced level of transparency in armaments contributes greatly to confidence-building and security among States and that the establishment of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms constitutes an important step forward in the promotion of transparency in military matters, Welcoming the consolidated reports of the Secretary-General on the Register, which include the returns of Member States for 2015, 1 20162 and 2017,3 Welcoming also the 2019 report of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development, prepared with the assistance of the group of governmental experts, 4 including the recommendation that those Member States in a position to do so, using the seven-plus-one formula, provide __________________ 1 A/71/138 and A/71/138/Add.1. 2 A/72/331. 3 A/73/185. 4 See A/74/211. A/RES/74/53 Transparency in armaments 19-21842 2/3 information on exports and imports of small arms and light weapons, as appropriate, through the online reporting tool or the optional standardized form for reporting international transfers of small arms and light weapons, Welcoming further the response of Member States to the request contained in paragraphs 9 and 10 of resolution 46/36 L to provide data on their imports and exports of arms, as well as available background information regarding their military holdings, procurement through national production and relevant policies, Welcoming the entry into force of the Arms Trade Treaty5 on 24 December 2014, as it enhances transparency through reporting on arms transfers, as well as through other mechanisms, and noting that the Treaty remains open for accession by any State that has not signed it, Expressing its concern at the low number of reports that have been submitted to the Register by the Member States, Noting the concern expressed in the report of the 2019 group of governmental experts4 that the current level of resources of the Secretariat in the field of database management is insufficient to carry out the effective operation of the Register, Stressing that the continuing operation of the Register and its further development should be reviewed in order to secure a Register that is capable of attracting the widest possible participation, 1. Reaffirms its determination to ensure the effective operation of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, as provided for in paragraphs 7 to 10 of resolution 46/36 L; 2. Endorses the report of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development and the recommendations contained in the consensus report of the 2019 group of governmental experts;4 3. Emphasizes that it is important for those Member States in a position to do so, using the seven-plus-one formula, to provide information on exports and imports of small arms and light weapons, and decides to adapt the scope of the Register in conformity with the recommendations contained in the 2019 report of the Secretary- General;4 4. Calls upon Member States, with a view to achieving universal participation, to provide the Secretary-General, by 31 May annually, with the requested data and information for the Register, including nil reports if appropriate, using the online reporting tool, on the basis of resolutions 46/36 L and 47/52 L and the recommendations contained in the respective reports of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development; 5. Invites Member States in a position to do so, pending further development of the Register, to provide additional information on procurement through national production and military holdings as part of their background information and to make use of the de facto reporting form, or any other method they deem appropriate, for the respective elements; 6. Reaffirms its decision, with a view to further development of the Register, to keep the scope of, participation in and use of the Register under review, and to that end requests the Secretary-General, with the assistance of a group of governmental experts to be convened for a week each at the end of 2021 and at the beginning and in the middle of 2022, within existing resources, with the broadest possible participation, and on the basis of equitable geographical representation, to prepare a __________________ 5 See resolution 67/234 B. Transparency in armaments A/RES/74/53 3/3 19-21842 report on the continuing operation and relevance of the Register, including by exploring the relationship between the participation in, scope of and use of the Register, and its further development, taking into account the work of the Conference on Disarmament, relevant deliberations within the United Nations, the views expressed by Member States and the reports of the Secretary-General on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development, with a view to taking a decision at its seventy-seventh session; 7. Requests the Secretary-General to implement the recommendations contained in his 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2013, 2016 and 2019 reports on the continuing operation of the Register and its further development, in particular the recommendations contained in paragraphs 122 (a) to (n) of the consensus report of the 2019 group of governmental experts that are specifically addressed to the Secretariat; 8. Also requests the Secretary-General in that regard to ensure that sufficient resources are made available by the United Nations, within existing resources, to enable the Secretariat to effectively implement its core functions for the effective operation of the Register, as outlined in paragraphs 122 (a) to (n) of the 2019 report, including in relation to the recommendation in paragraph 122 (e) pertaining to the translation of the online reporting tool and the Register database website into all six official languages of the United Nations, and to ensure that sufficient resources at the appropriate levels are provided in that regard; 9. Invites the Conference on Disarmament to consider continuing its work undertaken in the field of transparency in armaments; 10. Reiterates its call upon all Member States to cooperate at the regional and subregional levels, taking fully into account the specific conditions prevailing in the region or subregion, with a view to enhancing and coordinating international and regional efforts aimed at increased openness and transparency in armaments; 11. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-seventh session on progress made in implementing the present resolution; 12. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-seventh session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Transparency in armaments”. 46th plenary meeting 12 December 2019

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