A/RES/76/233 GA

United Nations A/RES/76/233 General Assembly Distr.: General 30 December 2021 21-19664 (E) 050122 *2119664* Seventy-sixth session Agenda item 100 (u) General and complete disarmament: problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 December 2021 [on the report of the First Committee (A/76/444, para. 93)] 76/233. Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus The General Assembly, Mindful of the dangers posed by unplanned explosions at munitions sites and the diversion of materials from conventional ammunition stockpiles to the illicit market, including for the manufacture of improvised explosive devices, Emphasizing that thousands of people have died and the livelihoods of entire communities have been disrupted as a result of accidental ammunition depot explosions and that diversion from ammunition stockpiles has contributed to the intensity and duration of armed conflict and sustained armed violence around the world,1 Recognizing the need to encourage the full involvement of both women and men in ammunition management practice and policy, Noting that conventional weapons and their ammunition are items for which, in principle, action can be taken to improve the regulation of transfers and prevent their diversion to illicit trafficking, Recognizing the urgency of addressing the security and safety risks emanating from ineffective stockpile management around the world,2 Bearing in mind a through-life management approach to tackle problems related to ammunition in a comprehensive manner, including those related to diversion, __________________ 1 See S/2011/255. 2 See S/2015/289. A/RES/76/233 General and complete disarmament: problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus 21-19664 2/5 Noting the requirement of the Arms Trade Treaty 3 that States parties thereto shall designate competent national authorities in order to have an effective and transparent national control system to regulate the transfer of relevant ammunition and munitions, Recalling the report of the Group of Experts on the problem of ammunition and explosives4 and the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 61/72 to consider further steps to enhance cooperation with regard to the issue of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus,5 Welcoming the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 6 and its recognition of the relevance for development of a significant reduction in illicit arms flows and of strengthened national institutions for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime, Recalling the recommendation contained in paragraph 27 of the report of the Open-ended Working Group to Negotiate an International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons,7 namely, to address the issue of small arms and light weapons ammunition in a comprehensive manner as part of a separate process conducted within the framework of the United Nations, Taking note of the discussions on munitions management practice in the framework of Protocol V8 to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,9 Noting with satisfaction the work and measures pursued at the regional and subregional levels with regard to the issue of conventional ammunition, Recalling its decision 59/515 of 3 December 2004 and its resolutions 60/74 of 8 December 2005 and 61/72 of 6 December 2006, its resolution 63/61 of 2 December 2008, by which it welcomed the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 61/72 to consider further steps to enhance cooperation with regard to the issue of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus, its resolutions 64/51 of 2 December 2009, 66/42 of 2 December 2011, 68/52 of 5 December 2013, 70/35 of 7 December 2015, 72/55 of 4 December 2017 and 74/65 of 12 December 2019 and its decision 75/552 of 31 December 2020, Welcoming the conclusion of the work of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 72/55 and the submission of its report,10 Recalling the recommendations of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 61/72, and encouraging the use, as appropriate, of the voluntary International Ammunition Technical Guidelines to improve the safety and security of ammunition storage sites, __________________ 3 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 3013, No. 52373. 4 See A/54/155. 5 See A/63/182. 6 Resolution 70/1. 7 A/60/88 and A/60/88/Corr.2. 8 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2399, No. 22495. 9 Ibid., vol. 1342, No. 22495. 10 See A/76/324. General and complete disarmament: problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus A/RES/76/233 3/5 21-19664 Recalling with appreciation the establishment, within the Secretariat, of the SaferGuard knowledge resource management programme, 11 including its online implementation support tools, Noting that the voluntary International Ammunition Technical Guidelines are used by national authorities and an expanding network of partners from international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector in an increasing number of States to support ammunition stockpile management efforts, Emphasizing the need to consider integrating ammunition management measures in accordance with the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, where relevant, in mandates of United Nations peacekeeping operations and special political missions, Recognizing the importance of appropriate national ammunition management structures and procedures, including laws and regulations, training and doctrine, equipment and maintenance, personnel management and finances and infrastructure in order to ensure sustainability in ammunition management, and emphasizing in this regard the central role of the provision of technical assistance and capacity-building to Member States, upon their request, Noting with appreciation the ongoing work of the Ammunition Management Advisory Team to support interested States in the safe and secure management of ammunition through the provision of technical advice and services, 1. Encourages all interested States to assess, on a voluntary basis, whether, in conformity with their legitimate security needs, parts of their stockpiles of conventional ammunition should be considered to be in surplus, and recognizes that the security of such stockpiles must be taken into consideration and that appropriate controls with regard to the security and safety of stockpiles of conventional ammunition are indispensable at the national level in order to eliminate the risk of explosion, pollution or diversion; 2. Appeals to all interested States to determine the size and nature of their surplus stockpiles of conventional ammunition, whether they represent a security or safety risk, their preferred means of destruction, if appropriate, and whether external assistance is needed to eliminate this risk; 3. Encourages States in a position to do so to assist interested States within a bilateral framework or through international or regional organizations, including through activities conducted under the umbrella of the SaferGuard knowledge resource management programme, on a voluntary and transparent basis, in elaborating and implementing programmes to eliminate surplus stockpiles or to improve stockpile management; 4. Encourages all Member States to examine the possibility of developing and implementing, within a national, regional or subregional framework, measures to address accordingly the illicit trafficking related to the accumulation of such stockpiles; 5. Notes with appreciation initiatives at the international, regional and national levels that shed light on improving the sustainable management of ammunition, including through the implementation of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, recognizing the relevance of continued discussions and coordination in this regard; 6. Welcomes the release of the updated version of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in 2021 and the intention to update the Guidelines __________________ 11 A/63/182, paras. 72–73. A/RES/76/233 General and complete disarmament: problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus 21-19664 4/5 on a regular basis, as well as the continued implementation of the SaferGuard programme, managed by the Office for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat; 7. Also welcomes the continued application of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in the field, including the online implementation support tools and training materials, takes note of the support guides and the availability of translations of the Guidelines in various languages, which encourages States in a position to do so to offer support to the SaferGuard programme, and calls upon all United Nations entities to make full use of the Guidelines when supporting national authorities; 8. Encourages consideration of the integration of ammunition management measures, where relevant, in the mandates of peacekeeping operations, including through the training of personnel of national authorities and peacekeepers, utilizing the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines; 9. Welcomes the ongoing work carried out by the SaferGuard programme to operationalize its quick-response mechanism, which allows ammunition experts to be deployed to assist States, upon request, in the management of ammunition stockpiles, and encourages States in a position to do so to provide technical expertise or financial support to the mechanism; 10. Encourages States wishing to improve their national ammunition stockpile management capacity, wishing to prevent the growth of conventional ammunition surpluses and wishing to implement wider risk mitigation to contact the SaferGuard programme, as well as potential national donors, regional organizations or other organizations, as appropriate; 11. Encourages States, as appropriate, to consider ammunition management as an intrinsic part of their actions for achieving relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals related to the reduction of illicit arms flows and the prevention of violence through strengthened national institutions, and to consider, where relevant, developing national, regional and subregional indicators based on this understanding; 12. Also encourages States, where relevant, to develop voluntary national action plans on the safe and secure management of conventional ammunition, and acknowledges the utility of information-sharing and the benefit of good practices among States, as appropriate; 13. Recalls with appreciation the series of informal consultations convened within the framework of its resolution 72/55 throughout 2018 and 2019 that focused on matters of conventional ammunition management within the United Nations system and beyond and that sought to identify urgent issues pertaining to the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus on which progress can be made; 14. Recalls the informal paper presented by Germany on the informal consultative process undertaken within the framework of resolution 72/55, as well as the inputs, both written and oral, received from Member States on the same matter; 15. Welcomes the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 72/55 contained in document A/76/324 and the substantive recommendations contained therein; 16. Encourages States to consider the recommendations contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 72/55, in particular regarding steps to address the safety and security challenges arising from conventional ammunition in a comprehensive manner; General and complete disarmament: problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus A/RES/76/233 5/5 21-19664 17. Decides to establish an open-ended working group to elaborate a set of political commitments as a new global framework that will address existing gaps in through-life ammunition management, including international cooperation and assistance, without prejudice to national legal systems addressing national ammunition ownership, possession and use, and will be part of a comprehensive framework to support safe, secure and sustainable through-life ammunition management at the national, subregional, regional and global levels, building upon and complementing existing frameworks, whereas cooperation at the regional and subregional levels should be considered on a voluntary basis; 18. Also decides that the open-ended working group shall take into account the recommendations contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 72/55 and the views of all participating States and be informed by the series of informal consultations convened within the framework of its resolution 72/55 throughout 2018 and 2019, the informal paper presented by Germany on the informal consultative process and the inputs, both written and oral, received from Member States on the same matter; 19. Further decides that the open-ended working group shall convene for two 5-day sessions in New York in 2022 and for one 5-day session in Geneva in 2023, preceded by informal consultations as required, within available time frames and with the contribution of relevant international and non-governmental organizations, and shall hold a two-day organizational session in advance of the first meeting; 20. Decides that the open-ended working group shall submit a report on its work, including recommendations on a set of political commitments as a new global framework on conventional ammunition, to the General Assembly at its seventy- eighth session; 21. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the support necessary to convene the sessions of the open-ended working group; 22. Reiterates its decision to address the issue of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus in a comprehensive manner; 23. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-seventh session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus”. 54th (resumed) plenary meeting 24 December 2021

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