A/RES/76/49 GA

United Nations A/RES/76/49 General Assembly Distr.: General 13 December 2021 21-18449 (E) 161221 *2118449* Seventy-sixth session Agenda item 100 (q) General and complete disarmament: towards a nuclear- weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 6 December 2021 [on the report of the First Committee (A/76/444, para. 93)] 76/49. 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, 71/54 of 5 December 2016, 72/39 of 4 December 2017, 73/70 of 5 December 2018, 74/46 of 12 December 2019 and 75/65 of 7 December 2020, Noting the twenty-third anniversary of the launch of the New Agenda Coalition and the joint declaration outlining a new agenda for disarmament, adopted in Dublin on 9 June 1998,1 Welcoming the Secretary-General’s disarmament agenda, Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament, and emphasizing the importance of its implementation, 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,2 __________________ 1 A/53/138, annex. 2 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/76/49 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 21-18449 2/7 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 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 any nuclear weapon detonation, reaching well beyond national borders and also imperilling the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,3 the lack of capacity of States and international organizations to deal with the aftermath and the risk of an occurrence, including an occurrence due to an accident, systems failure or human error, Noting the strongly disproportionate and gendered impact of exposure to ionizing radiation for women and girls, Welcoming the entry into force on 22 January 2021 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, negotiated and adopted 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 2016,4 Welcoming also the commemoration and promotion of 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, as established by resolution 68/32 of 5 December 2013, Underlining the importance of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education, Reaffirming that nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation are mutually reinforcing processes requiring urgent irreversible progress on both fronts, 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,5 the basis upon which the Treaty was indefinitely extended, and the Final Documents of the 20006 and the 20107 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 __________________ 3 See resolution 70/1. 4 A/CONF.229/2017/8. 5 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. 6 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)). 7 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)). Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/76/49 3/7 21-18449 nuclear arsenals, leading to nuclear disarmament, in accordance with commitments made under article VI of the Treaty, Reaffirming that transparency, verifiability and irreversibility are cardinal principles applying to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, and reaffirming also the commitment of all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons8 to applying these principles in relation to the implementation of their treaty obligations, Recalling the twenty-fifth anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty9 and the continued vital importance of its entry into force to the advancement of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation objectives, Recalling also 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, Recalling also its decision 73/546 of 22 December 2018, in which it decided to entrust to the Secretary-General the convening of a conference aimed at elaborating a treaty on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by the States of the region, and encouraged by the outcomes of the first session of the conference, which was successfully convened in 2019, Deeply disappointed at the continued absence of progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament at the Conference on Disarmament, which has been unable for the past 25 years to agree upon and implement a programme of work, and __________________ 8 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. 9 See resolution 50/245 and A/50/1027. A/RES/76/49 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 21-18449 4/7 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, as it 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, Noting with serious concern the rising tensions in international relations and the increased prominence being given by some States to nuclear weapons in their security doctrines, as well as the extensive modernization programmes under way, all of which contribute to the erosion of the disarmament and non-proliferation regime, Noting with regret that, owing to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons had to be postponed, emphasizing the importance of holding a constructive, comprehensive and successful meeting that results in a substantive outcome at the 2020 Review Conference, urging all Member States to step up their efforts in this regard, and emphasizing also the vital importance of ensuring that the 2020 Review Conference contributes to the strengthening of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and making progress towards achieving its full implementation and universality, and monitors the implementation of commitments made and actions agreed upon at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences, Welcoming that the Russian Federation and the United States of America have agreed on a five-year extension, to 4 February 2026, of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, while re-emphasizing the encouragement of the 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences to both States to continue discussions on follow-on measures in order to achieve deeper reductions in their nuclear arsenals, and urging in this regard both States to conclude negotiations on a successor agreement as soon as possible, Welcoming also the recent reaffirmations of the historic principle that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”, 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 Weapons 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; 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 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/76/49 5/7 21-18449 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,10 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; 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. Notes with concern recent policy statements by nuclear-weapon States relating to the modernization of their nuclear weapon programmes, which undermine their commitments to nuclear disarmament and increase the risk of the use of nuclear weapons and the potential for a new arms race; 11. 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; 12. 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 __________________ 10 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. A/RES/76/49 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 21-18449 6/7 the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,11 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; 13. Urges the co-sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East to 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, including through support for the convening of the conference on the establishment of such a zone; 14. 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 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons once it has been rescheduled; 15. 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; 16. Urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fulfil its commitments, 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,12 with a view to achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful, complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, welcomes diplomatic efforts, including through the holding of summits with all parties involved in the process, and encourages a continued dialogue to this end; 17. 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 once again urges the Conference on Disarmament to commence immediately substantive work that advances the agenda of nuclear disarmament, particularly through multilateral negotiations; 18. 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; 19. Also urges all State parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to move forward with urgency in implementing their article VI obligations in order to ensure the good standing of the Treaty and its review process; 20. Urges the nuclear-weapon States to implement their nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, both qualitative and quantitative, in a manner that enables all 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; __________________ 11 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. 12 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1677, No. 28986. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/76/49 7/7 21-18449 21. Also urges the nuclear-weapon States to include in their reports to be submitted during 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; 22. Encourages States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to improve the measurability of the implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, including through tools such as a set of benchmarks, timelines and/or similar criteria, in order to ensure and facilitate the objective evaluation of progress;13 23. 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; 24. 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 entry into force on 22 January 2021 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; 25. 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; 26. Calls upon all Member States to reflect on the vast amount of resources dedicated to the maintenance, development and modernization of nuclear arsenals and to consider whether these resources could be better utilized in pursuit of a better future as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals; 27. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-seventh 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. 45th plenary meeting 6 December 2021 __________________ 13 See NPT/CONF.2020/PC.I/WP.13.

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