A/RES/78/34 GA

United Nations A/RES/78/34 General Assembly Distr.: General 6 December 2023 23-24534 (E) 191223 *2324534* Seventy-eighth session Agenda item 99 (bb) General and complete disarmament: humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/34. Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 70/47 of 7 December 2015, 71/46 of 5 December 2016, 72/30 of 4 December 2017, 73/47 of 5 December 2018, 74/42 of 12 December 2019, 75/39 of 7 December 2020, 76/30 of 6 December 2021 and 77/53 of 7 December 2022, Reiterating the deep concern about the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons, Stressing that the immense and uncontrollable destructive capability and indiscriminate nature of nuclear weapons cause unacceptable humanitarian consequences, as has been demonstrated through their past use and testing, Recalling that concern about the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons has been reflected in numerous United Nations resolutions, including the first resolution adopted by the General Assembly, on 24 January 1946, Recalling also that at the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, in 1978, the Assembly stressed that nuclear weapons posed the greatest danger to mankind and to the survival of civilization,1 Welcoming the renewed interest and resolve of the international community, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross and international humanitarian organizations, to address the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons, __________________ 1 See resolution S-10/2. A/RES/78/34 Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons 23-24534 2/3 Recalling that the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons expressed deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, 2 Noting the resolutions of 26 November 2011 and 22 June 2022 of the Council of Delegates of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement entitled “Working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons”, Recalling the joint statements on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons delivered to the General Assembly and during the ninth and tenth cycles of the review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,3 including most recently at the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Welcoming the facts-based discussions on the effects of a nuclear weapon detonation that were held at the conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, convened by Norway, on 4 and 5 March 2013, Mexico, on 13 and 14 February 2014, and Austria, on 8 and 9 December 2014, and, most recently, on 20 June 2022, Cognizant that a key message from experts and international organizations at those conferences was that no State or international body could address the immediate humanitarian emergency caused by a nuclear weapon detonation or provide adequate assistance to victims, Firmly believing that it is in the interest of all States to engage in discussions on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons with the aim of further broadening and deepening the understanding of this matter, and welcoming civil society’s ongoing engagement, Reaffirming the role of civil society, in partnership with Governments, in raising awareness about the unacceptable humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, Emphasizing that the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons affect not only Governments but each and every citizen of our interconnected world and have deep implications for human survival, for the environment, for socioeconomic development, for our economies and for the health of future generations, 1. Stresses that it is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons never be used again, under any circumstances; 2. Emphasizes that the only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons will never be used again is their total elimination; 3. Stresses that the catastrophic effects of a nuclear weapon detonation, whether by accident, miscalculation or design, cannot be adequately addressed; 4. Expresses its firm belief that awareness of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons must underpin all approaches and efforts towards nuclear disarmament; 5. Calls upon all States, in their shared responsibility, to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, to prevent their vertical and horizontal proliferation and to achieve nuclear disarmament; __________________ 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. 3 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons A/RES/78/34 3/3 23-24534 6. Urges States to exert all efforts to totally eliminate the threat of these weapons of mass destruction; 7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023

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