A/RES/78/66 GA

United Nations A/RES/78/66 General Assembly Distr.: General 6 December 2023 23-24446 (E) 131223 *2324446* Seventy-eighth session Agenda item 105 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/414, para. 7)] 78/66. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty The General Assembly, Reiterating that the cessation of nuclear-weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions constitutes an effective nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation measure, and convinced that this is a meaningful step in the realization of a systematic process for achieving nuclear disarmament, Recalling that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 50/245 of 10 September 1996, was opened for signature on 24 September 1996, Stressing that a universal and effectively verifiable Treaty constitutes a fundamental instrument in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and will be a major contribution to international peace and security, Stressing also the vital importance and urgency of achieving the entry into force of the Treaty, and affirming its resolute determination, 27 years after the Treaty was opened for signature, to achieve its entry into force, Encouraged by the signing of the Treaty by 187 States, including 41 of the 44 whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, and welcoming the ratification of the Treaty by 178 States, including 36 of the 44 whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, among which there are 3 nuclear-weapon States, Recognizing the sustained efforts by the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to promote the universalization of the Treaty, and encouraging their continuation, Recalling its resolution 77/94 of 7 December 2022, Recalling also the adoption by consensus of the conclusions and recommendations for follow-on actions of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties A/RES/78/66 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 23-24446 2/3 to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,1 in which the Conference, inter alia, reaffirmed the vital importance of the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as a core element of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and included specific actions to be taken in support of the entry into force of the Treaty, Recalling further the Final Declaration adopted by the thirteenth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, held in New York on 22 September 2023, convened pursuant to article XIV of the Treaty, and recalling the joint statement issued by the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty on 21 September 2022, Noting the contribution of diverse and inclusive participation in building and sustaining momentum for the universalization and entry into force of the Treaty, including through the Youth Group of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Welcoming the sustained efforts within the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization for the equal participation of both men and women in its staff and its capacity-building programmes, and encouraging the continuation of such efforts, Welcoming also the continuing progress in the development of the Treaty’s verification regime, which advances the Treaty’s primary non-proliferation and disarmament objective, and the establishment of 305 certified facilities of the International Monitoring System network, Welcoming further the renewed focus on ensuring the continued operation and long-term sustainability of the verification regime, Recognizing the civil and scientific benefits provided by the Treaty’s global monitoring system, 1. Stresses the vital importance and urgency of signature and ratification, without delay and without conditions, in order to achieve the earliest entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty;2 2. Welcomes the contributions by the signatory States to the work of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, in particular its efforts to ensure that the verification regime of the Treaty will be capable of meeting the verification requirements of the Treaty upon its entry into force, in accordance with article IV of the Treaty, and encourages their continuation; 3. Underlines the need to maintain momentum towards the completion of all elements of the verification regime; 4. Urges all States not to carry out nuclear-weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions, to maintain their moratoriums in this regard and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty, while stressing that these measures do not have the same permanent and legally binding effect as the entry into force of the Treaty; 5. Reiterates its condemnation of the six nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Security Council __________________ 1 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. 2 See resolution 50/245 and A/50/1027. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty A/RES/78/66 3/3 23-24446 resolutions, 3 urges full compliance with the obligations under those resolutions, including that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea abandon its nuclear weapons programme and not conduct any further nuclear tests, reaffirms its support for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, welcomes all efforts and dialogue to this end, and encourages all parties to continue diplomatic efforts; 6. Urges all States that have not yet signed or ratified, or that have signed but not yet ratified, the Treaty, in particular those whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, to sign and ratify it as soon as possible and to accelerate their ratification processes with a view to ensuring their earliest successful conclusion; 7. Welcomes, since the adoption of its previous resolution on the subject, the signature of the Treaty by Somalia and the ratification of the Treaty by Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka, since each signature or ratification is a significant step towards the entry into force and universalization of the Treaty; 8. Encourages further expressions from among the remaining States whose ratification is needed for the Treaty to enter into force of their intention to pursue and complete the ratification process; 9. Urges all States to remain seized of the issue at the highest political level and, where in a position to do so, to promote adherence to the Treaty through bilateral and joint outreach, seminars and other means; 10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 3 Including Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016) and 2375 (2017).

UN Project. “A/RES/78/66.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-78-66/. Accessed .

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