9 December 1981

Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session A United Nations programme of fellowships on disarmament

The General Assembly,

Recalling its decision, taken at the tenth special session, to establish a programme of fellowships on disarmament,

Recalling also its resolution 35/152 A of 12 December 1980, in which it requested the Secretary-General to make adequate arrangements relating to the programme for 1981 in accordance with the guidelines approved by the General Assembly at its thirty-third session,

Expressing its satisfaction at the fact that Governments, particularly those of developing countries, have continued to manifest serious interest in the programme,

Having considered the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations programme of fellowships on disarmament for 1981,

1. Decides to continue the United Nations programme of fellowships on disarmament;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to make adequate arrangements relating to the programme for 1982 in accordance with the guidelines approved by the General Assembly at its thirty-third session;

3. Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament a report containing an assessment of the United Nations programme of fellowships on disarmament since its inception in 1979;

4. Commends the Secretary-General for the diligence with which the programme has been conducted;

5. Expresses its appreciation to the Governments of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hungary and Sweden for inviting the fellows to their capitals to study selected activities in the field of disarmament, thereby contributing to the fulfilment of the over-all objectives of the programme, as well as providing additional information sources and practical knowledge for the fellows.

B

Report of the Disarmament Commission The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Disarmament Commission, Emphasizing again the importance of an effective follow-up to the relevant recommendations and decisions adopted at its tenth special session,

Considering the important role that the Disarmament Commission has played and the significant contribution it has made in examining and submitting recommendations on various problems in the field of disarmament and in the promotion of the implementation of the relevant decisions of the tenth special session,

Recalling its resolutions 33/71 H of 14 December 1978, 34/83 H of 11 December 1979 and 35/152 F of 12 December 1980,

1. Takes note of the report of the Disarmament Commission;

2. Notes that the Commission was not able to conclude its consideration of the items on its agenda;

3. Requests the Disarmament Commission to continue its work in accordance with its mandate, as set forth in paragraph 118 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and to continue consideration of the items included in its agenda at its session held in 1981 and, to that end, to meet for a period not exceeding four weeks during 1981;

4. Requests the Commission to submit a substantive report on its work to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament;

5. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Disarmament Commission the report of the Committee on Disarmament together with all the official records of the thirty-sixth session of the General Assembly relating to disarmament matters, and to render all assistance that it may require for implementing the present resolution;

6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session the item entitled "Report of the Disarmament Commission".

C

World Disarmament Campaign The General Assembly,

Recalling that, in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session devoted to disarmament, it stressed the importance of mobilizing world public opinion on behalf of disarmament,

Recalling likewise its resolution 35/152 I of 12 December 1980, in which, for the achievement of that purpose, it requested the Secretary-General to carry out a study on the organization and financing of a World Disarmament Campaign under the auspices of the United Nations,

Having examined the study transmitted by the Secretary-General as an annex to his report of 17 September 1981,

1. Notes with satisfaction the contents of the study on the World Disarmament Campaign and commends its conclusions;

2. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General and to the experts who assisted him for the prompt and effective manner in which the study was prepared;

3. Invites all Member States to transmit to the Secretary-General, not later than 15 April 1982, the suggestions and comments which they deem appropriate to formulate for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the study;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament both the study on the World Disarmament Campaign and the opinions thereon received from Governments, in order that the Assembly may take the decisions it considers advisable for the solemn launching of the Campaign, including a pledging conference to take place at the initial stage of the special session.

D

International co-operation for disarmament The General Assembly,

Stressing again the urgent need for an active and sustained effort to intensify the comprehensive implementation of the recommendations and decisions unanimously adopted at its tenth special session, the first special session devoted to disarmament, as contained in the Final Document of that session,

Convinced that, to this end, effective, constructive and continuing co-operation among all States on all levels, including the highest, on the basis of mutual confidence and political will, is essential,

Deeply concerned over the growing danger of a new round of the arms race, which would seriously jeopardize international stability and increase the danger of a nuclear catastrophe,

Convinced that halting of the arms race and adoption of effective disarmament measures, particularly in the field of nuclear disarmament, would release considerable financial and material resources to be used for the economic and social development of all States, in particular developing countries,

Taking into consideration the central role and primary responsibility of the United Nations in combining efforts and in supporting and developing active co-operation among States aimed at the solution of disarmament problems,

Recalling in this context the Declaration on International Co-operation for Disarmament of 11 December 1979,

Noting that this Declaration may play a positive role in concerting efforts for the achievement of effective measures in the implementation of the goals set forth to this end in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session,

1. Calls upon all States to observe the principles and make active use of the ideas contained in the Declaration on International Co-operation for Disarmament so as to secure a constructive mutual dialogue aimed at limiting armaments, particularly nuclear weapons, through the conclusion of agreements, keeping in mind the ultimate objective of general and complete disarmament under effective international control;

2. Calls upon Member States to be guided in all disarmament negotiations by the generally recognized principles of international law and to submit and constructively to consider, with full responsibility and in the spirit of co-operation, proposals and initiatives aimed at promoting speedy progress in disarmament negotiations and facilitating the achievement of mutually acceptable concrete disarmament measures;

3. Calls upon Member States to refrain from any action that could hamper, complicate or render impossible the disarmament negotiations which are under way, the opening of new negotiations or the achievement of specific disarmament agreements and, in particular, not to hinder possible progress in negotiations on disarmament by the discussion of unrelated issues;

4. Recommends that the Preparatory Committee for the Second Special Session of the General Assembly Devoted to Disarmament should make active use of the Declaration on International Co-operation for Disarmament in the preparations for the special session;

5. Calls upon Member States to disseminate widely, in connexion with Disarmament Week, the principles of international co-operation designed to achieve the goals of disarmament.

E

Nuclear weapons in all aspects The General Assembly,

Reaffirming once again that nuclear weapons pose the most serious threat to mankind and its survival and that it is therefore essential to proceed with nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of nuclear weapons,

Reaffirming also that all nuclear-weapon States, in particular those which possess the most important nuclear arsenals, bear a special responsibility for the fulfilment of the task of achieving the goals of nuclear disarmament,

Stressing again that existing arsenals of nuclear weapons alone are more than sufficient to destroy all life on earth, and bearing in mind the devastating results which nuclear war would have on belligerents and non-belligerents alike,

Recalling that at its tenth special session, the first special session devoted to disarmament, it decided that effective measures of nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war had the highest priority and that it was essential to halt and reverse the nuclear-arms race in all its aspects in order to avert the danger of war involving nuclear weapons,

Recalling further that, in its resolution 35/152 B of 12 December 1980, it noted with alarm the increased risk of a nuclear catastrophe associated both with the intensification of the nuclear-arms race and with the adoption of the new doctrine of limited or partial use of nuclear weapons giving rise to illusions of the admissibility and acceptability of a nuclear conflict,

Noting with alarm that this dangerous doctrine leads to a new twist in the spiral of the arms race, which may seriously hamper the reaching of agreement on nuclear disarmament,

Noting, in this connexion, an urgent need for the cessation of the development and deployment of new types and systems of nuclear weapons as a step on the road to nuclear disarmament,

Stressing again that priority in disarmament negotiations should be given to nuclear weapons, and referring to paragraphs 49 and 54 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 33/71 H of 14 December 1978, 34/83 J of 11 December 1979 and 35/152 B and C of 12 December 1980,

Noting that the Committee on Disarmament, during its session held in 1981, discussed the question concerning the cessation of the nuclear-arms race and nuclear disarmament and, inter alia, the establishment of an ad hoc working group for negotiations on the subject,

Noting also the proposals and statements made in the Committee on Disarmament, both during its formal and informal meetings, on the cessation of the nuclear-arms race and nuclear disarmament, and, inter alia, on prerequisites for the conduct of negotiations on nuclear disarmament,

Noting with regret that the Committee on Disarmament, during its session held in 1981, was not able to reach agreement on a basis for multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament, or on prerequisites for such negotiations,

Convinced that the Committee on Disarmanent is the most suitable forum for the preparation and conduct of the negotiations on nuclear disarmament,

1. Believes it necessary to initiate, as a matter of high priority, negotiations on the cessation of the production of nuclear weapons and on the gradual reduction of their stockpiles up to and including their total destruction, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 50 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly;

2. Notes the decision of the Committee on Disarmament to resume intensive consideration, at its session to be held in 1982, of the item on the cessation of the nuclear-arms race and nuclear disarmament;

3. Calls upon the Committee on Disarmament, as a matter of priority and for the purpose of an early commencement of the negotiations on the substance of the problem, to continue consultations in which to consider, inter alia, the establishment of an ad hoc working group on the cessation of the nuclear-arms race and on nuclear disarmament with a clearly defined mandate;

4. Deems it appropriate, as envisaged in paragraph 50 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session, that the Committee on Disarmament should proceed, as the first step, to the consideration of stages of nuclear disarmament and their tentative content, inter alia, the content of the first stage;

5. Also deems it appropriate to consider, within the framework of the discussion on the content of measures to be carried out during the first stage, the question of the cessation of the development and deployment of new types and systems of nuclear weapons;

6. Requests the Committee on Disarmament to report on the results of those negotiations to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session.

F

Report of the Committee on Disarmament The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 34/83 B of 11 December 1979 and 35/152 J of 12 December 1980,

Having considered the report of the Committee on Disarmament,

Affirming that the establishment of ad hoc working groups offers the best available machinery for the conduct of multilateral negotiations on items on the agenda of the Committee on Disarmament and contributes to the strengthening of the negotiating role of the Committee on Disarmament,

Regretting that, despite the expressed wish of the great majority of members of the Committee on Disarmament, the establishment of ad hoc working groups to undertake multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament and on prohibition of all nuclear-weapon tests was prevented during the session of the Committee held in 1981,

Expressing its deep concern that the Committee on Disarmament has not thus far been able to achieve concrete results on disarmament issues which have been under consideration for a number of years,

Convinced that the Committee on Disarmament, as the single multilateral negotiating body on disarmament, should play the central role in substantive negotiations on priority questions of disarmament and on the implementation of the Programme of Action set forth in section III of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session devoted to disarmament,

Stressing that negotiations on specific disarmament issues conducted outside the Committee on Disarmament should in no way serve as a pretext for preventing the conduct of multilateral negotiations on such questions in the Committee,

1. Urges the Committee on Disarmament to continue or undertake, during its session to be held in 1982, substantive negotiations on the priority questions of disarmament on its agenda, in accordance with the provisions of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly and the other relevant resolutions of the Assembly on those questions and, in order to reach that goal, to provide the existing ad hoc working groups with appropriate negotiating mandates and to establish, as a matter of urgency, ad hoc working groups on the cessation of the nuclear-arms race and nuclear disarmament and on the prohibition of all nuclear-weapon tests;

2. Requests the Committee on Disarmament to complete, during the first part of its session in 1982, the elaboration of a comprehensive programme of disarmament and to submit the programme in time for consideration and adoption by the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament, to be held from 7 June to 9 July 1982;

3. Also requests the Committee on Disarmament to intensify its negotiations on priority questions of disarmament, so that it may be in a position to contribute, through concrete accomplishments, to the success of the special session;

4. Invites the members of the Committee on Disarmament involved in separate negotiations on specific priority questions of disarmament to intensify their efforts to achieve a positive conclusion of those negotiations without further delay for submission to the Committee and, at the same time, to submit to the Committee a full report on their separate negotiations and the results achieved in order to contribute most directly to the negotiations in the Committee in accordance with paragraph 1 above;

5. Further requests the Committee on Disarmament to submit to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament a special report on the state of negotiations on various questions under consideration by the Committee and also to submit a report on its work to the Assembly at its thirty-seventh session;

6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session the item entitled "Report of the Committee on Disarmament".

G

Study on the relationship between disarmament and development The General Assembly,

Recalling paragraph 94 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, in which it decided to undertake a study on the relationship between disarmament and development and requested the Secretary-General to carry out the study with the assistance of a group of qualified governmental experts,

Having examined the report of the Secretary-General containing the study,

1. Welcomes with satisfaction the report of the Secretary-General and the study contained therein;

2. Expresses its thanks to the Secretary-General and to the governmental experts as well as to the Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations that have rendered assistance in the preparation of the report;

3. Commends the report, its conclusions and recommendations to the attention of all Member States;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for the reproduction of the report as a United Nations publication and to give it the widest possible distribution;

5. Invites all Member States to inform the Secretary-General, no later than 15 April 1982, of their views regarding the report and, in particular, its recommendations;

6. Decides to transmit the report to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament for its substantive consideration and appropriate action;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit the report to the Committee on Disarmament and recommends that it be taken into account in future disarmament negotiations;

8. Notes with appreciation that arrangements have been made for the preparation of a short version of the report aiming at a mass audience;

9. Recommends to all Governments the widest possible distribution of the report, including, where appropriate, its translation into their national languages, so as to acquaint public opinion in their countries with its content, and invites specialized agencies and national and non-governmental organizations to use their facilities to make the report widely known.

H

Status of multilateral disarmament agreements The General Assembly,

Recalling the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session devoted to disarmament,

Having in mind that a number of multilateral disarmament agreements have been concluded so far,

Considering that the participation in the above-mentioned agreements of as many States as possible is of special importance to the attainment of their objectives,

Noting with satisfaction the special supplement to the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook under the title "Status of multilateral arms regulations and disarmament agreements", as well as the information on this matter included in the yearbooks,

1. Reaffirms the importance of the provisions concerning the question of the universality of multilateral disarmament agreements contained in the Final Document of its Tenth Special Session, in particular paragraph 40;

2. Requests Member States depositories of such agreements to furnish the Secretary-General with information regarding their status by the beginning of each regular session of the General Assembly;

3. Further requests the Secretary-General to prepare for each regular session of the General Assembly a composite table of signatories of and parties to such agreements with a view to enabling the Assembly to take up the question of their status, if it deems it appropriate.

I

Non-use of nuclear weapons and prevention of nuclear war The General Assembly,

Alarmed by the threat to the survival of mankind and to the life-sustaining system posed by nuclear weapons and by their use, inherent in concepts of deterrence,

Convinced that nuclear disarmament is essential for the prevention of nuclear war and for the strengthening of international peace and security,

Recalling its declaration, contained in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, that all States should actively participate in efforts to bring about conditions in international relations among States in which a code of peaceful conduct of nations in international affairs could be agreed upon and which would preclude the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons,

Recalling its resolutions 1653 (XVI) of 24 November 1961, 33/71 B of 14 December 1978, 34/83 G of 11 December 1979 and 35/152 D of 12 December 1980,

Noting the Comprehensive Study on Nuclear Weapons prepared by the Secretary-General with the assistance of a group of experts,

1. Declares once again that:

(a) The use of nuclear weapons would be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and a crime against humanity;

(b) The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons should therefore be prohibited, pending nuclear disarmament;

2. Urges the consideration, at the second special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, of the question of an international convention on the non-use of nuclear weapons and prevention of nuclear war or some other agreement on the subject, taking into account the proposals and views of States in this regard;

3. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session the item entitled "Non-use of nuclear weapons and prevention of nuclear war".

J

World-wide action for collecting signatures in support of measures to prevent nuclear war, to curb the arms race and for disarmament The General Assembly,

Deeply concerned over the growing threat of a nuclear war and the continuation and escalation of the arms race,

Conscious of the need to mobilize world public opinion on behalf of disarmament, as called for in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly,

Considering that world-wide action for collecting signatures in support of measures to prevent nuclear war, to curb the arms race and for disarmament would be an important manifestation of the will of the world public and would contribute to the creation of a favourable climate for achieving progress in the field of disarmament,

Considering also that it is desirable to carry out such world-wide action under the auspices of the United Nations and with the active participation of non-governmental organizations and other public institutions,

1. Invites Member States to communicate to the Secretary-General their views and suggestions concerning world-wide action for collecting signatures in support of measures to prevent nuclear war, to curb the arms race and for disarmament;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a report on the most appropriate format and methods of carrying out such world-wide action under the auspices of the United Nations, taking into account the views and suggestions of Member States, and to submit it for consideration to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament.

K

Prohibition of the nuclear neutron weapon The General Assembly, Recalling paragraph 47 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly stating that nuclear weapons pose the greatest danger to mankind and that it is essential to halt and reverse the nuclear-arms race in order to avert the danger of war involving nuclear weapons,

Stressing that the termination of the qualitative arms race and the use of scientific and technological achievements solely for peaceful purposes are in the interest of all States and peoples,

Sharing the world-wide concern on the production and intended deployment of nuclear neutron weapons expressed by numerous Member States and by many non-governmental organizations,

Considering that the introduction of the nuclear neutron weapon in the military arsenals of States escalates the nuclear arms race and significantly lowers the threshold to nuclear war, thereby increasing the danger of such a war,

Aware of the inhumane effects of that weapon, which constitutes a grave threat, particularly for the unprotected civilian population,

Recalling the proposals for the prohibition of the production, stockpiling, deployment and use of nuclear neutron weapons,

Desiring to contribute to halting the arms race, particularly in the field of weapons of mass destruction,

1. Requests the Committee on Disarmament to start without delay negotiations in an appropriate organizational framework with a view to concluding a convention on the prohibition of the production, stockpiling, deployment and use of nuclear neutron weapons;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to transmit to the Committee on Disarmament all documents relating to the discussion of this question by the General Assembly at its thirty-sixth session;

3. Requests the Committee on Disarmament to submit a report on this question to the General Assembly at its thirty-seventh session;

4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-seventh session an item entitled "Prohibition of the nuclear neutron weapon".

L

Programme of research and studies on disarmament The General Assembly,

Taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Studies in 1981,

Requests the Secretary-General to submit this report to the General Assembly at its second special session devoted to disarmament for its further consideration.

M

Implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the tenth special session The General Assembly,

Having reviewed the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted at the tenth special session, the first special session devoted to disarmament,

Recalling its resolutions S-10/2 of 30 June 1978, 34/83 C of 11 December 1979, 35/46 of 3 December 1980 and 35/152 E of 12 December 1980,

Reaffirming the importance of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, which constitutes a comprehensive basis for further efforts towards promoting international security, halting and reversing the arms race, and the achievement of general and complete disarmament under effective international control,

Considering it imperative to achieve genuine progress in all negotiations dealing with disarmament issues,

Convinced that the success of disarmament negotiations, in which all peoples of the world have a vital interest, would be achieved through the active participation of Member States in such negotiations, thereby contributing to the maintenance of international peace and security,

Reaffirming that the United Nations has a central role and primary responsibility in the sphere of disarmament,

Deeply concerned about the continuing arms race and, in particular, the nuclear-arms race, which constitutes a growing threat to international peace and security,

Mindful of growing awareness among States and peoples of the dangers of the continuing arms race, in particular the nuclear-arms race, and of the need to eliminate the danger of the outbreak of a nuclear war,

Calling attention to the tasks set forth in the Declaration of the 1980s as the Second Disarmament Decade, which demand intensified efforts to be taken in the Committee on Disarmament and other appropriate forums,

Stressing the need to promote the development, strengthening and intensification of international co-operation designed to achieve general and complete disarmament, as defined by the General Assembly at its tenth special session,

Noting with concern the lack of tangible progress with respect to the implementation of the measures set forth in the Programme of Action of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly,

Bearing in mind that the second special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, scheduled for 1982, will undertake a review of the progress made in the implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the first special session on disarmament,

Conscious of the need to contribute to the success of the second special session through concrete accomplishments in the field of disarmament, thereby maintaining and further intensifying the momentum generated by the first special session,

1. Expresses its deep concern about the continued arms race, in particular the nuclear-arms race, as well as about the constantly growing military budgets, which bear negative consequences and pose a growing threat to international peace and security as well as to the development of countries, particularly developing countries;

2. Urgently calls upon all States, in particular nuclear-weapon

States and other major military Powers, immediately to take steps in order to promote international security and lead to the effective halting and reversing of the arms race and to disarmament;

3. Urges those States also to intensify their efforts to bring to a successful end the negotiations which are currently taking place in the Committee on Disarmament and other international forums and to proceed to or resume negotiations on effective international agreements on items of the highest priority as laid down by the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament;

4. Recommends that the Committee on Disarmament should concentrate its work on the substantive and priority items on its agenda with a view to achieving tangible results in order to contribute to the success of the forthcoming second special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament and to the accomplishment of the tasks set forth in the Declaration of the 1980s as the Second Disarmament Decade;

5. Calls upon all States to refrain from any actions which have or may have negative effects on the implementation of the relevant recommendations and decisions of the first special session on disarmament;

6. Invites all States which are engaged in disarmament and/or arms limitation negotiations outside the United Nations framework to keep the General Assembly and the Committee on Disarmament informed of the results of such negotiations in conformity with the relevant provisions of the Final Document;

7. Also calls upon States engaged in such negotiations outside the United Nations framework to implement the results achieved, so as to create favourable conditions for further progress;

8. Recommends that the General Assembly keep under review at its forthcoming sessions the implementation of its recommendations and decisions on disarmament issues.