A/RES/56/24V. Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, 2001

• Resolution Number: A/RES/56/24V
• Session: 56th
• Issuer: General Assembly of the United Nation

United Nations A/RES/56/24

General Assembly Distr.: General

10 January 2002

Fifty-sixth session

Agenda item 74

01 47749

Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly

[on the report of the First Committee (A/56/536)]

56/24. General and complete disarmament

A

PRESERVATION OF AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE TREATY ON THE LIMITATION

OF ANTI-BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEMS

The Genera l Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 50/60 of 12 December 1995 and 52/30 of 9 December

1997 on compliance with arms limitation and disarmament and non-proliferation

agreements and its resolutions 54/54 A of 1 December 1999 and 55/33 B of

20 November 2000 on preservation of and compliance with the Treaty on the

Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems,

1

Recognizing the historical role of the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic

Missile Systems of 26 May 1972 between the United States of America and the

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a cornerstone for maintaining global peace

and security and strategic stability, and reaffirming its continued validity and

relevance, especially in the current international situation,

Stressing the paramount importance of full and strict compliance with the

Treaty by the parties,

Recalling that the provisions of the Treaty are intend ed as a contribution to the

creation of more favourable conditions for further negotiations on limiting strategic

arms,

Mindful of the obligations of the parties to the Treat y under article VI of the

Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

2

Concerned that the implementation of any measures undermining the purposes

and provisions of the Treaty affects not only the security interests of the parties, but

also those of the whole international community,

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1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 944, No. 13446.

2 Ibid., vol. 729, No. 10485.

A/RES/56/24

2

Recalling the widespread concern about the proliferation of weapons of mass

destruction and their means of delivery,

1. Calls for continued efforts to strengthen the Treaty on the Limitation of

Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems

1

and to preserve its integrity and validity so that it

remains a cornerstone in maintaining global strategic stability and world peace and

in promoting further strategic nuclear arms reductions;

2. Calls also for renewed efforts by each of the States parties to preserve

and strengthen the Treaty through full and strict compliance;

3. Calls upon the parties to the Treaty, in accordance with their obligations

under the Treaty, to limit the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems, to refrain

from the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems for the defence of the territory

of their country, not to provide a base for such a defence and not to transfer to other

States or deploy outside their national territory anti-ballistic missile systems or their

components limited by the Treaty;

4. Considers that the implementation of any measure undermining the

purposes and the provisions of the Treaty also undermines global strategic stability

and world peace and the promotion of further strategic nuclear arms reductio ns;

5. Urges all Member States to support efforts aimed at stemming the

proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery;

6. Supports further efforts by the international community, in the light of

emerging developments, towards safeguarding the inviolability and integrity of the

Treaty, which is in the strongest interest of the international community;

7. Wel c om e s the ongoing dialogue between the Russian Feder ation and the

United States of America on a new strategic framework premised on openness,

mutual confidence and real opportunities for cooperation, which is of paramount

importance, especially in a changing security environment, and hopes that this

dialogue will successfully lead to substantial reductions in offensive nuclear forces

and contribute to the maintenance of international stability;

8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session

the item entitled “Preservation of and compliance with the Treaty on the Limitation

of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems”.

68th plenary meeting

29 November 2001

B

M

ISSILES

The Genera l Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 54/54 F of 1 December 1999 and 55/33 A of

20 November 2000,

Reaffirming the role of the United Na tions in the field of arms regulation and

disarmament and the commitment of Member States to take concrete steps to

strengthen that role,

Realizing the need to promote regional and international peace and security in

a world free from the scourge of war and the burden of armaments,

A/RES/56/24

3

Convinced of the need for a comprehensive approach towards missiles, in a

balanced and non-discriminatory manner, as a contribution to international peace

and security,

Bearing in mind that the security concerns of Member States at the

international and regional levels should be taken into consideration in addressing the

issue of missiles,

Underlining the complexities involved in considering the issue of missiles in

the conventional context,

Expressing its support for the international efforts against the development and

proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction,

Considering that the Secretary-General has been requested, with the assistance

of a panel of governmental experts, to prepare a report for the consideration of the

General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on the issue of missiles in all its

aspects,

1. Notes with satisfaction that the panel of governmental experts established

by the Secretary-General held its first session in New York in 2001 and that it

intends to convene two more sessions in 2002 in order to complete its mandate;

2. Takes note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General

submitted pursuant to resolution 55/33 A;

3

3. Requests the Secretary-General further to seek the vie ws of Member

States on the issue of missiles in all its aspects and to submit a report to the General

Assembly at its fifty-seventh session;

4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session

the item entitled “Missiles”.

68th plenary meeting

29 November 2001

C

R

EDUCING NUCLEAR DANGER

The Genera l Assembly,

Bearing in mind that the use of nuclear weapons poses the most serious threat

to mankind and to the survival of civil ization,

Reaffirming that any use or threat of use of nucle ar weapons would constitute a

violation of the Cha rter of the United N ations,

Convinced that the proliferation of nuclear wea pons in all its aspects woul d

seriously enhance the danger of nuclear war,

Convinced also that nuclear disarmament and the complete elimination of

nuclear weapons are essential to remove the danger of nuclear war,

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3 A/56/136 and Add.1 and 2.