Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 66
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 32/152 of 19 December 1977, 35/153
of 12 December 1980, 36/93 of 9 December 1981, 37/79 of 9 December
1982, 38/66 of 15 December 1983, 39/56 of 12 December 1984, 40/84
of 12 December 1985, 41/50 of 3 December 1986, 42/30 of 30 November
1987, 43/67 of 7 December 1988, 45/64 of 4 December 1990, 46/40
of 6 December 1991, 47/56 of 9 December 1992 and 48/79 of 16 December
1993,
Recalling with satisfaction the adoption, on 10 October
1980, of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be
Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, See The
United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, vol. 5: 1980 (United Nations
publication, Sales No. E.81.IX.4), appendix VII. 95-76063 together
with the Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol I), 1/
the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines,
Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) 1/ and the Protocol
on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons
(Protocol III), 1/
Recalling the role played by the International Committee
of the Red Cross in the elaboration of the Convention and the
Protocols annexed thereto,
Noting with satisfaction that, the conditions set forth
in article 5 of the Convention having been met, the Convention
and the three Protocols annexed thereto entered into force on
2 December 1983,
Recalling also the commitment by the States that are parties
to the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto to respect
the objectives and the provisions thereof,
Noting that, in conformity with article 8 of the Convention,
conferences may be convened to examine amendments to the Convention
or to any of the Protocols thereto, to examine additional protocols
concerning other categories of conventional weapons not covered
by the existing Protocols or to review the scope and application
of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto and to examine
any proposed amendments or additional protocols,
Noting with satisfaction that a group of governmental experts
has been established to prepare a conference to review the Convention
and the Protocols annexed thereto in conformity with article 8,
paragraph 3, of the Convention,
Noting also with satisfaction that the group of governmental
experts has held three meetings in 1994 making significant progress,
with priority given to the question of anti-personnel land-mines,
See A/49/275.
Noting also that the group of governmental experts and
other international meetings have discussed possible restrictions
on the use of other weapon categories at present not covered by
the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto,
Reaffirming its conviction that a general and verifiable
agreement on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain
conventional weapons would significantly reduce the suffering
of civilians and combatants,
Being desirous of reinforcing international cooperation
in the area of prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain
conventional weapons, in particular for the removal of minefields,
mines and booby traps,
Noting in this respect its resolutions 48/7 and 49/215
on assistance in mine clearance,
1. Registers its satisfaction with the reports of the Secretary-
General; A/49/421, A/49/275 and Add.1 and A/49/357 and Add.1.
2. Welcomes the fact that additional States have signed,
ratified or accepted the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions
on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed
to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,
which was opened for signature in New York on 10 April 1981, or
have acceded to the Convention;
3. Urgently calls upon all States that have not yet done
so to take all measures to become parties, as soon as possible,
to the Convention and upon successor States to take appropriate
measures so that ultimately access to this instrument will be
universal;
4. Calls upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
in his capacity as depositary of the Convention and the three
Protocols annexed thereto, to continue to inform it periodically
of accessions to the Convention and the Protocols;
5. Welcomes the request made by States parties on 22 December
1993 that the Secretary-General convene at an appropriate time,
in accordance with article 8, paragraph 3, of the Convention,
a conference to review the Convention, and establish a group of
governmental experts to prepare the review conference;
6. Takes note with satisfaction of the progress made by
the group of governmental experts in reviewing the Protocol on
Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps
and Other Devices (Protocol II) and in discussing other weapon
categories at present not covered by the Convention;
7. Takes note of the decisions by the group of governmental
experts to hold an additional meeting at Geneva from 9 to 20 January
1995 and to request the Secretary-General to convene the review
conference at Geneva during the period from 25 September to 13
October 1995;
8. Requests the Secretary-General to continue furnishing
needed assistance and to ensure the provision of services to the
group of governmental experts and to the conference to review
the Convention;
9. Again calls upon the maximum number of States to attend
the conference, to which the States parties may invite interested
non-governmental organizations, in particular the International
Committee of the Red Cross;
10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its
fiftieth session the item entitled "Convention on Prohibitions
or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which
May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate
Effects".
90th plenary meeting
15 December 1994