News

UNITED
NATIONS
A

General Assembly
Distr.
GENERAL

A/RES/49/76
15 December 1994




Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 63

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

E

Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons

The General Assembly,

Convinced that the use of nuclear weapons poses the most serious threat to the survival of mankind,
Convinced also that a multilateral agreement prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would strengthen international security and contribute to the climate for negotiations leading to the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons,

Welcoming the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Weapons, signed in Moscow on 3 January 1993, aimed at reducing the strategic arsenals to an aggregate level not to exceed 3,500 deployed strategic warheads for each side no later than the year 2003,

Conscious that the recent steps taken by the Russian Federation and the United States of America towards a reduction of their nuclear weapons and the improvement in the international climate can contribute towards the goal of complete elimination of nuclear weapons,

Recalling that, in paragraph 58 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, 7/ it is stated 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 that would preclude the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons,

Reaffirming that any use of nuclear weapons would be a violation of the Charter of the United Nations and a crime against humanity, as declared in its resolutions 1653 (XVI) of 24 November 1961, 33/71 B of 14 December 1978, 34/83 G of 11 December 1979, 35/152 D of 12 December 1980 and 36/92 I of 9 December 1981,

Stressing that an international convention would be a step towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons leading to general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control,

Noting with regret that the Conference on Disarmament, during its 1994 session, was unable to undertake negotiations on this subject,

1. Reiterates its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations, as a matter of priority, in order to reach agreement on an international convention prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances, taking as a possible basis the draft Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons annexed to the present resolution;

2. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to report to the General Assembly on the results of those negotiations.

90th plenary meeting
15 December 1994