45th Plenary Meeting of General Assembly 73rd Session

General Assembly adopts 67 disarmament drafts, calling for greater collective action to reduce arsenals, improve trust amid rising global tensions at 45th plenary meeting.

• Video Length: 02:22:52
• Production Date: 5 December 2018
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: MARIA F. ESPINOSA GARCES
• Corporate Name: FIRST COMMITTEE - DISARMAMENT AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY; ORGANISATION FOR THE PROHIBITION OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS - OPCW; UNITED NATIONS INSTITUTE FOR DISARMAMENT RESEARCH - UNIDIR; INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY - IAEA
• Subject Topical: DISARMAMENT; NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION; ILLICIT TRAFFIC; WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION
• Geographic Subject: CENTRAL ASIA
• MAMS Id: 2326397
• Parent Id: 2325698

Description

Aligning itself with the recommendations of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), the General Assembly adopted 63 resolutions and 4 decisions today, bringing to a close its consideration of the current arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation issues on its agenda alongside emerging cybersecurity and information technology threats.

Renewing the determination of all States to take collective action towards ridding the planet of atomic bombs, the Assembly, by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to 4 against (China, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Syria), with 23 abstentions, adopted the resolution “United action with renewed determination towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons”, which endeavours to ease international tensions and strengthen trust between States.

Prior to passing the resolution as a whole, the Assembly decided, by separate recorded votes, to retain a total of 13 paragraphs. These included provisions which, among other things, expressed deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons use and urged all States possessing them to undertake all efforts to address the risks of unintended detonations.

Expressing its strong conviction that those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable, the Assembly adopted as a whole the resolution “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction” by a recorded vote of 152 in favour to 7 against (Cambodia, China, Iran, Nicaragua, Russian Federation, Syria, Zimbabwe), with 22 abstentions.

Beforehand, the Assembly decided, by recorded vote, to retain five paragraphs, including preambular paragraph 4, in which it re-emphasized its unequivocal support for the decision of the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to continue the mission to establish the facts surrounding the allegations of the use of chemical weapons, including toxic chemicals, for hostile purposes in Syria.

Seeking to build further support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons signed on 7 July 2017, the Assembly adopted, by a recorded vote of 126 in favour to 41 against, with 16 abstentions, a new, eponymous resolution that called upon all States that have not yet done so to sign, ratify, accept, approve or accede to the Treaty at the earliest possible date.

Adopting a resolution on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use of Nuclear Weapons, by a recorded vote of 124 in favour to 50 against, with 13 abstentions, the Assembly reiterated its request to the Conference on Disarmament to commence negotiations to reach agreement on an international instrument prohibiting the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons under any circumstances.

By a resolution adopted, without a vote, on the role of science and technology in the context of international security and disarmament, the Assembly called upon Member States to remain vigilant in understanding new and emerging developments. By its provisions, the Assembly underline the importance of Member States engaging with experts from industry, the research community and civil society in addressing this challenge. It also requested that the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) convene, from voluntary contributions, a one-day informal seminar in Geneva in 2019 to facilitate dialogue among stakeholders on current developments.

By separate recorded votes, it adopted the following decisions on further practical measures for the prevention of an arms race in outer space; missiles; and nuclear disarmament verification. Also by separate recorded votes, it adopted resolutions on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons; nuclear disarmament; decreasing the operational readiness of nuclear weapons systems; Universal Declaration on the Achievement of a Nuclear-Weapon-Free-World; the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East; establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the region of the Middle East; and on convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament.

Due to programme budget implications, the Assembly deferred action on two new draft resolutions: “Advancing Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace in the Context of International Security”, tabled by the United States and “Convening a Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction”, presented by Egypt.

Addressing some of the threats posed by conventional weapons, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, resolutions on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects; information on confidence-building measures; assistance to States for curbing the illicit traffic in small arms and light weapons and collecting them; and on countering the threat posed by improvised explosive devices.

Taking up other texts contained in the First Committee report on general and complete disarmament, the Assembly adopted, by separate recorded votes, resolutions on: conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels; Arms Trade Treaty; effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium; observance follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament; promotion of multilateralism in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation; measures to uphold the authority of the 1925 Geneva Protocol; The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation; implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions; reducing nuclear danger; implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on Their Destruction.

Also by separate recorded votes, it adopted the following resolutions: preventing and combating illicit brokering activities; follow-up to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons; treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; ethical imperatives for a nuclear-weapon-free world; towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments; Fourth Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia, 2020; and transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space activities.

Acting without a vote, the Assembly adopted the following resolutions: regional disarmament; regional confidence-building measures: activities of the United Nations Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa; confidence-building measures in the regional and subregional context; relationship between disarmament and development; observance of environmental norms in the drafting and implementation of agreements on disarmament and arms control; measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; Mongolia’s international security and nuclear-weapon-free status; women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control; consolidation of peace through practical disarmament measures; Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia; disarmament and non-proliferation education; and preventing the acquisition by terrorists of radioactive sources.

Taking up the First Committee report on the “Review and implementation of the Concluding Document of the Twelfth Special Session of the General Assembly”, it adopted, without a vote, resolutions on the United Nations disarmament fellowship, training and advisory services; United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa; United Nations Disarmament Information Programme; and United Nations regional centres for peace and disarmament.

The Assembly also adopted, without a vote, the following resolutions on an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty; prevention of an arms race in outer space and no first placement of weapons in outer space, conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; 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; strengthening of security and cooperation in the Mediterranean region; Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty; and the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction.

In addition, the Assembly adopted, without a vote, the Committee’s reports on the Conference on Disarmament and the Disarmament Commission. It also adopted, without a vote, the decision on the maintenance of international security in South-Eastern Europe.

As part of its revitalization efforts, the Assembly adopted its provisional programme of work and timetable of the First Committee for 2019.

The General Assembly will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 6 December, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

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MEETINGS COVERAGE AND PRESS RELEASES