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A/RES/77/79 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 7 December 2022 [on the report of the First Committee (A/77/385, para. 110)] 77/79. Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 63/71 of 2 December 2008 on the Convention on Cluster Munitions and 70/54 of 7 December 2015, 71/45 of 5 December 2016, 72/54 of 4 December 2017, 73/54 of 5 December 2018, 74/62 of 12 December 2019, 75/62 of 7 December 2020 and 76/47 of 6 December 2021 on the implementation of the Convention, Reaffirming its determination to put an end for all time to the suffering and casualties caused by cluster munitions at the time of their use, when they fail to function as intended or when they are abandoned, Deploring the recent cases of cluster munitions use and related civilian casualties, and calling upon those who continue to use cluster munitions to cease any such activity immediately, Conscious that cluster munition remnants kill or maim civilians, including women and children, obstruct economic and social development, including through the loss of livelihood, impede post-conflict rehabilitation and reconstruction, delay or prevent the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, can have a negative impact on national and international peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance efforts, and have other severe consequences for many years after use, Concerned about the dangers presented by the large national stockpiles of cluster munitions retained for operational use, and determined to ensure their rapid destruction, Recognizing the impact of cluster munitions on women, men, girls and boys and the importance of relevant States providing adequate, gender- and age-sensitive assistance to victims of cluster munitions, A/RES/77/79 Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions 22-28182 2/3 Believing it necessary to contribute effectively in an efficient, coordinated manner to resolving the challenge of removing cluster munition remnants located throughout the world, and to ensure their destruction, Mindful of the need to adequately coordinate efforts undertaken in various forums, including through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities,1 to address the rights and needs of victims of various types of weapons, and resolved to avoid discrimination among victims of various types of weapons, Reaffirming that in cases not covered by the Convention on Cluster Munitions 2 or by other international agreements, civilians and combatants remain under the protection and authority of the principles of international law, derived from established custom, from the principles of humanity and from the dictates of public conscience, Welcoming the steps taken nationally, regionally and globally in recent years aimed at prohibiting, restricting or suspending the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions, and welcoming also in this regard that, since 2014, all Central American States have joined the Convention, thus fulfilling their aspiration to become the first cluster munitions-free region in the world, Stressing the role of public conscience in furthering the principles of humanity, as evidenced by the global call for an end to civilian suffering caused by cluster munitions, and recognizing the efforts to that end undertaken by the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Cluster Munition Coalition and numerous other non-governmental organizations around the world, Noting that a total of 123 States have joined the Convention, 110 as States parties and 13 as signatories, Emphasizing the need to make further efforts in accelerating the universalization process, Noting the outcome of the second Review Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, held in Geneva from 25 to 27 November 2020 and on 20 and 21 September 2021, and in particular the adoption of the Lausanne Declaration entitled “Protecting lives, empowering victims, enabling development” and the Lausanne Action Plan 2021–2026 3 to support the full and effective implementation of the Convention, Welcoming the dialogue undertaken by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which presided over the tenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, with States not parties to the Convention, including military-to-military dialogue, in support of universal adherence to the Convention, and recognizing the efforts undertaken to explore innovative finance solutions to assist affected countries in the implementation of their obligations under the Convention, Recognizing the importance of full involvement and equal opportunities for the meaningful participation of women and men in disarmament processes, policy and programming decisions related to the Convention, 1. Urges all States not parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to ratify or accede to it as soon as possible, and all States parties that are in a position to __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2515, No. 44910. 2 Ibid., vol. 2688, No. 47713. 3 CCM/CONF/2021/6, annexes I and II. Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions A/RES/77/79 3/3 22-28182 do so to promote adherence to the Convention through bilateral, subregional and multilateral contacts, outreach and other means; 2. Stresses the importance of the full and effective implementation of and compliance with the Convention, including through the implementation of the Lausanne Action Plan, as appropriate; 3. Expresses grave concern regarding the number of allegations, reports or documented evidence of the use of cluster munitions in different parts of the world, related civilian casualties and other consequences that impede the achievement of sustainable development; 4. Urges all States parties to provide the Secretary-General with complete and timely information as required under article 7 of the Convention in order to promote transparency and compliance with the Convention; 5. Invites all States that have not ratified the Convention or acceded to it to provide, on a voluntary basis, information that could make the clearance and destruction of cluster munition remnants and related activities more effective; 6. Reiterates the invitation to States not parties to participate in a continued dialogue on issues relevant to the Convention in order to enhance its humanitarian impact and to promote its universalization, as well as to engage in a military-to- military dialogue in order to address specific security issues related to cluster munitions; 7. Reiterates its invitation and encouragement to all States parties, interested States, the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Cluster Munition Coalition and other relevant non-governmental organizations to participate in the upcoming formal meetings under the Convention; 8. Invites and encourages all interested States, the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations to attend the eleventh Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, to be held in Geneva from 11 to 14 September 2023, and to participate in the future programme of meetings of the States parties to the Convention; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to convene the Meetings of States Parties to the Convention and to continue to render the necessary assistance and to provide such services as may be necessary to fulfil the tasks entrusted to him under the Convention and in the relevant decisions of the Meetings of States Parties and the second Review Conference; 10. Calls upon States parties and participating States to address issues arising from outstanding dues, including options to ensure sustainable financing for all formal meetings and prompt payment of respective shares of the estimated costs; 11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-eighth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions”. | ZIMBABWE | 0 |
A/RES/78/11 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 28 November 2023 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/78/L.10)] 78/11. The Syrian Golan The General Assembly, Having considered the item entitled “The situation in the Middle East”, Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in the Middle East,1 Recalling Security Council resolution 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981, Reaffirming the fundamental principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming once more the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,2 to the occupied Syrian Golan, Deeply concerned that Israel has not withdrawn from the Syrian Golan, which has been under occupation since 1967, contrary to the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, Stressing the illegality of the Israeli settlement construction and other activities in the occupied Syrian Golan since 1967, Noting with satisfaction the convening in Madrid on 30 October 1991 of the Peace Conference on the Middle East, on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 425 (1978) of 19 March 1978 and the formula of land for peace, __________________ 1 A/78/315. 2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. A/RES/78/11 The Syrian Golan 23-23817 2/2 Expressing grave concern over the halt in the peace process on the Syrian track, and expressing the hope that peace talks will soon resume from the point they had reached, 1. Declares that Israel has failed so far to comply with Security Council resolution 497 (1981); 2. Also declares that the Israeli decision of 14 December 1981 to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the occupied Syrian Golan is null and void and has no validity whatsoever, as confirmed by the Security Council in its resolution 497 (1981), and calls upon Israel to rescind it; 3. Reaffirms its determination that all relevant provisions of the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention of 1907, and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949,2 continue to apply to the Syrian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, and calls upon the parties thereto to respect and ensure respect for their obligations under those instruments in all circumstances; 4. Determines once more that the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan and its de facto annexation constitute a stumbling block in the way of achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region; 5. Calls upon Israel to resume the talks on the Syrian and Lebanese tracks and to respect the commitments and undertakings reached during the previous talks; 6. Demands once more that Israel withdraw from all the occupied Syrian Golan to the line of 4 June 1967 in implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions; 7. Calls upon all the parties concerned, the co-sponsors of the peace process and the entire international community to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the resumption of the peace process and its success by implementing Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973); 8. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session on the implementation of the present resolution. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/144 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2023 [on the report of the Second Committee (A/78/461, para. 53)] 78/144. Agricultural technology for sustainable development The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 76/200 of 17 December 2021, Reaffirming its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal and transformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its commitment to working tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, and its commitment to achieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated manner, and to building upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and seeking to address their unfinished business, Reaffirming also its resolution 69/313 of 27 July 2015 on the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, supports and complements it, helps to contextualize its means of implementation targets with concrete policies and actions, and reaffirms the strong political commitment to address the challenge of financing and creating an enabling environment at all levels for sustainable development in the spirit of global partnership and solidarity, Expressing concern about the high level of global hunger, which affected between 691 million and 783 million people in 2022, Recognizing that sustainable, affordable and context-specific agricultural technology has a beneficial impact on and an important role in the successful implementation of the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, and in that regard taking note with appreciation of the report of the Secretary-General on progress towards the A/RES/78/144 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 23-25924 2/11 Sustainable Development Goals,1 the Global Sustainable Development Report and the Secretary-General’s strategy on new technologies, Recognizing also that the agriculture sector is inextricably linked with the entire food system and that agricultural technologies, innovations and digitalization can be enablers of efforts to make agrifood systems more efficient, inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable and add value throughout the agrifood system by improving the sustainability of production, harvesting, storage, transport, trade, processing, transformation, retail, loss and waste reduction and recycling, as well as interactions among these processes, and that it is necessary to identify and analyse opportunities, risks and trade-offs associated with technologies and to ensure the availability, accessibility and affordability of relevant technologies for small-scale producers, family farmers and all actors of the agrifood system, Recalling the Rome Declaration on Nutrition, adopted at the Second International Conference on Nutrition, 2 the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition (2016–2025)3 and the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021–2030),4 taking note of the Nutrition for Growth Summit held in Tokyo in 2021, and looking forward to the Nutrition for Growth Summit to be held in Paris, Recalling also the United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019–2028),5 noting the report on its implementation,6 and that sustainable agricultural technology, digitalization, as well as technological, social, economic and institutional innovations, build on the knowledge, capacities and a science base to respond to the needs and realities of smallholder and family farmers, in particular women and youth and Indigenous Peoples in rural areas, and in that regard highlighting the importance of innovation-driven development and support to entrepreneurship and innovation that embraces both traditional good practices and innovations, secures access for family farmers to sustainable, affordable and context-specific innovations, technologies and connectivity, and leverages the potential for innovation among young family farmers, and welcoming new sustainable agricultural technologies and approaches that can increase productivity and food safety and resilience, contributing to their transition from subsistence farming to innovative, commercial production and helping them to increase in a sustainable manner their own food security and nutrition, generate marketable surpluses and add value to their production, Taking note with appreciation of the United Nations Food Systems Summit +2 Stocktaking Moment, convened by the Secretary-General from 24 to 26 July 2023 and hosted by the Government of Italy at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with the United Nations system in Rome, Stressing the need to design sustainable agrifood systems that conserve the natural resource base and enhance the provision of ecosystem services, while increasing productivity, and that respond to the challenges posed by, inter alia, climate change, the depletion and scarcity of natural resources, urbanization and globalization, and recognizing that agricultural technology, innovation and digitalization can contribute to food security and nutrition and help to build resilience, Recognizing the need to further enhance the linkages and synergies between agricultural technology and sustainable agricultural practices, including agroecological and other innovative approaches, resource use efficiency, including sustainable use __________________ 1 A/78/80-E/2023/64. 2 World Health Organization, document EB136/8, annex I. 3 See resolution 70/259. 4 See resolution 73/284. 5 See resolution 72/239. 6 A/78/233. Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/78/144 3/11 23-25924 of existing domestic agricultural resources acknowledging diversity in circumstance, circular economy, recycling, optimizing external inputs, integration, crop rotation and diversification, no-tillage, soil health monitoring, agroforestry and regenerative agricultural practices, by effectively combining safe use and appropriate technologies, including biotechnologies, with traditional and Indigenous knowledge, in order to design sustainable farming systems that strengthen the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment for food security and nutrition as well as promote the realization of the right to adequate food, enhance productivity, increase adaptive capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve nutrition, conserve the natural resource base and attain more sustainable and innovative agrifood systems, Noting with concern the findings contained in the synthesis report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sixth assessment report, Reaffirming the Paris Agreement7 and its early entry into force, encouraging all its parties to fully implement the Agreement, and parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change8 that have not yet done so to deposit their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, where appropriate, as soon as possible, Seriously concerned about the findings of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, and stressing the urgent need to step up efforts to prevent the loss of biological diversity and the degradation of land and soil and promote efforts for their conservation and their sustainable use, Welcoming the adoption on 19 December 2022 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, at the fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Recalling the adoption of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns by the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012,9 Taking note with appreciation of the United Nations Conference on the Midterm Comprehensive Review of the Implementation of the Objectives of the International Decade for Action, “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018–2028, held in New York from 22 to 24 March 2023, and the Sustainable Development Goals Summit held in New York on 18 and 19 September 2023, noting the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, from 6 to 20 November 2022, and the adoption of its decision on the Sharm el-Sheikh joint work on the implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security, and looking forward to the twenty- eighth session of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December 2023, Recalling the United Nations strategic plan for forests 2017–2030,10 taking note of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use, and acknowledging that forests and trees outside forests provide essential ecosystem services, such as timber, food, fuel, fodder, non-wood products and shelter, as well as soil and water conservation and clean air, and that forests and trees outside forests contribute substantially to climate change mitigation and adaptation and to the conservation of __________________ 7 Adopted under the UNFCCC in FCCC/CP/2015/10/Add.1, decision 1/CP.21. 8 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1771, No. 30822. 9 A/CONF.216/5, annex. 10 See resolution 71/285. A/RES/78/144 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 23-25924 4/11 biodiversity, prevent land degradation and desertification and reduce the risk of floods, landslides and avalanches, droughts, dust and sand storms and other disasters, Taking note with appreciation of the activities of the Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries since its operationalization, and encouraging continued support to the Bank, Recognizing the rapid evolution in science and technological innovation and digitalization, and that the development and open access to mega data and information will bring about profound changes in agricultural research, agricultural extension and rural development, Stressing the importance of rapid technological change in ensuring food security by 2030, and encouraging the adoption of the most advanced and appropriate information technology in agriculture systems, and calling for enhanced international cooperation to facilitate access and promote investment in research, technology and infrastructure, Recognizing the need to mobilize and scale up financing for science, technology and innovation, especially in developing countries, in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 2, Recognizing also that a systems approach to agricultural innovation is essential to ensure that innovations, including technologies and effective approaches, are evidence-based, are aligned towards common objectives, promote collaboration, address problems relevant to farmers, and offer incentives to, and the means to accelerate adoption by, smallholder and family farmers, and that it is essential to enable interactions and knowledge flows among the different stakeholders in agricultural innovation systems, including farmers’ organizations, national agricultural research systems, extension and advisory services, governments, international organizations, the private sector and civil society, Recalling the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Road map for digital cooperation”, presented on 11 June 2020,11 Noting the creation of the Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board for Independent Advice on Breakthroughs in Science and Technology, Stressing the need to support and strengthen information systems and statistical systems for better disaggregated data collection, including sex-disaggregated data, processing and interoperability, which will be key in monitoring progress in the adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies and their impact on improving food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture, and noting the Committee on World Food Security policy recommendations on strengthening collection and use of food security and nutrition data and related analysis tools to improve decision-making in support of the progressive realization of the right to adequate food in the context of national food security, adopted in October 2023, Emphasizing that participatory research, in conjunction with effective, pluralistic and demand-driven extension and rural advisory services, is critical in order to ensure that agricultural technologies respond to the demands and needs of all farmers, including women, smallholder and family farmers, especially in supporting more efficient, inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems that can deliver nutritious food, Recalling the Sendai Declaration and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, adopted at the Third United Nations World Conference on __________________ 11 A/74/821. Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/78/144 5/11 23-25924 Disaster Risk Reduction,12 and the convening of the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the midterm review of the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18 and 19 May 2023, Recalling also the Buenos Aires outcome document of the second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation, held in Buenos Aires in March 2019,13 Recalling further all relevant strategies and programmes of action for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States, including the Doha Programme of Action for Least Developed Countries,14 the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2014–202415 and the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway, 16 recalling the Fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries, held in Doha, looking forward to the convening of the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries, in Kigali in June 2024, and the fourth United Nations Conference on Small Island Developing States, in Antigua and Barbuda in May 2024, reaffirming the importance of supporting Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the programme of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, 17 and recognizing the major challenge to the achievement of durable peace and sustainable development in countries in conflict and post-conflict situations, Noting with great concern the severe negative impact on human health, safety and well-being caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, as well as the severe disruption to societies and economies and the devastating impact on lives and livelihoods, and that the poorest and most vulnerable are the hardest hit by the pandemic, reaffirming the ambition to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by designing and implementing sustainable and inclusive recovery strategies to accelerate progress towards the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to help to reduce the risk of and build resilience to future shocks, crises and pandemics, including by strengthening health systems and achieving universal health coverage, and recognizing that equitable and timely access for all to safe, quality, effective and affordable COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics are an essential part of a global response based on unity, solidarity, renewed multilateral cooperation and the principle of leaving no one behind, Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigation measures taken in response exposed both strengths and vulnerabilities in agrifood systems, the latter of which caused disruptions to both livelihoods and food supply chains, increased the volatility of food prices and constrained access to food, and that sustainable agricultural technologies, alongside other forms of innovation, can contribute to efficient, inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, which promote healthy diets and improved nutrition, Stressing the crucial and equal role of women in the agricultural sector and their contribution to enhancing agricultural and rural development, improving food security and nutrition and eradicating rural poverty, and underlining the fact that meaningful progress in agricultural and agricultural technology development necessitates, inter alia, closing the gender gap, introducing appropriate gender- __________________ 12 Resolution 69/283, annexes I and II. 13 Resolution 73/291, annex. 14 Resolution 76/258, annex. 15 Resolution 69/137, annex I. 16 Resolution 69/15, annex. 17 A/57/304, annex. A/RES/78/144 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 23-25924 6/11 responsive interventions at all stages in agricultural innovation processes, including at the policy level, and ensuring that women have equal access to agricultural technologies, related services and inputs and all necessary productive resources, including tenure rights and access to land, fisheries and forests, as well as to affordable education and training, social services, social protection, health care, health services and financial services, and full, equal and meaningful access to and participation in local, regional and international markets, Recognizing that young people play a significant role in supporting sustainable economic growth and that agricultural technology, innovation and digitalization have an essential role to play in facilitating access to agricultural skills for young women and men, improving the livelihoods of youth, creating quality and decent jobs and contributing to the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, strengthening progress towards achieving the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, Acknowledging the role and work of civil society, the private sector and academia in furthering progress in developing countries and promoting sustainable agriculture and management practices, including through the use of appropriate agricultural technology, digitalization and the training of smallholder and family farmers, in particular rural women and Indigenous Peoples, and that multi-stakeholder partnerships can contribute to the financing of food security and nutrition as well as sustainable development by mobilizing additional resources through advocacy and innovative funding mechanisms and facilitating the coordinated and targeted use of existing resources, aligning them more effectively with global and national public priorities, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;18 2. Calls upon Member States to include sustainable agricultural development as an integral part of their national policies and strategies, acknowledges the positive impact of international development cooperation, including North-South, triangular and South-South cooperation, as a complement to, not a substitute for, North-South cooperation, and urges the relevant bodies of the United Nations system to include elements of agricultural technology, innovation, research and extension in efforts to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, 19 with a focus on the research and development of technology that is affordable, durable and sustainable and that can be easily used by and disseminated to smallholder and family farmers, in particular rural women, young and ageing farmers; 3. Underlines the importance of supporting sustainable agriculture including agroecology and other innovative approaches and advancing research in improving and diversifying crop varieties and seed systems, as well as supporting the establishment of sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, sustainable management practices and the use of new and existing technologies, such as conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, integrated farming systems, animal disease prevention and control and integrated pest management, precision agriculture, irrigation, livestock husbandry and biotechnologies, in order to make agriculture more sustainable and productive, make food more nutritious and, in particular, make crops and farm animals more resistant to diseases, including drug- resistant infections, considering international standards in this regard, pests and environmental stresses, including the impacts of climate change, drought and extreme rainfall events, in accordance with national regulations and relevant international agreements; __________________ 18 A/78/228. 19 Resolution 70/1. Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/78/144 7/11 23-25924 4. Recognizes the important role of family farming and smallholder farming in adapting and developing sustainable, affordable and context-specific innovations and technologies while helping to preserve and promote traditional products, and in contributing to global food security, poverty eradication and sustainability, as well as job creation, and in ending chronic child malnutrition, and in this regard calls upon Member States, academia, the private sector and other relevant stakeholders to adapt agricultural technologies to the needs of small- and medium-scale family farmers and combine them with credit access for sustainable production and significant investment in rural infrastructure as well as the training and education of those who would most benefit from them; 5. Also recognizes that strengthening urban-rural linkages can improve both rural and urban food security and nutrition, and in this regard highlights the need for integrated urban and rural agricultural land planning, improved rural-urban transportation links, food processing and packaging technology and cold chain development to reduce food loss, and for effective trade links across the urban-rural continuum, which will contribute to ensuring that small-scale farmers and fishers are linked to local, subnational, national, regional and global value chains and markets; 6. Requests relevant United Nations organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, to promote, support and facilitate the exchange of experience among Member States through, inter alia, recommendations and other public goods related to ways to promote sustainable agriculture and increase the productivity and adaptive capacity of agriculture and the use of a broad range of agricultural technologies that support more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, build long-term fertility, healthy and resilient agroecosystems and secure livelihoods and have a positive impact on the entire value chain, including technology for post-harvest crop storage, processing, handling and transportation, including in pressing environmental circumstances; 7. Stresses the importance of indicators that can be used to formulate targeted policies towards the development and adoption of, access to and use of agricultural technology and to measure their impact on the Sustainable Development Goals, and in this regard encourages Member States, in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, to continue to contribute to the ongoing work of the Statistical Commission on the global indicator framework; 8. Notes the need to analyse the potential impacts of agricultural technologies before their implementation, to ensure that agrifood systems are more inclusive, equitable, efficient, resilient and sustainable that can deliver nutritious food, and that fostering synergies between government departments, research institutions, national and international organizations, alliances and coalitions can accelerate the development and adoption of technologies; 9. Also notes that the development of and access to new technologies should be combined with the preservation and promotion of traditional knowledge, where relevant, to attract Indigenous Peoples and local communities and enable young people to be drivers of more efficient, inclusive, equitable, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems, that investments are needed to improve inclusive digital literacy and build the digital competencies of young rural people, and that relevant and effective policy frameworks and incentives, regulatory measures and economic and legal instruments should be promoted to ensure equity and inclusion in the development of and access to technologies; 10. Stresses the urgent need to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate change, and urges Member States to A/RES/78/144 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 23-25924 8/11 continue to engage in adaptation planning processes and the implementation of mitigation actions; 11. Also stresses the need to significantly reduce pre-harvest, post-harvest and other food losses and waste throughout the food supply chain through, inter alia, improved production planning, the promotion of resource-efficient production and processing practices, improved processing, preservation and packing technologies, improved transportation and logistics management and enhanced household and business awareness of food losses and waste prevention, to help all actors in the value chain to enjoy greater benefits and to contribute to environmental protection; 12. Recognizes that energy-efficient agrifood systems represent a key component in transitioning to sustainable food and agriculture; 13. Underlines the importance of the sustainable use and management of water resources to increase and contribute to agricultural productivity, calls upon stakeholders to promote integrated water resources management in agriculture and adapt agricultural systems to improve their overall water efficiency and water productivity, and their resilience to water stresses, inter alia, by developing and implementing adaptive water and agricultural strategies and action plans based on a comprehensive approach to the long-term availability and variability of all water sources, reducing water scarcity risks through integrated water resources management options, designing and implementing agricultural and landscape management practices that increase the resilience of agricultural systems to water stress and reduce pollution, making rain-fed agriculture systems a more reliable option, investing in an enabling environment and mobilizing the full set of tools available to them, and calls for further efforts to develop and strengthen irrigation facilities and water-saving technology, which can also enhance resilience to the current and projected adverse impacts of climate change; 14. Calls upon Member States, academia, the private sector and other stakeholders to harness science, technology and innovation, including co-innovation, by promoting coherent and integrated agricultural innovation systems through participatory research, demand-driven extension and rural advisory services and increased, responsible and inclusive public and private investment, building human capacity, encouraging entrepreneurship, creating an enabling economic and institutional environment and strengthening knowledge flows, in particular between scientists and farmers, taking into account local and traditional knowledge systems, in combination with new sources of knowledge; 15. Invites the United Nations system and all relevant stakeholders to consider ways to make available, on mutually agreed terms, data and information relating to agrifood systems, including meteorology, big data, the Internet of things, satellite imagery, early warning systems and other data-based technologies, that could help to build the resilience of smallholder and family farmers, optimize yields and support rural livelihoods; 16. Recognizes that weather forecasting and climate services and products allow farmers to better plan agricultural activities, optimize production, manage climate-related risks and integrate climate change adaptation into their decisions, and therefore encourages governments and meteorological agencies to improve the collection, dissemination and analysis of agrometeorological and agroclimatological data and information; 17. Also recognizes that advanced technologies, such as big data, the Internet of things, artificial intelligence and machine learning, distributed ledgers, remote sensing and geospatial analysis, have the potential to increase agricultural productivity, improve access to markets and efficiency of inputs, and ensure timely Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/78/144 9/11 23-25924 communication for informed decision-making, while acknowledging that this should be examined carefully to maximize benefits and minimize downsides; 18. Further recognizes that sustainable agricultural mechanization can have potential drawbacks but could also help address shortages of labour, ease drudgery, increase incomes, enhance productivity and the timeliness of agricultural activities, promote efficient resource use, enable better market access and attract new investment and talent into agriculture, thereby creating better prospects for sustainable growth and support measures to mitigate climate- and weather-related hazards, and acknowledges that mechanization and digitalization can also create new and higher-paying jobs in agricultural value chains, making it more attractive for youth to stay in rural areas, and in this regard, welcomes the convening of the Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization, organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization, from 27 to 29 September 2023 in Rome; 19. Recognizes the important role of information and communications technology, as well as digitalization and e-agriculture, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and in improving agricultural productivity, practices and smallholder livelihoods, strengthening agricultural markets and institutions, improving agricultural extension and rural advisory services, empowering farmer communities, keeping farmers and rural entrepreneurs informed about agricultural innovations, weather conditions, input availability, financial services and market prices and connecting them with buyers, and stresses the need to ensure that women and youth and Indigenous Peoples have equitable access to information and communications technology, digitalization and e-agriculture, especially in rural areas, and to close digital divides within and between countries, as well as the gender digital divide, to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals; 20. Underlines the instrumental role of agricultural technology, agricultural research and innovation and technology transfer on mutually agreed terms and the sharing of knowledge and practices in furthering sustainable development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, calls, therefore, upon Member States, and encourages relevant international bodies, to support sustainable agricultural research and development, emphasizes that research outputs should be appropriate to the needs of and accessible to end users, including governments, water managers, large-scale private sector enterprises and women, smallholder and family farmers, and in this regard calls for continued support to the international agricultural research system, including the research centres of CGIAR and other relevant international organizations and initiatives; 21. Recognizes that agricultural biotechnologies can be harnessed and scaled up to enhance the productivity of agrifood systems, notes with concern that national agricultural research systems in developing countries face barriers such as restricted access, limited funding and regulatory frameworks to use advanced biotechnologies, and in this regard reiterates the need to accelerate the transfer of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on mutually agreed terms; 22. Notes that, according to World Bank estimates, at least 300 billion United States dollars in investments are needed annually to promote sustainable food systems and that many developing countries, particularly low-income countries, are grappling with multiple crises, including extreme weather disasters, constrained fiscal conditions, and escalating interest rates, making it challenging to finance emergency responses while simultaneously investing in sustainable food systems, and in this regard calls upon Member States to promote a concerted effort to jointly mobilize public and private capital, to achieve high-performing food systems; 23. Urges Member States, relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to strengthen efforts to improve the development of sustainable A/RES/78/144 Agricultural technology for sustainable development 23-25924 10/11 agricultural technologies and their transfer and dissemination on mutually agreed terms to developing countries, especially the least developed countries, in particular at the bilateral and regional levels, and encourages international, regional and national efforts to strengthen capacity and foster the utilization of local know-how in developing countries, especially that of smallholder and family farmers, in particular rural women and youth, in order to enhance agricultural productivity and the nutritional quality of agricultural products, promote sustainable practices in pre-harvest and post-harvest agricultural activities and enhance food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies that take into consideration the specific needs of women, young children and youth, with particular attention to securing the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, strengthening progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals; 24. Recognizes that recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic present an opportunity to promote sustainability and increase resilience of agriculture and food systems to the impact of the pandemic and future crises, including through the use of technology and innovation in all its forms, including digital services that can increase access to financial services for small-scale producers and family farmers, that are gender-responsive, including in rural areas, to address mobility restrictions and bank closures, agricultural extension services, weather and climate services, and online platforms that can enable producers to sell directly to consumers, leading to increased profits, improved supply chain efficiency, reduced wastage and better financial inclusion, leveraging artificial intelligence in supporting sustainable agriculture, which can help to improve the overall harvest quality and accuracy, and calls upon all relevant stakeholders to continue to develop policies, investments and partnerships that help to realize the potential of technologies to transform agriculture and food systems, while tackling the persistent digital divides, including the gender digital divide, in order to build back better and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals; 25. Calls upon Member States and relevant United Nations organizations and other stakeholders to mainstream gender perspectives into agricultural policies and projects and to focus on closing the gender gap by, inter alia, encouraging gender- balanced investments and innovation in small-scale agricultural production and distribution, and a gender-responsive value chain supported by integrated and multisectoral policies, in order to improve women’s productive capacity and incomes, strengthen their resilience and achieve equitable access to all forms of financing, markets and networks, labour-saving technologies and agricultural technology information and know-how, equipment, decision-making forums and associated agricultural resources to ensure that agriculture, food security and nutrition-related programmes and policies take into consideration the specific needs of women and the barriers that women face in accessing agricultural inputs and resources; 26. Encourages Governments to develop and implement youth-focused agricultural development projects and programmes, including through training, education, financial inclusion services, including microcredit services, and capacity- building, including with regard to innovation, in association with the private sector, in order to stimulate the interest and the involvement of youth in sustainable agriculture; 27. Remains concerned that agricultural innovations and technologies often bypass ageing farmers, and in particular ageing women farmers, as many do not possess the financial resources or the skills to adopt new practices, and in this regard stresses the need to strengthen the capacity of ageing farmers through continued access to financial and infrastructure services and training for improved farming techniques and technologies; 28. Acknowledges that technological innovations can be supported by financial innovations and financial support, such as de-risking strategies and blended Agricultural technology for sustainable development A/RES/78/144 11/11 23-25924 finance options, and that blended finance mechanisms are new institutional models that link public and private financing and patient capital with equity investments and promote schemes that more effectively distribute investments to small-scale enterprises and producers; 29. Encourages Member States, civil society and public and private institutions to develop partnerships to support financial and market services, including training, capacity-building, infrastructure and extension and rural advisory services, and calls for further efforts by all stakeholders to include smallholder and family farmers, in particular rural women and youth, in planning and in taking decisions about making appropriate sustainable agricultural technologies and practices accessible and affordable to them, and strengthen the links between community-based initiatives and financial institutions, including through the promotion of financing tools that foster agricultural sustainability; 30. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its eightieth session, within existing resources, an action-oriented report that examines the current technological trends and key advances in agricultural technologies, provides illustrative examples of the transformative use of technologies at scale and includes recommendations that assist Member States in accelerating their efforts to implement the relevant goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its eightieth session the item entitled “Sustainable development”. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/191 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2023 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/78/479, para. 34)] 78/191. Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination The General Assembly, Recalling all of its previous resolutions on the subject, including resolution 77/206 of 15 December 2022, and Human Rights Council resolutions on the subject, including resolution 54/3 of 11 October 2023,1 as well as all resolutions adopted by the Commission on Human Rights in this regard, Recalling also all of its relevant resolutions, in which, inter alia, it condemned any State that permitted or tolerated the recruitment, financing, training, assembly, transit or use of mercenaries with the objective of overthrowing the Governments of States Members of the United Nations, especially those of developing countries, or of fighting against national liberation movements, and recalling further the relevant resolutions and international instruments adopted by the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Organization of African Unity, inter alia, the Organization of African Unity Convention for the elimination of mercenarism in Africa,2 as well as by the African Union, Reaffirming the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations concerning the strict observance of the principles of sovereign equality, political independence, the territorial integrity of States, the self-determination of peoples, the non-use of force or of the threat of use of force in international relations and non-interference in affairs within the domestic jurisdiction of States, Reaffirming also that, by virtue of the principle of self-determination, all peoples have the right freely to determine their political status and to pursue their __________________ 1 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/78/53/Add.1), chap. III, sect. A. 2 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1490, No. 25573. A/RES/78/191 Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination 23-26051 2/4 economic, social and cultural development and that every State has the duty to respect this right in accordance with the provisions of the Charter, Deeply concerned at the continuation of acts or threats of foreign military intervention and occupation that are threatening to suppress, or have already suppressed, the right to self-determination of peoples and nations, Reaffirming the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,3 Acknowledging with appreciation the work and contributions of the open-ended intergovernmental working group established by the Human Rights Council with the mandate of considering the possibility of elaborating an international regulatory framework, including the option of elaborating a legally binding instrument on the regulation, monitoring and oversight of the activities of private military and security companies, Alarmed and concerned at the danger that the activities of mercenaries constitute to peace and security in developing countries in various parts of the world, in particular in areas of armed conflict, and about the threat they pose to the integrity of and respect for the constitutional order of the affected countries, Deeply concerned at the loss of life, the substantial damage to property and the negative effects on the policies and economies of affected countries resulting from international criminal mercenary activities, Convinced that, notwithstanding the way in which mercenaries or mercenary- related activities are used or the form that they take to acquire some semblance of legitimacy, they are a threat to peace, security and the self-determination of peoples and an obstacle to the enjoyment of all human rights by peoples, 1. Takes note with appreciation of the latest report of the Working Group of the Human Rights Council on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination;4 2. Reaffirms that the use of mercenaries and their recruitment, financing, protection and training are causes for grave concern to all States and that they violate the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; 3. Recognizes that armed conflict, terrorism, arms trafficking and covert operations by third Powers encourage, inter alia, the demand for mercenaries on the global market; 4. Urges, once again, all States to take the steps necessary and to exercise the utmost vigilance against the menace posed by the activities of mercenaries and to take legislative measures to ensure that their territories and other territories under their control are not used for, and that their nationals do not take part in, the recruitment, assembly, financing, training, protection or transit of mercenaries for the planning of activities designed to impede the right of peoples to self-determination, to destabilize or overthrow the Government of any State or to dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent States conducting themselves in accordance with the right of peoples to self-determination; 5. Requests all States to exercise the utmost vigilance against any kind of recruitment, training, hiring or financing of mercenaries by private companies offering international military consultancy and security services, and to impose a __________________ 3 Resolution 2625 (XXV), annex. 4 A/78/535. Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination A/RES/78/191 3/4 23-26051 specific ban on such companies intervening in armed conflicts or actions to destabilize constitutional regimes; 6. Encourages States that import military assistance or consultancy and security services provided by private companies to establish national regulatory mechanisms for registering and licensing those companies in order to ensure that the imported services provided by those private companies neither impede the enjoyment of human rights nor violate human rights in the recipient country; 7. Emphasizes its utmost concern about the impact of the activities of private military and security companies on the enjoyment of human rights, in particular when operating in armed conflicts, and notes that private military and security companies and their personnel are rarely held accountable for violations of human rights; 8. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so to consider acceding to or ratifying the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries;5 9. Welcomes the cooperation extended by those countries that have received a visit by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries since the establishment of its mandate and the adoption by some States of national legislation that restricts the recruitment, assembly, financing, training and transit of mercenaries; 10. Condemns recent mercenary activities in developing countries in various parts of the world, in particular in areas of conflict, and the threat they pose to the integrity of and respect for the constitutional order of those countries and the exercise of the right of their peoples to self-determination, and stresses the importance for the Working Group on the use of mercenaries of looking into sources and root causes, as well as the political motivations of mercenaries and for mercenary-related activities; 11. Calls upon States to investigate the possibility of mercenary involvement whenever and wherever criminal acts of a terrorist nature occur and to bring to trial those found responsible or to consider their extradition, if so requested, in accordance with national law and applicable bilateral or international treaties; 12. Condemns any form of impunity granted to perpetrators of mercenary activities and to those responsible for the use, recruitment, financing and training of mercenaries, and urges all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law, to bring them, without distinction, to justice; 13. Calls upon Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law, to cooperate with and assist the judicial prosecution of those accused of mercenary activities in transparent, open and fair trials; 14. Requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries and other experts to continue their participation, including by submitting contributions, in other subsidiary bodies of the Human Rights Council considering issues related to the use of mercenaries and mercenary-related activities in all their forms and manifestations, including private military and security companies; 15. Requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to continue its work with respect to the strengthening of the international legal framework for the prevention and sanction of the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries, taking into account the proposal for a new legal definition of a mercenary drafted by the Special Rapporteur on the use of mercenaries as a means of impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination in his report __________________ 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2163, No. 37789. A/RES/78/191 Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination 23-26051 4/4 submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its sixtieth session 6 and the evolving phenomenon of mercenaries and its related forms; 16. Also requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to continue to study and identify sources and causes, emerging issues, manifestations and trends regarding mercenaries or mercenary-related activities and private military and security companies and their impact on human rights, particularly on the right of peoples to self-determination; 17. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as a matter of priority, to publicize the adverse effects of the activities of mercenaries on the right of peoples to self-determination and, when requested and where necessary, to render advisory services to States that are affected by those activities; 18. Recommends that all Member States, including those confronted with the phenomenon of private military and security companies, as contracting States, States of operations, home States or States whose nationals are employed to work for a private military and security company, contribute to the work of the open-ended intergovernmental working group, taking into account the initial work done by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries; 19. Urges all States to cooperate fully with the Working Group on the use of mercenaries in the fulfilment of its mandate; 20. Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Working Group on the use of mercenaries with all the assistance and support necessary for the fulfilment of its mandate, both professional and financial, including through the promotion of cooperation between the Working Group and other components of the United Nations system that deal with countering mercenary-related activities, in order to meet the demands of its current and future activities; 21. Requests the Working Group on the use of mercenaries to consult States and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations on the implementation of the present resolution and to report, with specific recommendations, to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session its findings on the use of mercenaries to undermine the enjoyment of all human rights and to impede the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination; 22. Decides to consider the question of the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self- determination at its seventy-ninth session under the item entitled “Right of peoples to self-determination”. 50th plenary meeting 19 December 2023 __________________ 6 See E/CN.4/2004/15, para. 47. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/20 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/407, para. 15)] 78/20. Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 75/36 of 7 December 2020 and 76/231 of 24 December 2021, Recalling also its resolutions 68/50 of 5 December 2013, 77/40, 77/41 and 77/42 of 7 December 2022 and 77/250 of 30 December 2022, Reaffirming the applicability of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, to outer space activities and the right of all States to explore and use outer space without discrimination of any kind, on a basis of equality and in accordance with such law, and emphasizing the importance of full compliance with such law, Reaffirming also the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies,1 and the obligations therein to explore and use outer space for the benefit and in the interests of all countries, to be guided by the principle of cooperation and mutual assistance, and to conduct all activities in outer space with due regard for the corresponding interests of all States parties to the Treaty, Emphasizing the need to maintain outer space as a peaceful, safe, stable, secure and sustainable environment for the benefit of all and the significant contribution of outer space activities to social, economic, scientific and technological development, as well as to international peace and security, __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 610, No. 8843. A/RES/78/20 Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours 23-24507 2/4 Urging all States, when developing, planning and executing their space activities, to remain committed to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space and to refrain from conducting activities contrary to their obligations under international law, including those that could threaten the ability of all States to freely use and explore outer space, now and in the future, Seriously concerned about the possibility of an arms race in outer space, and reaffirming that the prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security, as well as being an essential condition for the promotion and strengthening of international cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, Stressing that the deliberate destruction of space systems increases the amount of long-lived orbital debris, the risk of in-orbit collisions and the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculations that could lead to conflict, and welcoming the commitment of several States not to conduct destructive direct-ascent anti-satellite missile tests, Noting the rapid advances of technologies in space systems, the uses of which are diverse and could have positive or negative effects on international security, and encouraging further discussion among States of the impact of these developments, Recognizing the need for States to seek to avoid and mitigate the potential impact on peace and security arising from accidents, miscommunication or a lack of transparency, which could lead to miscalculations and the escalation of tensions and contribute to an arms race, Acknowledging the importance of space systems in the provision of services critical to civilians, and concerned at the risk of harm arising from threats to these systems, Recalling paragraph 80 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly,2 in which it is stated that, in order to prevent an arms race in outer space, further measures should be taken and appropriate international negotiations held in accordance with the spirit of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, Convinced that possible solutions to outer space security, including norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours, can involve a combination of legally binding obligations and political commitments, and that work in both of these areas can be further pursued in a progressive, sustained and complementary manner, without undermining existing legal obligations, Recognizing that efforts to prevent an arms race and to prevent conflict from beginning in or extending into outer space must include consideration of the use of all potential technologies and means, whether on Earth or in outer space, Reiterating the common objective of preventing an arms race in outer space in all its aspects and the consequent need for all States to work together to reduce threats to space systems through the further development and implementation of norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours, including an appropriate combination of both political commitments and legally binding instruments, with the aim of preventing an arms race in outer space in all its aspects and of maintaining a peaceful, safe, stable, secure and sustainable outer space environment, __________________ 2 Resolution S-10/2. Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours A/RES/78/20 3/4 23-24507 Reaffirming that verification is one of the essential components of legally binding arms control instruments, and encouraging further consideration of effective verification regarding space systems, Recalling the primary role of the Conference on Disarmament on questions relating to the prevention of an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, including the weaponization of outer space and threats from capabilities on Earth, and the relevant responsibilities of the First Committee of the General Assembly and the Disarmament Commission, Welcoming the ongoing work by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space on the implementation of the 21 Guidelines for the Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities,3 which may have a positive effect on international peace and security, Welcoming also the recommendations to promote the practical implementation of transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space with the goal of preventing an arms race in outer space in accordance with the recommendations set out in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts on Transparency and Confidence- Building Measures in Outer Space Activities adopted by the Disarmament Commission at its substantive session of 2023,4 Recognizing the importance of the full, equal, meaningful and effective participation of women and men in discussions on reducing space threats through responsible behaviours and the need to address the possible differentiated impacts of such threats, 1. Reaffirms that all States must conduct their activities in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, in conformity with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, urges Member States to ensure that their space policies comply with their obligations, and encourages those States that have not yet become parties to the international treaties governing the exploration and use of outer space to give consideration to ratifying or acceding to them in accordance with their national law; 2. Welcomes the deliberations held in 2022 and 2023 by the open-ended working group on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours established by the General Assembly in its resolution 76/231, which, together with the working papers and presentations submitted to the Assembly, constitute an important contribution to outer space security and the prevention of an arms race in outer space; 3. Expresses its appreciation to the participants of the open-ended working group for their constructive contribution to its work; 4. Decides to convene, in Geneva, a new open-ended working group, building on the work of the 2022–2023 open-ended working group and other relevant bodies, including the Group of Government Experts established in its resolution 77/250, and the existing international legal framework, including principles of international law, to further elaborate the concept, and to make recommendations on the prevention of an arms race in outer space through the development of norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours, including, but not exclusively, in the following areas: (a) Intentional damage to and destruction of space systems; __________________ 3 Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-fourth Session, Supplement No. 20 (A/74/20), annex II. 4 Ibid., Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 42 (A/78/42), annex. A/RES/78/20 Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours 23-24507 4/4 (b) Threats to the safe operation of space objects; (c) Rendezvous operations and proximity operations that could increase the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation; (d) Protecting critical space-based services to civilians as well as services that support humanitarian operations; (e) Other activities and measures that could reduce the risk of unintended escalation and conflict; and to consider how the implementation of norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours could be monitored and verified, including through the provision of capacity-building, cooperation on space situational awareness and the possible establishment of a mechanism for inter-State coordination and consultation on matters pertaining to space security, and how they would contribute to the negotiation of legally binding instruments, including on the prevention of an arms race in outer space; 5. Also decides that the open-ended working group shall submit its report to the General Assembly at its eighty-first session, and that it shall adopt its final conclusions and recommendations by consensus; 6. Further decides that the open-ended working group shall hold a two-day organizational session and two substantive sessions of five days each in 2025, and two substantive sessions of five days each in 2026, and that the Chair may also hold intersessional consultative meetings with interested parties to exchange views on the issues within the mandate of the open-ended working group; 7. Reaffirms that intergovernmental organizations and other entities having received a standing invitation to participate as observers in the work of the General Assembly and representatives of non-governmental organizations that are in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, in accordance with Council resolution 1996/31 of 25 July 1996, may participate, including by speaking and submitting documents, in the formal and informal meetings of the open-ended working group as observers; 8. Requests the Chair of the open-ended working group to draw up a list of representatives of other relevant non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, academic institutions and the private sector who may participate, including by speaking and submitting documents, in the open-ended working group, taking into account the principles of transparency and equitable geographical representation, with due regard for gender parity, to submit the proposed list to Member States for their consideration on a non-objection basis5 and to bring the list to the attention of the open-ended working group for a final decision by the open- ended working group on participation; 9. Requests the Secretary-General to provide all necessary assistance to the open-ended working group and its Chair and to transmit its report to the Conference on Disarmament and the Disarmament Commission; 10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “Prevention of an arms race in outer space”, the sub-item entitled “Reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 5 The list will include proposed as well as final names. The general basis of any objections, if requested by one or more States Members of the United Nations, will be made known to the Chair of the open-ended working group, the Office for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat and the requester. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/208 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2023 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/78/481/Add.2, para. 139)] 78/208. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections The General Assembly, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming that democracy is a universal value based on the freely expressed will of the people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of their lives, Reaffirming also that, while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy and that democracy does not belong to any country or region, and reaffirming further the necessity of due respect for sovereignty and the right to self-determination, Stressing that democracy, development, rule of law and respect for all human rights and fundamental freedoms are interdependent and mutually reinforcing, Acknowledging also that respecting human rights, protecting democratic institutions and principles and promoting the rule of law creates an environment in which countries can promote development, protect individuals from discrimination and ensure equal access to justice for all by involving Governments, parliaments, the United Nations system and other international organizations, local authorities, national human rights institutions, indigenous peoples, persons belonging to minorities, human rights defenders, civil society, businesses and the private sector, the scientific and academic communities, and all other interested stakeholders, Reaffirming that Member States are responsible for organizing, conducting and ensuring transparent, free and fair electoral processes inclusive of all citizens, A/RES/78/208 Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections 23-26020 2/9 including those who are marginalized and underrepresented, as well as those belonging to minorities, and that Member States, in the exercise of their sovereignty, may request international organizations to provide advisory services or assistance for strengthening and developing their electoral institutions and processes, including sending preliminary missions for that purpose, Recognizing the importance of fair, periodic, inclusive and genuine elections, including in nascent democracies and countries undergoing democratization, in order to empower citizens to express their will and to promote a successful transition to long-term sustainable democracies, Recognizing also that Member States are responsible for ensuring transparent, free and fair elections, free of intimidation, coercion and tampering with vote counts, and that all such acts are sanctioned accordingly, Reaffirming the importance of protecting the integrity of electoral processes as a means to promote democracy and good governance and reinforce trust in public institutions, including through providing public and technical support, upon request and in line with the purposes and principles of the Charter, to help to ensure periodic, free and fair elections through an inclusive and genuine process, Highlighting the importance of including women in all their diversity on an equal basis in election processes that are free from discrimination and allow for their full, equal and meaningful participation, allowing for gender-responsive political institutions and the creation of more inclusive societies, Emphasizing that Member States are responsible for respecting the will of the voters as expressed through genuine, periodic, free and fair elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage, and in this respect expressing serious concern about the unconstitutional or unlawful disruption of representative governance and democratic institutions and the unlawful removal of any democratically elected officials, whether by States or non-State actors, Recalling its previous resolutions on the subject, in particular resolution 76/176 of 16 December 2021, Recalling also all relevant Human Rights Council resolutions on the topic, including resolutions 19/11 of 22 March 2012,1 31/14 of 23 March 2016,2 31/37 of 24 March 2016,3 33/22 of 30 September 2016,4 34/41 of 24 March 2017,5 39/11 of 28 September 2018,6 48/2 of 7 October 2021,7 51/5 of 6 October 2022,8 50/21 of 8 July 2022,9 52/22 of 3 April 202310 and 50/17 of 8 July 2022,11 Reaffirming that United Nations electoral assistance and support for the promotion of democratization are provided only at the specific request of the Member State concerned, Noting with satisfaction that an increasing number of Member States are using elections as a peaceful means of discerning the will of the people, which builds __________________ 1 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Sixty-seventh Session, Supplement No. 53 and corrigendum (A/67/53 and A/67/53/Corr.1), chap. III, sect. A. 2 Ibid., Seventy-first Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/71/53), chap. IV, sect. A. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid., Supplement No. 53A and corrigendum (A/71/53/Add.1 and A/71/53/Add.1/Corr.1), chap. II. 5 Ibid., Seventy-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/72/53), chap. IV, sect. A. 6 Ibid., Seventy-third Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/73/53/Add.1), chap. III. 7 Ibid., Seventy-sixth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/76/53/Add.1), chap. IV, sect. A. 8 Ibid., Seventy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/77/53/Add.1), chap. VIII, sect. A. 9 Ibid., Supplement No. 53 (A/77/53), chap. III, sect. A. 10 Ibid., Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/78/53), chap. V, sect. A. 11 Ibid., Seventy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/77/53), chap. VIII, sect. A. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections A/RES/78/208 3/9 23-26020 confidence in representational governance and contributes to greater national peace and stability, and which may contribute to regional peace and stability, Recalling the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted on 10 December 1948,12 in particular the principle that the will of the people, as expressed through periodic and genuine elections, shall be the basis of government authority, as well as the right of everyone to freely choose representatives through periodic and genuine elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures, Reaffirming the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 13 the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women,14 the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 15 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 16 and reaffirming also that no distinctions are permitted among citizens on any grounds, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status, or on the basis of disability, in the enjoyment of the right to participate, directly or through freely chosen representatives, and to vote and to be elected in genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors, Reaffirming also that the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels should be universal and conducted without conditions attached and that the international community should support the strengthening and promotion of democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and the principles of the rule of law in the entire world,17 Underscoring the important role that regional and subregional organizations play, in accordance with the Charter, in the areas of peace and security, development and human rights,18 and recalling their commitments to supporting the principles of free and fair elections, Reaffirming that the full, equal and meaningful participation and representation of all women, on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision-making is essential to the achievement of gender equality, social inclusion, sustainable development, peace and democracy, as well as for the realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, Recognizing that unpaid care and domestic work remains invisible, undervalued and unaccounted for in national statistics, and neglected in economic and social policymaking, and that women and girls, including adolescent girls, undertake a disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work from one generation to the next, and that these disproportionate impacts compound existing obstacles to women’s full, effective, equal and meaningful participation and decision-making in public life, Mindful that women continue to account for only one quarter of national legislators worldwide, and highlighting the importance of all women’s full, equal and meaningful participation, including women with disabilities, and representation in __________________ 12 Resolution 217 A (III). 13 See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex. 14 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378. 15 Ibid., vol. 660, No. 9464. 16 Ibid., vol. 2515, No. 44910. 17 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III, para. 8. 18 Resolution 69/277, para. 2. A/RES/78/208 Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections 23-26020 4/9 parliaments, including in leadership positions, and the importance for parliaments to mainstream a gender perspective in their work, Emphasizing the role of all women in decision-making and leadership positions through broad political engagement and full, effective, equal and meaningful participation and representation across all political, economic and public dimensions of a society is essential to a strong democracy, Noting such inclusion will further contribute to the prevention and resolution of armed conflict, the success of peace mediation, peacebuilding processes, post-conflict reconstruction and sustainable global security while simultaneously advancing Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and the women, peace and security agenda, Mindful that the full, equal and meaningful participation of all women in political and public life may only be achieved when all acts of sexual and gender- based violence including conflict-related sexual violence, and sexual harassment both online and offline, are effectively combated, Underlining the importance of primary birth registration for the enjoyment of all the rights to which individuals are entitled, including civil and political rights and with respect to political participation, Recognizing that in order to equally participate in free and fair elections, all women need not only the legal right to vote but the ability to access polling stations and elections information freely, and that Member States should include the perspectives of women in diverse conditions and situations in designing, evaluating and reviewing policies and legislation on participation in political and public affairs, Noting the importance of providing comprehensive, accessible and free civic education for all people, including all women and girls, as well as electoral information and voting papers, to all having the right to participate in elections, in a range of accessible formats and languages, as appropriate, empowering thus all citizens having the right to participate in elections, Stressing the importance, generally and in the context of promoting free, fair and inclusive elections, of respect for the freedoms of peaceful assembly and association and expression, including the freedom to seek, receive and impart information, in accordance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and noting in particular the fundamental importance of access to information and media freedom, including through accessible and easy-to-understand formats for new information and communications technologies, Recognizing the potential of online communication tools to promote freedom of expression and expand political participation, as well as to empower persons who belong to underrepresented groups and those who are marginalized, including but not limited to groups mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization,19 and urging States to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe and enabling environment for journalists to perform their work independently and without undue interference, Recognizing also that social media platforms are now well-established channels for the free expression of ideas and opinions and that they can be effective tools for participation and inclusion as part of the political process, and recognizing further that misinformation and disinformation disrupts the ability of the electorate to make informed decisions, __________________ 19 A/78/260. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections A/RES/78/208 5/9 23-26020 Expressing deep concern that the increasing prevalence and spread of disinformation by both internal and external actors on traditional and social media, as well as efforts to manipulate voting systems and the use of Internet and mass media shutdowns to intentionally and arbitrarily prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in the framework of elections, constitute an urgent problem for democracies around the world, Recognizing that the spread of hate speech through online platforms is increasingly directed at political figures, disproportionately targeted at women and members of minority groups, causes serious harm to those affected and can have a damaging impact on electoral processes, Emphasizing that democracy, transparent, responsible, accountable and participatory governance responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people, and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are essential for the effective prevention and elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Acknowledging the linkage and complementarity of the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance with the long-term construction of a democratic, non-discriminatory and multicultural society based on the recognition, respect and promotion of cultural, ethnic and religious diversity, Noting that some countries are beginning to use online technology for balloting purposes, and reaffirming the right to privacy, according to which no one shall be subjected to arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, and the right to the protection of the law against such interference, as set out in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and that the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online, Recognizing the need to strengthen democratic processes, electoral institutions and national capacity-building in requesting countries, including the capacity to administer fair elections, promote voter education, the development of electoral expertise and technology and the full, equal and meaningful participation of all women on equal terms with men, take all appropriate measures to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation of all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, increase citizen participation and provide civic education, including to youth, in requesting countries in order to consolidate and regularize the achievements of previous elections and support subsequent elections, Noting the importance of ensuring orderly, open, fair and transparent democratic processes that protect the rights to peaceful assembly, association and freedom of expression and opinion, Emphasizing that free, independent and pluralistic media can play an indispensable role in informing people around the world, and stressing the important connections between free and fair elections, freedom of expression and a free and independent press that can operate without hindrance as cornerstones of democracy, Emphasizing also that the right to freedom of expression, as set forth in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, both online and offline, and that access to information and the work of journalists and media workers are essential for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Expressing concern at the growing threats to freedom of expression and media freedom worldwide, including harassment, attacks and unlawful detention of A/RES/78/208 Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections 23-26020 6/9 journalists and media workers, while recognizing their crucial role in the context of elections, including informing the public about candidates, their platforms and ongoing debates, and expressing serious concerns that attacks against journalists increase during election periods, Noting that the international community can contribute to the creation of conditions that could foster stability and security throughout the pre-election, election and post-election periods in transitional and post-conflict situations, Reiterating that transparency is a fundamental basis for free and fair elections, which contribute to the accountability of Governments to their citizens, which, in turn, is an underpinning of democratic societies, Acknowledging, in this regard, the importance of national and international observation of elections for the promotion of free and fair elections and its contribution to enhancing the integrity of election processes in requesting countries, to promoting public confidence and electoral participation and to mitigating the potential for election-related disturbances, Acknowledging also that extending invitations regarding international electoral assistance and/or observation is the sovereign right of Member States, and welcoming the decisions of those States that have requested such assistance and/or observation, Recalling its resolution 60/1 of 16 September 2005, entitled “2005 World Summit Outcome”, in which it welcomed the establishment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Democracy Fund, Welcoming the support provided by Member States to the electoral assistance activities of the United Nations, inter alia, through the provision of electoral experts, including electoral commission staff, and observers, as well as through contributions to the United Nations trust fund for electoral assistance, the democratic governance thematic trust fund of the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Democracy Fund, Recognizing that electoral assistance, particularly through appropriate, sustainable, accessible and cost-effective electoral technology, can facilitate full access for persons with disabilities and supports the electoral processes of developing countries, Recognizing also the coordination challenges posed by the multiplicity of actors involved in electoral assistance both within and outside the United Nations, Welcoming the contributions made by international and regional organizations and also by non-governmental organizations to enhancing the effectiveness of the principle of periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization, and stressing the importance of fostering enabling environments in which civil society organizations, human rights defenders, peacebuilders and journalists and media workers can operate freely and safely, both online and offline, thereby increasing the ability of individuals to take part in elections and election monitoring, Recognizing the importance of the links between democracy, sustainable, social and economic development, the reduction of inequalities, peace, human rights, the rule of law, democracy and good governance, including the holding of free and fair elections, and in this regard recalling the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,20 Bearing in mind that measures necessary to deal with situations of health emergencies and pandemics, such as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, can __________________ 20 Resolution 70/1. Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections A/RES/78/208 7/9 23-26020 have a considerable impact on public participation, including through restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, to peaceful assembly and freedom of association, and on access to information, affecting particularly the work of the media and civil society, including women’s rights organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities, and direct participation in decision-making and leading to restrictions in the context of electoral processes, 1. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on strengthening the role of the United Nations in enhancing periodic and genuine elections and the promotion of democratization; 2. Commends the electoral assistance provided upon request to Member States by the United Nations, and requests that such assistance continue on a case-by- case basis in accordance with the evolving needs and legislation of requesting countries to develop, improve and refine their electoral institutions and processes, including by ensuring full access to all stages of the electoral process for persons with disabilities, recognizing that the responsibility for organizing free and fair elections lies with Governments; 3. Reaffirms that the electoral assistance provided by the United Nations should continue to be carried out in an objective, impartial, neutral and independent manner; 4. Requests the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, in her role as United Nations focal point for electoral assistance matters, to continue to regularly inform Member States about the requests received and the nature of any assistance provided; 5. Requests the United Nations to continue its efforts to ensure, before undertaking to provide electoral assistance to a requesting State, that there is adequate time to organize and carry out an effective mission providing such assistance, including the provision of long-term technical cooperation, that conditions exist to allow a free and fair election and that the results of the mission will be reported comprehensively and consistently; 6. Notes the importance of adequate resources for the administration of efficient and transparent elections at the national and local levels, and recommends that Member States provide adequate resources for those elections, including by considering the possibility of establishing internal funding, where feasible; 7. Reaffirms the obligation of all States to take all appropriate measures to ensure that every citizen has the effective right and opportunity to participate in elections on an equal basis, and calls upon States to take measures to eliminate laws, regulations and practices that discriminate, directly or indirectly, against citizens in their right to participate in public affairs, including based on race, colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity, language, religion, political views or on the basis of disability; 8. Strongly condemns any manipulation of election processes, coercion and tampering with vote counts, particularly when done by States, as well as by other actors, and calls upon all Member States to respect the rule of law and the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, including the right to vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections, which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors, thereby fostering conditions in which all citizens, regardless of how they voted, whom they supported or whether their candidates prevailed, have the motivation and incentive, as well as the right and opportunity, to continue to participate directly or through elected representatives in the conduct of public affairs and their Government; A/RES/78/208 Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections 23-26020 8/9 9. Reaffirms the need for all Member States to respect and protect the right to freedom of expression, including through creating an environment where a free and independent press can flourish and where journalists and media workers can keep citizens informed at all stages of elections about candidates, parties and their political platforms, both online and offline, in order to promote transparency and information integrity, including by countering disinformation and misinformation, and to this end also strongly condemns any attempts to harass, intimidate, attack or arbitrarily detain journalists and media workers; 10. Calls upon all Member States to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and to be elected; 11. Also calls upon all Member States to consider ways to increase the representation of all youth in decision-making at all levels in local, national, regional and international institutions and mechanisms, to promote the constructive political engagement of youth and to consider, explore and promote new avenues for the full, effective, structured and sustained participation of youth and youth-led organizations in relevant decision-making processes; 12. Further calls upon all Member States to enhance the political participation of all women, accelerate the achievement of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in all situations, including by taking measures to reduce and redistribute women’s and girls’ disproportionate share of unpaid care and domestic work, promote and protect the human rights of women with respect to voting in elections and public referendums and being eligible for election to publicly elected bodies on equal terms with men at all levels of government by further inclusion and by measures to prevent and respond to and condemn all forms of sexual and gender- based violence, both online and offline; 13. Recommends that, throughout the timespan of the entire electoral cycle, including before and after elections, as appropriate, on the basis of a needs assessment and in accordance with the evolving needs of requesting Member States, bearing in mind sustainability and cost-effectiveness, the United Nations continue to provide technical advice and other assistance to requesting States and electoral institutions in order to help to strengthen their democratic processes, also bearing in mind that the relevant office may provide additional assistance in the form of mediation and good offices, upon the request of Member States; 14. Notes with appreciation the additional efforts being made to enhance cooperation with other international, governmental and non-governmental organizations in order to facilitate more comprehensive and needs-specific responses to requests for electoral assistance, encourages those organizations to share knowledge and experience in order to promote best practices in the assistance that they provide and in their reporting on electoral processes, and expresses its appreciation to those Member States, regional organizations and non-governmental organizations that have provided observers or technical experts in support of United Nations electoral assistance efforts; 15. Acknowledges the aim of harmonizing the methods and standards of the many intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations engaged in observing elections, and in this regard expresses appreciation for the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of Conduct for International Election Observers, which elaborate guidelines for international electoral observation; 16. Recalls the establishment by the Secretary-General of the United Nations trust fund for electoral assistance, and, bearing in mind that the fund is currently close to depletion, calls upon Member States to consider contributing to the fund; Strengthening the role of the United Nations in the promotion of democratization and enhancing periodic and genuine elections A/RES/78/208 9/9 23-26020 17. Encourages the Secretary-General, through the United Nations focal point for electoral assistance matters and with the support of the Electoral Assistance Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the Secretariat, to continue to respond to the evolving nature of requests for assistance and the growing need for specific types of medium-term expert assistance aimed at supporting and strengthening the existing capacity of the requesting Government, in particular by enhancing the capacity of national electoral institutions; 18. Requests the Secretary-General to provide the Electoral Assistance Division with adequate human and financial resources to allow it to carry out its mandate, including to enhance the accessibility and diversity of the roster of electoral experts and the electoral institutional memory of the Organization, and to continue to ensure that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is able to respond, within its mandate and in close coordination with the Division, to the numerous and increasingly complex and comprehensive requests from Member States for advisory services; 19. Reiterates the need for ongoing comprehensive coordination, under the auspices of the United Nations focal point for electoral assistance matters, between the Electoral Assistance Division, the United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Operational Support of the Secretariat and the Office of the High Commissioner to ensure coordination and coherence and avoid duplication of United Nations electoral assistance; 20. Requests the United Nations Development Programme to continue its democratic governance assistance programmes in cooperation with other relevant organizations, in particular those that promote the strengthening of democratic institutions and linkages between civil society and Governments; 21. Reiterates the role of civil society, human rights defenders, peacebuilders, as well as journalists and media workers, and the importance of their active engagement in the promotion of democratization, and invites Member States to facilitate the full, effective, equal and meaningful participation of civil society in electoral processes; 22. Also reiterates the importance of reinforced coordination within and outside the United Nations system, and reaffirms the clear leadership role within the United Nations system of the United Nations focal point for electoral assistance matters, including in ensuring system-wide coherence and consistency and in strengthening the institutional memory and the development, dissemination and issuance of United Nations electoral assistance policies; 23. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly at its eightieth session on the implementation of the present resolution, in particular on the status of requests from Member States for electoral assistance, and on his efforts to enhance support by the Organization for the democratization process in Member States; 24. Underlines the importance of public participation, with an increasing number of channels for engagement moving online, posing obstacles for those segments of the population who have limited or no Internet access or who face other barriers to digital inclusion, such as the affordability of the Internet, and encourages States to ensure that all stakeholders, including women and girls, persons living in rural communities and persons with disabilities, have access to timely and accurate information and are fully involved in decisions that affect them. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/234 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2023 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/78/478, para. 33)] 78/234. A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action The General Assembly, Recalling all its previous resolutions on the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World Conference,1 in particular its resolutions 66/144 of 19 December 2011, 67/155 of 20 December 2012, 76/226 of 24 December 2021 and 77/205 of 15 December 2022, as well as its resolutions 75/314 of 2 August 2021 and 76/1 of 22 September 2021, and in this regard underlining the imperative need for their full and effective implementation, Recalling also the suffering of the victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the need to honour their memory, Calling upon States to honour the memory of victims of the historical injustices of slavery, the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism and apartheid, Stressing that the outcome of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance has the same status as the outcomes of all the major United Nations conferences, summits and special sessions in the human rights and social fields, and that the Durban Declaration and Programme __________________ 1 See A/CONF.189/12 and A/CONF.189/12/Corr.1, chap. I. A/RES/78/234 A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 23-26238 2/11 of Action remains a solid basis and the only instructive outcome of the World Conference, which prescribes comprehensive measures for combating all the scourges of racism and adequate remedies for victims, and noting with concern the lack of effective implementation thereof, Expressing deep concern at emerging obstacles to the enjoyment of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion or belief 2 and at instances of intolerance, discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against persons based on religion or belief, inter alia, the increasing number of related acts of violence, and recalling that the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action calls upon States, in opposing all forms of racism, to recognize the need to counter antisemitism, anti-Arabism and Islamophobia worldwide, Alarmed at the global rise in hate speech, constituting incitement to racial discrimination, hostility and violence, stressing the importance of addressing it, in accordance with international law, and in this regard welcoming the observance of 18 June as the International Day for Countering Hate Speech 3 and noting the issuance of the United Nations Guidance Note on Addressing and Countering COVID-19- related Hate Speech on 11 May 2020, Underlining the need to promote tolerance, inclusion and respect for diversity and the need to seek common ground among and within civilizations in order to address common challenges to humanity that threaten shared values, universal human rights and the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, through cooperation, partnership and inclusion, Alarmed at the spread in many parts of the world of various racist extremist movements based on ideologies that seek to promote nationalist, right-wing agendas and racial superiority, and stressing that these practices fuel racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Deploring the ongoing and resurgent scourges of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance in many regions of the world, often targeting migrants and refugees, as well as people of African descent, expressing concern that some political leaders and parties have supported such an environment, and in this context expressing its support for migrants and refugees in the context of the severe discrimination that they may face, Reaffirming the necessity of eliminating racial discrimination against migrants, including migrant workers, in relation to issues such as employment, social services, including education and health, and access to justice, and that their treatment must be in accordance with international human rights instruments and free from racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Deploring the recent incidents of excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers against peaceful demonstrators defending the rights of Africans and of people of African descent, and recalling Human Rights Council resolutions 44/20 of 17 July 2020, 4 47/21 of 13 July 2021, 5 48/18 of 11 October 2021,6 51/32 of 7 October 20227 and 54/27 of 12 October 2023,8 __________________ 2 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, art. 18 (see resolution 217 A (III)). 3 Resolution 75/309. 4 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-fifth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/75/53), chap. V, sect. A. 5 Ibid., Seventy-sixth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/76/53), chap. VII, sect. A. 6 Ibid., Supplement No. 53A (A/76/53/Add.1), chap. IV, sect. A. 7 Ibid., Seventy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/77/53/Add.1), chap. III, sect. A. 8 Ibid., Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/78/53/Add.1), chap. III, sect. A. A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/78/234 3/11 23-26238 Stressing that law enforcement officials, in the performance of their duties, shall respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons, Recognizing the multiple and aggravated forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which may exacerbate individuals’ experiences with police violence, Recognizing also that racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, as well as apartheid, have deep negative impacts on the enjoyment of human rights, and therefore require a united and comprehensive response from States, Expressing concern at the disruption to economies and societies caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and its negative impact on the enjoyment of human rights around the world, disproportionately affecting certain individuals, including those facing racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, which the pandemic has highlighted and exposed, including underlying deep and long-standing structural inequalities and fundamental problems in various areas of social, economic, civil and political life, and its exacerbation of existing inequalities, and recalling that systemic and structural racism and racial discrimination further exacerbate inequality in access to health care and treatment, leading to racial disparities in health outcomes and a higher rate of mortality and morbidity among individuals and groups facing racial discrimination, Noting with concern the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the existing inequalities within our societies and regretting that, in that context, persons belonging to racial and ethnic minorities and to other groups, including Asians and people of Asian descent, especially women and girls, have been victims of racist violence, threats of violence, discrimination and stigmatization, Recalling the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination previously declared by the General Assembly, and regretting that the Programmes of Action for those Decades were not fully implemented and that their objectives have yet to be attained, Noting that 10 December 2023 will mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 9 and that 25 June 2023 marked the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action,10 and stressing in this regard the importance of fully integrating the matter of combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance into these commemorations and their implementation, Stressing in this respect the need to also address negative stereotypes, stigmatization and the assigning of identity based on race as essential in the fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Reiterating that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies, and that any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous and must be rejected, together with theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races, Underlining the intensity, magnitude and organized nature of slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, and the associated historical injustices, as well as the untold suffering caused by colonialism and apartheid, and that Africans and people of African descent, Asians and people of Asian descent and __________________ 9 Resolution 217 A (III). 10 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III. A/RES/78/234 A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 23-26238 4/11 Indigenous Peoples continue to be victims, and acknowledging that the ongoing effects must be remedied, Acknowledging the efforts and initiatives undertaken by States to prohibit racial discrimination and racial segregation and to engender the full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights, Emphasizing that, despite efforts in this regard, millions of human beings continue to be victims of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including their contemporary forms and manifestations, some of which manifest in violent forms, Welcoming the efforts made by civil society in support of the follow-up mechanisms in the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Recalling the appointment of the five independent eminent experts by the Secretary-General on 16 June 2003, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 56/266 of 27 March 2002, with the mandate to follow up on the implementation of the provisions of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to make appropriate recommendations thereon, Underlining the primacy of the political will, international cooperation and adequate funding at the national, regional and international levels needed to address all forms and manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance for the successful implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, Recalling its resolution 2142 (XXI) of 26 October 1966, in which it proclaimed 21 March as the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Recalling also its resolution 62/122 of 17 December 2007, in which it designated 25 March as the annual International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, Recalling further, in the above context, the erection of the permanent memorial for the victims of slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, the Ark of Return, based on the theme “Acknowledge the tragedy, consider the legacy, lest we forget”, Welcoming the call upon all the former colonial Powers for reparations, consistent with paragraphs 157 and 158 of the Durban Programme of Action, to redress the historical injustices of slavery and the slave trade, including the transatlantic slave trade, Recognizing and affirming that the global fight against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and all their abhorrent and contemporary forms and manifestations is a matter of priority for the international community, I International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1. Reaffirms the paramount importance of universal adherence to and the full and effective implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, 11 adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 2106 A (XX) of 21 December 1965, in addressing the scourges of racism and racial discrimination; __________________ 11 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 660, No. 9464. A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/78/234 5/11 23-26238 2. Calls upon States that have not done so to accede to and/or ratify the Convention, and States parties to consider making the declaration under article 14 of the Convention; 3. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so, and consistent with paragraph 75 of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, to consider withdrawing their reservations to article 4 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; 4. Underlines, in the above context, that the provisions of the Convention do not respond effectively to contemporary manifestations of racial discrimination, in particular in relation to xenophobia and related intolerance, which is recognized as the rationale behind the convening of the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance in 2001; 5. Takes note of the acknowledgement by the Human Rights Council and its subsidiary structures of the existence of both procedural and substantive gaps in the Convention, which must be filled as a matter of urgency, necessity and priority; 6. Expresses its concern at the lack of progress in the elaboration of complementary standards to the Convention to fill existing gaps through the development of new normative standards aimed at combating all forms of contemporary and resurgent scourges of racism; 7. Recalls Human Rights Council resolution 34/36 of 24 March 2017,12 in which the Council requested the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination to ensure the commencement of the negotiations on the draft additional protocol to the Convention criminalizing acts of a racist and xenophobic nature during the tenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee, and takes note of the report of the thirteenth session of the Committee in this regard; 8. Requests the Chair-Rapporteur of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to present a progress report to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session; II International Decade for People of African Descent 9. Recalls the proclamation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as contained in its resolution 68/237 of 23 December 2013, and the celebratory launch of the Decade on 10 December 2014; 10. Also recalls the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, as adopted in its resolution 69/16 of 18 November 2014; 11. Welcomes the establishment of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, through its resolution 75/314 of 2 August 2021, which determines its mandate and composition, as a consultative mechanism for people of African descent and other relevant stakeholders and as a platform for improving the safety and quality of life and livelihoods of people of African descent, as well as an advisory body to the Human Rights Council; __________________ 12 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-second Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/72/53), chap. IV, sect. A. A/RES/78/234 A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 23-26238 6/11 12. Also welcomes the convening of the first two sessions of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the large participation of civil society and people of African descent from around the world; 13. Notes with concern the limited resources available in support of the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent; 14. Requests the Secretary-General to enhance the operational and programmatic support provided to the Permanent Forum secretariat, in particular to fully support the mandate of the Permanent Forum, including in the logistical organization of the annual session; 15. Requests the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action to devote at least half of its annual session to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent, and also requests the Intergovernmental Working Group to present a status report on the elaboration of the draft declaration to be considered by the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session;13 16. Invites the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, in accordance with their respective mandates, to contribute to the elaboration of a draft United Nations declaration on the promotion and full respect of the human rights of people of African descent; 17. Recalls the draft programme of action for the International Decade for People of African Descent as an instructive framework in which all the initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of people of African descent are anchored and which, if adopted, would contribute to the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent; 18. Also recalls that the Secretary-General will convene a final assessment of the Decade, to take place within the framework of a high-level international event, marking the closure of the Decade in 2024; 19. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the Assembly, before the end of its eightieth session, on practical steps to be taken to make a Second International Decade effective; 20. Requests the President of the General Assembly to take into consideration the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent, drafted by the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and adopted in resolution 69/16, and the theme of the International Decade for People of African Descent, “People of African descent: recognition, justice and development”, with a view to proclaiming the decade starting in 2025 the Second International Decade for People of African Descent; 21. Takes note of the reports of the Secretary-General on the programme of activities for the implementation of the International Decade for People of African Descent14 and on a global call for concrete action for the total elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action;15 __________________ 13 See resolution 69/16. 14 A/78/317. 15 A/78/197. A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/78/234 7/11 23-26238 22. Acknowledges and profoundly regrets the untold suffering and evils inflicted on millions of men and women and children as a result of slavery, the slave trade, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism, apartheid, genocide and past tragedies, noting that some States have taken the initiative to apologize and have paid reparations, where appropriate, for grave and massive violations committed, further calls upon those that have not yet expressed remorse or presented apologies to find some way to contribute to the restoration of the dignity of victims, and calls upon all the relevant States that have not already done so to dispense reparatory justice, contributing to the development and recognition of the dignity of the affected States and their people; 23. Takes note of the report of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, 16 invites the Human Rights Council, through the Chair of the Working Group, to continue to submit a report on the work of the Working Group to the General Assembly, and in this regard invites the Chair of the Working Group to engage in an interactive dialogue with the Assembly under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” at its seventy-ninth session; 24. Takes note with appreciation of the proclamation of 31 August as the International Day for People of African Descent, and invites all Member States, all organizations and bodies of the United Nations system and other international and regional organizations, the private sector and academia, as well as civil society, to observe the International Day for People of African Descent in an appropriate manner, in accordance with its resolution 75/170 of 16 December 2020; 25. Stresses that everyone, including people and communities of African descent, should be able to participate in an inclusive manner and guide the design and implementation of processes that contribute to halting, reversing and repairing the lasting consequences and ongoing manifestations of systemic racism, and notably acknowledges the important role that young people have played and should continue to play in these processes; 26. Encourages States to examine the extent and impact of systemic racism and to adopt effective legal, policy and institutional measures that address racism beyond a summation of individualized acts, recommends that progress be measured according to indicators grounded in impact rather than intent, and further calls for the recognition of the impact of racial discrimination and inequality experienced by children and youth of African descent in all areas of life, including the administration of justice, law enforcement, education, health, family life and development; 17 27. Welcomes the establishment of an international independent expert mechanism, comprising three experts with law enforcement and human rights expertise, aimed at furthering transformative change for racial justice and equality in the context of law enforcement globally, especially where relating to the legacies of colonialism and the transatlantic slave trade in enslaved Africans, to investigate the responses of Governments to peaceful anti-racism protests and all violations of international human rights law and to contribute to accountability and redress for victims; 28. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Department of Global Communications of the Secretariat to continue awareness-raising efforts and public information campaigns in support of the International Decade for People of African Descent through the use of social networks __________________ 16 A/78/277. 17 See A/77/294. A/RES/78/234 A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 23-26238 8/11 and digital media, including the wide distribution of user-friendly, concise and accessible versions of material in this regard; III Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights 29. Requests the Secretary-General and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the resources necessary for the effective fulfilment of the mandates of the Intergovernmental Working Group on the Effective Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Ad Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards and the Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, and in this regard to ensure the participation of experts in each session of those follow-up mechanisms in order to provide advice on the specific issues under discussion and assist the mechanisms in their deliberations and the adoption of action-oriented recommendations in relation to the implementation of the Declaration and Programme of Action; 30. Recalls Human Rights Council resolutions 43/1 and 47/21, and also recalls the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Africans and of people of African descent against excessive use of force and other human rights violations by law enforcement officers and the annex thereto, entitled “Four-point Agenda towards Transformative Change for Racial Justice and Equality”, submitted pursuant to resolution 43/1;18 31. Stresses the importance of consolidating all efforts aimed at combating racism under a single anti-racial discrimination unit, including on the issues of racial equality and justice; IV Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 32. Welcomes the report of the Group of Independent Eminent Experts on the Implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action on its eighth session,19 and in this regard notes that the session was held from 8 to 12 August 2022; 33. Recalls its resolution 77/205 and the recommendations contained therein with regard to the Group of Independent Eminent Experts, and further agrees to limit the tenure of the Eminent Experts to four years, which may be renewed once, and that the current Experts will continue to serve until the appointment of new Experts is finalized; 34. Also recalls the request to the Secretary-General to appoint the five Eminent Experts, one from each region, from among candidates proposed by the President of the Human Rights Council, after consultation with the regional groups, in line with the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 20 and paragraph 13 of resolution 56/266, by the end of 2023; 35. Requests the five regional groups to nominate a candidate for appointment to the Group of Independent Eminent Experts in a timely fashion; __________________ 18 A/HRC/47/53. 19 See A/78/535. 20 A/CONF.189/12, para. 191 (b). A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/78/234 9/11 23-26238 V Trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination 36. Recalls the establishment by the Secretary-General, in 1973, of the trust fund for the Programme for the Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination as a funding mechanism that has been utilized for the implementation of the activities of the three Decades for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination declared by the General Assembly, and in this regard appreciates the fact that the trust fund has also been utilized for the subsequent programmes and operational activities transcending the three Decades; 37. Requests the Secretary-General to include, in his report on the implementation of the present resolution to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session, a section outlining the progress in the implementation of paragraph 18 of its resolution 68/151 of 18 December 2013 regarding the revitalization of the trust fund for the purpose of ensuring the successful implementation of the activities of the International Decade for People of African Descent and enhancing the effectiveness of the comprehensive follow-up to the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance and the effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; 38. Strongly appeals to all Governments, intergovernmental and non- governmental organizations and individuals, as well as other donors in a position to do so, to contribute generously to the trust fund, and to that end requests the Secretary-General to continue to undertake appropriate contacts and initiatives to encourage contributions; VI Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance 39. Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance,21 and encourages the Special Rapporteur, within her mandate, to continue to focus on the issues of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and incitement to hatred, which impede peaceful coexistence and harmony within societies, and to submit reports in this regard to the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly; 40. Reiterates its previous requests to the Special Rapporteur to consider examining national models of mechanisms that measure racial equality and their value added in the eradication of racial discrimination and to report on such challenges, successes and best practices in her next report, and expresses concern at the lack of progress in this regard; VII Commemoration of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 41. Takes note with appreciation of the adoption of a political declaration aimed at mobilizing political will at the national, regional and international levels for the full and effective implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and its follow-up processes during a one day high-level meeting of the General Assembly, on 22 September 2021, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of the __________________ 21 A/78/302. A/RES/78/234 A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action 23-26238 10/11 adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, under the theme “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent”; 22 42. Emphasizes the critical importance of increasing public support for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the participation of civil society and other relevant stakeholders in its realization, and requests the United Nations system to strengthen its awareness-raising campaigns to increase the visibility of the message of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, its follow-up mechanisms and the work of the United Nations in the fight against racism; 23 43. Invites Member States, United Nations entities, international and regional organizations, civil society, including non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders to organize and support various high-visibility initiatives, aimed at effectively increasing awareness at all levels, to commemorate the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; 44. Requests the Secretary-General to establish a programme of outreach, with the involvement of Member States and United Nations funds and programmes, as well as civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to appropriately commemorate the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; 45. Calls upon Member States and the United Nations system to intensify efforts to widely distribute copies of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, and encourages efforts to ensure its translation and wide dissemination; 46. Expresses its appreciation for the continuing work of the mechanisms mandated to follow up on the World Conference and the Durban Review Conference; VIII Follow-up and implementation activities 47. Acknowledges the guidance and leadership role of the Human Rights Council, and encourages it to continue to oversee the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and the outcome documents of the Durban Review Conferences, including the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action; 48. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Human Rights Council with all the support necessary for it to achieve its objectives in this regard; 49. Welcomes the further consideration by the Human Rights Council, at its fifty-fourth session, of the question of a multi-year programme of activities to provide for the renewed and strengthened outreach activities needed to inform and mobilize the global public in support of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action and to strengthen awareness of the contribution that they have made in the struggle against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, in consultation with Member States, national human rights institutions, relevant civil society organizations and United Nations agencies, funds and programmes; 50. Also welcomes the efforts undertaken by the Human Rights Council, through its Advisory Committee, in preparing a study on appropriate ways and means of assessing the situation regarding racial equality, while identifying possible gaps and overlaps; __________________ 22 Political declaration entitled “United against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (resolution 76/1). 23 See Human Rights Council resolution 51/32; see also A/77/233. A global call for concrete action for the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and the comprehensive implementation of and follow-up to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action A/RES/78/234 11/11 23-26238 51. Further welcomes the commemorative event held on 21 March 2023 to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; 52. Takes note with appreciation of the commemorative plenary meeting of the General Assembly held on 27 March 2023 to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, on the theme “Fighting slavery’s legacy of racism through transformative education”; 53. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session a report on the implementation of the present resolution; 54. Requests the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Human Rights Council to continue to convene annual commemorative meetings of the Assembly and the Council during the commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, with the appropriate focus and themes, and in this context encourages the participation of eminent personalities active in the struggle against racial discrimination, Member States and civil society organizations in accordance with the rules of procedure of the Assembly and the Council, respectively; 55. Decides to remain seized of this priority matter at its seventy-ninth session under the item entitled “Elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance”. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/241 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/241. Lethal autonomous weapons systems The General Assembly, Affirming that international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, applies to autonomous weapons systems, Recognizing the rapid development of new and emerging technologies, and recognizing further that they hold great promise for the advancement of human welfare and could, inter alia, help to better protect civilians in conflict in certain circumstances, Mindful of the serious challenges and concerns that new technological applications in the military domain, including those related to artificial intelligence and autonomy in weapons systems, also raise from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives, Concerned about the possible negative consequences and impact of autonomous weapon systems on global security and regional and international stability, including the risk of an emerging arms race, lowering the threshold for conflict and proliferation, including to non-State actors, Welcoming the interest and sustained efforts on these issues, in particular through the ongoing and valuable work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, established under 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, 1 and in this regard underlining the significant progress made in these discussions as well as the various proposals presented, __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1342, No. 22495. A/RES/78/241 Lethal autonomous weapons systems 23-26252 2/2 Noting the adoption by consensus of Human Rights Council resolution 51/22 of 7 October 2022 on human rights implications of new and emerging technologies in the military domain,2 Acknowledging the important contribution of international and regional conferences and initiatives such as the summit hosted by the Kingdom of the Netherlands and co-organized by the Republic of Korea on 15 and 16 February 2023, the regional conference hosted by Costa Rica on 23 and 24 February 2023, the conference hosted by Luxembourg on 25 and 26 April 2023, as well as the regional conference hosted by Trinidad and Tobago on 5 and 6 September 2023, Recognizing the valuable contributions made by United Nations entities and international and regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, civil society organizations, academia, industry and other stakeholders in enriching international discussions on autonomous weapons systems, encompassing legal, ethical, human rights, societal and technological dimensions, Recognizing the efforts of the Secretary-General within the new agenda for peace initiative to address the issue of autonomous weapons systems, 1. Stresses the urgent need for the international community to address the challenges and concerns raised by autonomous weapons systems, in particular through the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, and to continue to further its understanding of the issues involved; 2. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States and observer States on lethal autonomous weapons systems, inter alia, on ways to address the related challenges and concerns they raise from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives and on the role of humans in the use of force, and to submit a substantive report reflecting the full range of views received with an annex containing these views, to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session for further discussion by Member States; 3. Also requests the Secretary-General to invite the views of international and regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, civil society, the scientific community and industry to include these views in the original language received in the annex of the aforementioned report; 4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled “Lethal autonomous weapons systems”. 50th (resumed) plenary meeting 22 December 2023 __________________ 2 See Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-seventh Session, Supplement No. 53A (A/77/53/Add.1), chap. III, sect. A. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/29 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/29. Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction The General Assembly, Recalling its previous resolutions on the subject of chemical weapons, in particular resolution 77/73 of 7 December 2022, Determined to achieve the effective prohibition of the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons and their destruction, Honouring the memory of and paying tribute to all victims of chemical weapons, Reaffirming its strong support for the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction1 and for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its deep appreciation of the Organisation, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2013 for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons, Recalling decisions C-24/DEC.4 and C-24/DEC.5 of 27 November 2019 adopted by the Conference of the States Parties at its twenty-fourth session, introducing changes to schedules 1 (A) and 1, respectively, of the Annex on Chemicals to the Convention, Re-emphasizing its unequivocal support for the decision of the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to continue the mission to establish the facts surrounding the allegations of the use of chemical weapons, __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1974, No. 33757. A/RES/78/29 Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction 23-24537 2/7 including toxic chemicals, for hostile purposes in the Syrian Arab Republic, while stressing that the safety and security of mission personnel remains the top priority, and recalling the work, pursuant to Security Council resolutions 2235 (2015) of 7 August 2015 and 2319 (2016) of 17 November 2016, of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations, Recalling the work related to the Fourth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in The Hague from 21 to 30 November 2018, Noting the work related to the Fifth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in The Hague from 15 to 19 May 2023, Reaffirming the importance of the outcome of the Third Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, held in The Hague from 8 to 19 April 2013 (the Third Review Conference), including its consensus final report, in which the Conference addressed all aspects of the Convention and made important recommendations on its continued implementation, Emphasizing that the Third Review Conference welcomed the fact that the Convention is a unique multilateral agreement banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction in a non-discriminatory and verifiable manner under strict and effective international control and noted with satisfaction that the Convention continues to be a remarkable success and an example of effective multilateralism, Recalling that 29 April 2022 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention, Convinced that the Convention, 26 years after its entry into force, has reinforced its role as the international norm against chemical weapons, and that it constitutes a major contribution to: (a) International peace and security, (b) Eliminating chemical weapons and preventing their re-emergence, (c) The ultimate objective of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, (d) Excluding completely, for the sake of all mankind, the possibility of the use of chemical weapons, (e) Promoting international cooperation and exchange in scientific and technical information in the field of chemical activities among States parties for peaceful purposes in order to enhance the economic and technological development of all States parties, Noting the efforts to ensure the effectiveness of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its business continuity in all circumstances, drawing lessons from the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), 1. Reaffirms its condemnation in the strongest possible terms of the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances, emphasizing that any use of chemical weapons anywhere, at any time, by anyone, under any circumstances is unacceptable and is and would be a violation of international law and expressing its strong conviction that those individuals responsible for the use of chemical weapons must and should be held accountable; 2. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon against Alexei Navalny in the Russian Federation, and notes with grave Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction A/RES/78/29 3/7 23-24537 concern the note by the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of 6 October 2020 on the summary of the report on activities carried out in support of a request for technical assistance by Germany; 2 3. Also condemns in the strongest possible terms that chemical weapons have since 2012 been used in Iraq, Malaysia, the Syrian Arab Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including as reported by the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations and by the Investigation and Identification Team of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in: (a) The reports of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of 24 August 20163 and 21 October 2016,4 which concluded that there was sufficient information to determine that the Syrian Arab Armed Forces were responsible for the attacks which released toxic substances in Talmenes, Syrian Arab Republic, on 21 April 2014, in Sarmin, Syrian Arab Republic, on 16 March 2015, and in Qmenas, Syrian Arab Republic, also on 16 March 2015, and that the so-called “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant” used sulfur mustard in Marea, Syrian Arab Republic, on 21 August 2015; (b) The report of the Joint Investigative Mechanism of 26 October 2017, 5 which concluded that there was sufficient information to be confident that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant was responsible for the use of sulfur mustard at Umm Hawsh on 15 and 16 September 2016 and that the Syrian Arab Republic was responsible for the release of sarin at Khan Shaykhun on 4 April 2017; (c) The first report of the Investigation and Identification Team, of 8 April 2020,6 which concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Arab Air Force used chemical weapons in Ltamenah on 24, 25 and 30 March 2017; (d) The second report of the Investigation and Identification Team, of 12 April 2021,7 which concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that a military helicopter of the Syrian Arab Air Force carried out a chemical weapons attack on Saraqib on 4 February 2018; (e) The third report of the Investigation and Identification Team, of 27 January 2023,8 which concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the Syrian Arab Air Force carried out a chemical weapons attack on 7 April 2018 in Duma, Syrian Arab Republic; and demands that the perpetrators be held accountable; 4. Takes note with great concern in that regard of the reports of the fact- finding mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons regarding alleged incidents in Ltamenah, 9 Saraqib 10 and Duma, 11 Syrian Arab Republic, as well as reports regarding the alleged incidents in Marea 12 and Kafr Zayta,13 Syrian Arab Republic, which concluded there were reasonable grounds to __________________ 2 S/1906/2020. 3 See S/2016/738/Rev.1. 4 See S/2016/888. 5 See S/2017/904, annex. 6 See S/2020/310, annex. 7 See S/2021/371, annex. 8 See S/2023/81, annex. 9 See S/2017/931, annex, and S/2018/620, annex. 10 See S/2018/478, annex. 11 See S/2019/208, annex. 12 See S/2022/85, annex. 13 See S/2022/116, annex. A/RES/78/29 Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction 23-24537 4/7 believe that a toxic chemical or a vesicant chemical substance from 1.A.04 scheduled chemicals under the Convention had been used as a weapon; 5. Takes note of the report of the fact-finding mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of 28 June 2023, 14 which concluded that information obtained and analysed by the fact-finding mission did not provide reasonable grounds to determine that chemicals were used as a weapon in the reported incidents that occurred in Kharbit Massasneh, Syrian Arab Republic, on 7 July and 4 August 2017; 6. Recalls the adoption of: (a) Decision C-SS-4/DEC.3 of the Fourth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties, entitled “Addressing the threat from chemical weapons use”, of 27 June 2018; (b) Decision EC-94/DEC.2 of the Executive Council, entitled “Addressing the possession and use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic”, of 9 July 2020; (c) Decision C-25/DEC.9 of the Conference of the States Parties, entitled “Addressing the possession and use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Arab Republic”, of 21 April 2021; and stresses the importance of their implementation, in accordance with the Convention, and, accordingly, expresses concern with the conclusions contained in the report of the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of 14 October 2020 on the implementation of decision EC-94/DEC.2;15 7. Also recalls decision C-26/DEC.10 of the Conference of the States Parties, entitled “Understanding regarding the aerosolised use of central nervous system- acting chemicals for law enforcement purposes”, of 1 December 2021; 8. Emphasizes that the universality of the Convention is essential to achieving its object and purpose and to enhancing the security of States parties, as well as to international peace and security, underlines the fact that the objectives of the Convention will not be fully realized as long as there remains even a single State not party to the Convention that could possess or acquire such weapons, calls upon all States that have not yet done so to become parties to the Convention without delay, and in this regard recalls the outcome of the Third Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (the Third Review Conference); 9. Underlines the fact that the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of all articles of the Convention makes a major contribution to international peace and security through the elimination of existing stockpiles of chemical weapons and the prohibition of their acquisition and use, and provides for assistance and protection in the event of use or threat of use of chemical weapons and for international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of chemical activities; 10. Notes the impact of scientific and technological progress on the effective implementation of the Convention and the importance for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its policymaking organs of taking due account of such developments; 11. Reaffirms that the obligation of the States parties to complete the destruction of chemical weapons stockpiles and the destruction or conversion of chemical weapons production facilities in accordance with the provisions of the __________________ 14 See S/2023/508, annex. 15 EC-96/DG.1. Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction A/RES/78/29 5/7 23-24537 Convention and the Annex on Implementation and Verification (Verification Annex) and under the verification of the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is essential for the realization of the object and purpose of the Convention; 12. Stresses the importance to the Convention that all possessors of chemical weapons, chemical weapons production facilities or chemical weapons development facilities, including previously declared possessor States, should be among the States parties to the Convention, and welcomes progress to that end; 13. Recalls that the Third Review Conference expressed concern regarding the statement made by the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in his report to the Executive Council of the Organisation at its sixty-eighth session, provided in accordance with paragraph 2 of decision C-16/DEC.11 of 1 December 2011 adopted by the Conference of the States Parties at its sixteenth session, that three possessor States parties, namely, Libya, the Russian Federation and the United States of America, had been unable to fully meet the final extended deadline of 29 April 2012 for the destruction of their chemical weapons stockpiles, and also expressed determination that the destruction of all categories of chemical weapons should be completed in the shortest time possible in accordance with the provisions of the Convention and the Verification Annex, and with the full application of the relevant decisions that have been taken; 14. Welcomes the confirmation by the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons expressed in his report of 5 October 2017, 16 based upon information received from the Russian Federation and independent information received from the inspectors of the Organisation, regarding the completion of the full destruction of chemical weapons declared by the Russian Federation; 15. Also welcomes the completed destruction of Libya’s remaining category 2 chemical weapons, as reported by the Director General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in his report of 22 December 2017, 17 as well as the completed destruction by Iraq of its entire declared stockpile of chemical weapons remnants, as reported by the Director General in his report of 28 February 2018;18 16. Further welcomes the confirmation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that the last chemical munition of the declared chemical weapons stockpile of the United States of America was irreversibly destroyed in accordance with the Convention on 7 July 2023; 17. Underlines that the end of destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles is an important milestone for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and a critical step towards achieving its mission to permanently eliminate all chemical weapons; 18. Notes with concern that, along with the threat of the possible production, acquisition and use of chemical weapons by States, the international community also faces the danger of the production, acquisition and use of chemical weapons by non-State actors, including terrorists, concerns which have highlighted the necessity of achieving universal adherence to the Convention, as well as the high level of readiness of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and stresses that the full and effective implementation of all provisions of the Convention, including those on national implementation (article VII) and assistance and protection __________________ 16 EC-86/DG.31. 17 EC-87/DG.6. 18 EC-87/DG.18. A/RES/78/29 Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction 23-24537 6/7 (article X), constitutes an important contribution to the efforts of the United Nations in the global fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; 19. Notes that the effective application of the verification system builds confidence in compliance with the Convention by States parties; 20. Stresses the importance of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in verifying compliance with the provisions of the Convention as well as in promoting the timely and efficient accomplishment of all its objectives; 21. Expresses grave concern that, despite the verified destruction of all 27 chemical weapons production facilities declared by the Syrian Arab Republic, the Technical Secretariat, as recently reported by the Director General in his report of 25 September 2023, 19 assesses that the Syrian Arab Republic has submitted a declaration that still cannot be considered accurate and complete in accordance with the Convention, Executive Council decisions EC-M-33/DEC.1 and EC-94/DEC.2 and Security Council resolution 2118 (2013), as well as with the conclusion of decision C-SS-4/DEC.3, of the Fourth Review Conference, that the Syrian Arab Republic failed to declare and destroy all of its chemical weapons and chemical weapons production facilities, and underscores the importance of such full verification; 22. Urges all States parties to the Convention to meet in full and on time their obligations under the Convention and to support the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in its implementation activities; 23. Welcomes the progress made in the national implementation of article VII obligations, commends the States parties and the Technical Secretariat for assisting other States parties, on request, with the implementation of the follow-up to the plan of action regarding article VII obligations, urges States parties that have not fulfilled their obligations under article VII to do so without further delay, in accordance with their constitutional processes, and in this context reaffirms that full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of article VII is essential for the realization of the object and purpose of the Convention; 24. Emphasizes the continuing relevance and importance of the provisions of article X of the Convention, welcomes the activities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in relation to assistance and protection against chemical weapons, supports further efforts by both States parties and the Technical Secretariat to promote a high level of readiness to respond to chemical weapons threats as articulated in article X, and welcomes the effectiveness and efficiency of the increased focus on making full use of regional and subregional capacities and expertise, including taking advantage of established training centres; 25. Reaffirms that the provisions of the Convention shall be implemented in a manner that avoids hampering the economic or technological development of States parties and international cooperation in the field of chemical activities for purposes not prohibited under the Convention, including the international exchange of scientific and technical information, and chemicals and equipment for the production, processing or use of chemicals for purposes not prohibited under the Convention; 26. Emphasizes the importance of the provisions of article XI of the Convention relating to the economic and technological development of States parties, recalls that the full, effective and non-discriminatory implementation of those provisions contributes to universality, and reaffirms the undertaking of the States parties to foster international cooperation for peaceful purposes in the field of __________________ 19 EC-104/DG.19. Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction A/RES/78/29 7/7 23-24537 chemical activities of the States parties and the importance of that cooperation and its contribution to the promotion of the Convention as a whole; 27. Notes with appreciation the ongoing work of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to achieve the object and purpose of the Convention, to ensure the full implementation of its provisions, including those for international verification of compliance with it, and to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among States parties; 28. Regrets that, despite the constructive engagement of most of the States parties in the preparatory process leading to the Fifth Special Session of the Conference of the States Parties to Review the Operation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, it was not possible to adopt a final document, notwithstanding the fact that the majority of subjects covered at the Fifth Review Conference received very broad support and that a wide range of delegations undertook efforts towards a consensual outcome; 29. Welcomes the opening of the Centre for Chemistry and Technology, which strengthens the capabilities of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and its member States to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention, uphold the global norm against chemical weapons, address threats and opportunities arising from rapid progress in science and technology in the evolving global security landscape, and support international cooperation; 30. Takes note of decision EC-102/DEC.6 of the Executive Council, entitled “Allowing the convening of Executive Council meetings or sessions in extraordinary circumstances”, of 16 March 2023; 31. Welcomes the cooperation between the United Nations and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons within the framework of the relationship agreement between the United Nations and the Organisation, 20 in accordance with the provisions of the Convention; 32. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 20 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2160, No. 1240. | ZIMBABWE | 0 |
A/RES/78/42 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/42. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 1 (I) of 24 January 1946 and its decision 77/516 of 7 December 2022, Noting the twenty-fifth anniversary of the launch of the New Agenda Coalition and the joint declaration outlining a new agenda for disarmament adopted in Dublin on 9 June 1998,1 and the press release issued on the occasion of the commemoration by senior officials of the New Agenda Coalition, held in Brasilia on 19 June 2023, Welcoming the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Our Common Agenda”,2 especially the reiteration by the Secretary-General of the commitment to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and the disarmament recommendations of policy brief 9, entitled “A New Agenda for Peace”, 3 presented by the Secretary-General on 20 July 2023, in particular the recognition that the existential threat that nuclear weapons pose to humanity must motivate us to work towards their total elimination and the recommendation to States to recommit urgently to the pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons and reverse the erosion of international norms against the spread and use of nuclear weapons, and recalling the importance of the Secretary-General’s disarmament agenda, Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament, Noting with deep concern the profound global peace and security challenges currently taking hold and the increased prominence being given by some States to nuclear weapons in their security doctrines, the expansion of nuclear stockpiles, __________________ 1 A/53/138, annex. 2 A/75/982. 3 A/77/CRP.1/Add.8. A/RES/78/42 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 23-24513 2/7 national plans by the nuclear-weapon States to expand, modernize and qualitatively improve nuclear arsenals, the disregard of negative security assurances, as well as plans by the nuclear-weapon States and States under extended nuclear security guarantees to maintain or increase the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines, including with regard to the placement of nuclear weapons on the territory of non-nuclear-weapon States, all of which contribute to the erosion of the disarmament and non-proliferation regime and undermine the achievement of a nuclear-weapon- free world, Alarmed that recent international tensions have taken an increasing nuclear dimension, particularly with regard to threats to use nuclear weapons and increasingly strident nuclear rhetoric, Concerned about other actions that weaken the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture and undermine key norms, such as the dismantling of core agreements among the nuclear-weapon States, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Treaty on Open Skies, and the suspension of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START Treaty), Recalling the joint statement on preventing nuclear war and avoiding arms races issued by China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America on 3 January 2022, affirming that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”, and the statement by the New Agenda Coalition issued on 25 January 2022,4 calling for the five nuclear- weapon States to pursue tangible steps towards the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals in accordance with their obligations under article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,5 Recalling also the decisions and the resolution adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,6 the basis upon which the Treaty was indefinitely extended, and the Final Documents of the 2000 7 and the 2010 8 Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in particular the unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals, leading to nuclear disarmament, in accordance with commitments made under article VI of the Treaty, Ever mindful that, to preserve the credibility and strength of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, nuclear-weapon States must implement their respective obligations and commitments under the Treaty and therefore redress the imbalance in implementation with regard to non-nuclear-weapon States, Deeply concerned by the successive failures of the two previous Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty, and dismayed that States parties to the Treaty were again unable to agree on actions that would strengthen the Treaty regime, enhance progress towards its full implementation and universality, or monitor __________________ 4 CD/2226, annex. 5 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485. 6 See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I)/Corr.2), annex. 7 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vols. I–III (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II), NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Part III) and NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Part IV)). 8 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vols. I–III (NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. I), NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. II) and NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. III)). Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/78/42 3/7 23-24513 implementation of the commitments made at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences, Noting with concern that the working group on further strengthening the review process of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons could not agree on substantive outcomes and recommendations, Reiterating the expression of deep concern by the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, and its resolve to seek a safer world for all and to achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons,9 Reiterating its grave concern at the danger to humanity posed by nuclear weapons, highlighting that these concerns should underpin the need for nuclear disarmament and the urgency of achieving and maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free world, Welcoming the attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences and inherent risks of nuclear weapons in multilateral disarmament forums since 2010, including in the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, the most recent of which was held in Vienna on 20 June 2022, Recognizing the highly disproportionate and gendered impact of exposure to ionizing radiation for women and girls, and the need to further integrate a gender perspective into all aspects of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation decision- making processes, inter alia by including the commitment to ensure the equal, full and effective participation and leadership of both women and men, including in the implementation and review of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Noting the widespread support in the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons for the view that enhanced accountability and transparency, including improving the process of reporting by nuclear-weapon States on their implementation of the nuclear disarmament commitments and obligations under the Treaty, would contribute to strengthening the review process, and that this fact was recognized by a majority of States parties during the first meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference, and in the working group on further strengthening the review process of the Treaty, Recalling that the total elimination of nuclear weapons is the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and the legitimate interest of non-nuclear-weapon States in receiving unequivocal and legally binding negative security assurances from nuclear-weapon States pending the total elimination of nuclear weapons, Underscoring the important contribution made by nuclear-weapon-free zones to enhancing international peace and security, to a strengthened nuclear non-proliferation regime and as a practical contribution towards nuclear disarmament, Urging States to strengthen all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones, inter alia, through the ratification of existing treaties and relevant protocols and the withdrawal or revision of any reservations or interpretative declarations contrary to the object and purpose of the treaties establishing such zones, Recalling the encouragement expressed at the 2010 Review Conference for the establishment of further nuclear-weapon-free zones, on the basis of arrangements __________________ 9 Ibid., vol. I (NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. I)), part I, Conclusions and recommendations for follow-on actions. A/RES/78/42 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 23-24513 4/7 freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned, reaffirming the expectation that this will be followed by concerted international efforts to create such zones in areas where they do not currently exist, especially in the Middle East, in this context noting with deep disappointment the non-fulfilment of the agreement at the 2010 Review Conference on practical steps to fully implement the 1995 resolution on the Middle East, Encouraged by the successful organization in 2019, 2021 and 2022 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in accordance with its decision 73/546 of 22 December 2018, of the sessions of a conference aimed at elaborating a treaty on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by the States of the region, Underlining the importance of multilateralism in relation to nuclear disarmament, while recognizing the value of unilateral, bilateral and regional initiatives and the importance of compliance with the terms of these initiatives, Recalling the twenty-seventh anniversary of the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty10 and the continued vital importance of its entry into force to the advancement of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation objectives, Welcoming the outcomes of the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the convening of the second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in New York in November and December 2023, and encouraging all States to participate in these proceedings, Urging the immediate return to full implementation of the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, urging both parties to the Treaty to re-engage in discussions on follow-on measures to achieve deeper reductions in their nuclear arsenals, and calling upon both States to negotiate a successor agreement as soon as possible, as encouraged by the 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences, Welcoming the commemoration and promotion of 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, as established by resolution 68/32 of 5 December 2013, Deeply disappointed at the continued absence of progress towards multilateral nuclear disarmament at the Conference on Disarmament, which has been unable to agree upon and implement a programme of work since 1996, and that the Disarmament Commission has not produced a substantive outcome on nuclear disarmament since 1999, 1. Condemns unequivocally all nuclear threats, whether explicit or implicit, and irrespective of the circumstances, and calls upon all States, in particular the nuclear-weapon States, to reject any normalization of nuclear rhetoric and, in particular, the threat of use of nuclear weapons, which only serves to undermine the disarmament and non-proliferation regime and is against the Charter of the United Nations; 2. Stresses the fundamental role of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in achieving nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, and looks forward to achieving substantive progress during the eleventh review cycle, in order to strengthen the Treaty and its review process, overcoming the obstacles that __________________ 10 See resolution 50/245 and A/50/1027. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/78/42 5/7 23-24513 prevented a substantive outcome in the two previous Review Conferences held in 2015 and 2022; 3. Reaffirms the continued validity of the decisions, resolutions and commitments as agreed to at the 1995, 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, including the specific reaffirmation of the unequivocal undertaking of the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament, to which all States parties are committed under article VI of the Treaty; 4. Urges all State parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to implement their article VI obligations and to pursue multilateral negotiations without delay on effective measures for the achievement and maintenance of a nuclear weapon-free world, recalling in particular the commitment of the nuclear-weapon States to accelerating concrete progress on the steps leading to nuclear disarmament; 5. Calls upon all States to give due prominence to the humanitarian imperatives that underpin nuclear disarmament and to the urgency of achieving it, including new evidence presented at the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, and those imperatives should inform all deliberations, decisions and actions relating to nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, including within the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons; 6. Urges the nuclear-weapon States to fulfil their commitment to undertaking further efforts to reduce and eliminate all types of nuclear weapons, deployed and non-deployed, including through unilateral, bilateral, regional and multilateral measures, as agreed by the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the outcome documents of the 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences; 7. Also urges the nuclear-weapon States to make concrete reductions in the role and significance of nuclear weapons in all military and security concepts, doctrines and policies, pending their total elimination as agreed by the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons in the outcome documents of the 2000 and 2010 Review Conferences; 8. Underlines the recognition by States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of the legitimate interest of non-nuclear- weapon States in the constraining by the nuclear-weapon States of the development and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons and their ending the development of advanced new types of nuclear weapons, and calls upon the nuclear-weapon States to take urgent steps in this regard; 9. Urges all nuclear-weapon States to immediately lower the operational readiness of nuclear-weapon systems in a verifiable and transparent manner with a view to ensuring that all nuclear weapons are removed from high alert status; 10. Encourages all States that are part of regional alliances that include nuclear-weapon States to diminish the role of nuclear weapons in their collective security doctrines, pending their total elimination; 11. Encourages States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to advance measures on the agreed principles of transparency, verifiability and irreversibility, taking into account that they are strongly interrelated and are not an end in themselves and are not a prerequisite to commence nuclear disarmament; 12. Stresses the necessity for enhanced transparency by the nuclear-weapon States with regard to their nuclear weapons capabilities and the implementation of A/RES/78/42 Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments 23-24513 6/7 their article VI obligations and nuclear disarmament-related commitments, and urges nuclear-weapon States to implement their nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, both qualitative and quantitative, in a manner that strengthens accountability and enables all States parties to regularly monitor progress, including through a standard detailed reporting format, thereby enhancing transparency and increasing mutual confidence, and facilitating the evidence-based evaluation of progress towards the full implementation of article VI and nuclear disarmament commitments; 13. Urges the nuclear-weapon States to report at least twice during a Review Conference cycle at appropriate intervals, and to include in their reports to be submitted during the eleventh review cycle of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons concrete and detailed information concerning the implementation of their obligations and commitments on nuclear disarmament; 14. Encourages States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to improve the measurability of the implementation of nuclear disarmament obligations and commitments, including but not limited to measures on improved and more structured reporting by the nuclear-weapon States, tools such as a set of benchmarks, timelines and/or similar criteria, in order to ensure and facilitate the objective evaluation of progress, as well as the establishment of a structured dialogue on this issue at the Preparatory Committee meetings and at the Review Conference on these improved and more structured reports, facilitated by the Chairs of the Preparatory Committee meetings, who will provide a joint report to each Review Conference that includes specific recommendations, targets and indicators, to improve the monitoring of and reporting on article VI and disarmament-related commitments; 15. Encourages the nuclear-weapon States, as part of their national reporting, to include details on their plans related to the modernization of nuclear weapons; their nuclear capabilities, including quantity, type and status of nuclear warheads, as well as delivery vehicles; doctrinal issues; risk reduction measures; de-alerting measures; quantity of fissile material; and the number and type of weapons and delivery systems they have disarmed; 16. Encourages further steps by all nuclear-weapon States to ensure the irreversible removal of all fissile material designated by each nuclear-weapon State as no longer required for military purposes, and calls upon all States to support, within the context of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the development of appropriate nuclear disarmament verification capabilities and legally binding verification arrangements, thereby ensuring that such material remains permanently outside military programmes in a verifiable and irreversible manner; 17. Calls upon all States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to work towards the full implementation of the resolution on the Middle East adopted at the 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 11 which is inextricably linked to the indefinite extension of the Treaty, and which remains valid until fully implemented; 18. Urges the co-sponsors of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East to exert their utmost efforts with a view to ensuring the early establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction as contained __________________ 11 See 1995 Review and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, Part I (NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I) and NPT/CONF.1995/32 (Part I)/Corr.2), annex. Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments A/RES/78/42 7/7 23-24513 in the 1995 resolution on the Middle East, including through support for the convening of the conference on the establishment of such a zone; 19. Calls upon all concerned parties referred to in decision 73/546 of 22 December 2018 to actively engage in the sessions of the conference to elaborate a treaty to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by all States of the region; 20. Calls upon all States parties to spare no effort to achieve the universality of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and in this regard urges India, Israel and Pakistan to accede to the Treaty as non-nuclear-weapon States promptly and without conditions, and to place all their nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, and further calls upon South Sudan to join the Treaty at the earliest opportunity; 21. Urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fulfil its commitments, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programmes, to return, at an early date, to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and to adhere to its International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards agreement, 12 with a view to achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful, complete, verifiable and irreversible manner, and calls for diplomatic efforts to this end; 22. Calls upon all Member States to reflect on the vast amount of resources dedicated to the maintenance, development and modernization of nuclear arsenals and to consider whether these resources could be better utilized in pursuit of a better future as envisaged in the Sustainable Development Goals; 23. Calls upon Member States to continue to support efforts to identify, elaborate, negotiate and implement further effective legally binding measures for nuclear disarmament, inter alia, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, 13 and welcomes the outcomes of the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty, including the political declaration and action plan;14 24. Urges all States to exert all efforts to advance diplomatic dialogue and work together towards overcoming obstacles that are inhibiting substantive work within the international disarmament machinery to advance the agenda of nuclear disarmament, particularly through multilateral negotiations; 25. Recommends that additional measures be taken to advance nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education, in particular to increase awareness of the risks and catastrophic impacts and humanitarian consequences of any nuclear detonation, recognizing the important contributions made by academia, civil society and victims of nuclear weapons to this end; 26. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Towards a nuclear-weapon-free world: accelerating the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments” and to review the implementation of the present resolution at that session. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 12 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1677, No. 28986. 13 A/CONF.229/2017/8. 14 See TPNW/MSP/2022/6. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/44 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/44. Reducing nuclear danger The General Assembly, Bearing in mind that the use of nuclear weapons poses the most serious threat to humankind and to the survival of civilization, Reaffirming that any use or threat of use of nuclear weapons would constitute a violation of the Charter of the United Nations, Convinced that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects would 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, Considering that, until nuclear weapons cease to exist, it is imperative on the part of the nuclear-weapon States to adopt measures that assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, Considering also that the hair-trigger alert of nuclear weapons carries unacceptable risks of unintentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, which would have catastrophic consequences for all humankind, Emphasizing the need to adopt measures to avoid accidental, unauthorized or unexplained incidents arising from computer anomalies or other technical malfunctions, Conscious that limited steps relating to de-alerting and de-targeting have been taken by the nuclear-weapon States and that further practical, realistic and mutually reinforcing steps are necessary to contribute to the improvement in the international climate for negotiations leading to the elimination of nuclear weapons, A/RES/78/44 Reducing nuclear danger 23-24510 2/2 Mindful that a diminishing role for nuclear weapons in the security policies of nuclear-weapon States would have a positive impact on international peace and security and improve the conditions for the further reduction and the elimination of nuclear weapons, Reiterating the highest priority accorded to nuclear disarmament in the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly 1 and by the international community, Recalling the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons2 that there exists an obligation for all States to pursue in good faith and bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control, Recalling also the call, in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,3 to seek to eliminate the dangers posed by weapons of mass destruction and the resolve to strive for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, including the possibility of convening an international conference to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers, 1. Calls for a review of nuclear doctrines and, in this context, immediate and urgent steps to reduce the risks of unintentional and accidental use of nuclear weapons, including through de-alerting and de-targeting nuclear weapons; 2. Requests the five nuclear-weapon States to take measures towards the implementation of paragraph 1 above; 3. Calls upon Member States to take the measures necessary to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons in all its aspects and to promote nuclear disarmament, with the objective of eliminating nuclear weapons; 4. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General submitted pursuant to paragraph 5 of its resolution 77/74 of 7 December 2022;4 5. Requests the Secretary-General to intensify efforts and support initiatives that would contribute to the full implementation of the seven recommendations identified in the report of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters that would significantly reduce the risk of nuclear war, 5 and also to continue to encourage Member States to consider the convening of an international conference, as proposed in the United Nations Millennium Declaration, to identify ways of eliminating nuclear dangers, and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session; 6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Reducing nuclear danger”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 1 Resolution S-10/2. 2 A/51/218, annex. 3 Resolution 55/2. 4 A/78/118. 5 A/56/400, para. 3. | ZIMBABWE | 0 |
A/RES/78/45 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/45. Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 54/54 B of 1 December 1999, 55/33 V of 20 November 2000, 56/24 M of 29 November 2001, 57/74 of 22 November 2002, 58/53 of 8 December 2003, 59/84 of 3 December 2004, 60/80 of 8 December 2005, 61/84 of 6 December 2006, 62/41 of 5 December 2007, 63/42 of 2 December 2008, 64/56 of 2 December 2009, 65/48 of 8 December 2010, 66/29 of 2 December 2011, 67/32 of 3 December 2012, 68/30 of 5 December 2013, 69/34 of 2 December 2014, 70/55 of 7 December 2015, 71/34 of 5 December 2016, 72/53 of 4 December 2017, 73/61 of 5 December 2018, 74/61 of 12 December 2019, 75/52 of 7 December 2020, 76/26 of 6 December 2021 and 77/63 of 7 December 2022, Reaffirming its determination to put an end to the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines, which kill or injure thousands of people – women, girls, boys and men – every year, and which place people living in affected areas at risk and hinder the development of their communities, Believing it necessary to do the utmost to contribute in an efficient and coordinated manner to facing the challenge of removing anti-personnel mines placed throughout the world and to assure their destruction, Wishing to do the utmost to ensure assistance for the care and rehabilitation, including the social and economic reintegration, of mine victims, Noting with satisfaction the work undertaken to implement the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel A/RES/78/45 Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction 23-24508 2/3 Mines and on Their Destruction 1 and the substantial progress made towards addressing the global anti-personnel landmine problem, Recalling the first to twentieth meetings of the States parties to the Convention, held in Maputo (1999), Geneva (2000), Managua (2001), Geneva (2002), Bangkok (2003), Zagreb (2005), Geneva (2006), the Dead Sea (2007), Geneva (2008 and 2010), Phnom Penh (2011), Geneva (2012, 2013 and 2015), Santiago (2016), Vienna (2017), Geneva (2018 and 2020), The Hague (2021) and Geneva (2022), and the First, Second, Third and Fourth Review Conferences of the States Parties to the Convention, held in Nairobi (2004), Cartagena, Colombia (2009), Maputo (2014) and Oslo (2019), Recalling also that, at the Fourth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, the international community reviewed the implementation of the Convention and the States parties adopted a declaration and an action plan for the period 2020–2024 to support the enhanced implementation and promotion of the Convention, Underlining the importance of cooperation and assistance in the implementation of the Convention, including through the so-called individualized approach, which offers mine-affected countries a platform for presenting their challenges, Stressing the need to take into account gender aspects in mine action, Noting with satisfaction that 164 States have ratified or acceded to the Convention and have formally accepted the obligations of the Convention, Emphasizing the desirability of attracting the adherence of all States to the Convention, and determined to work strenuously towards the promotion of its universalization and norms, Noting with deep regret that anti-personnel mines continue to be used in some conflicts around the world, causing human suffering and impeding post-conflict development, 1. Invites all States that have not signed the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction to accede to it without delay; 2. Urges the one remaining State that has signed but has not ratified the Convention to ratify it without delay; 3. Stresses the importance of the full and effective implementation of and compliance with the Convention, including through the continued implementation of the action plans under the Convention; 4. Expresses strong concern regarding the use of anti-personnel mines in various parts of the world, including use highlighted in recent allegations, reports and documented evidence; 5. Urges all States parties to provide the Secretary-General with complete and timely information as required under article 7 of the Convention in order to promote transparency and compliance with the Convention; 6. Invites all States that have not ratified the Convention or acceded to it to provide, on a voluntary basis, information to make global mine action efforts more effective; 7. Renews its call upon all States and other relevant parties to work together to promote, support and advance the care, rehabilitation and social and economic reintegration of mine victims, mine risk education and reduction programmes and the __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 2056, No. 35597. Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction A/RES/78/45 3/3 23-24508 removal and destruction of anti-personnel mines placed or stockpiled throughout the world; 8. Urges all States to remain seized of the issue at the highest political level and, where in a position to do so, to promote adherence to the Convention through bilateral, subregional, regional and multilateral contacts, outreach, seminars and other means, in particular in the light of the upcoming Fifth Review Conference; 9. Invites and encourages all interested States, the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations to attend the Twenty-first Meeting of the States Parties to the Convention, to be held in Geneva from 20 to 24 November 2023, and to participate in the future programme of meetings of the States parties to the Convention; 10. Requests the Secretary-General, in accordance with article 12, paragraph 1, of the Convention, to undertake the preparations necessary to convene the Fifth Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention and, on behalf of the States parties and in accordance with article 12, paragraph 3, of the Convention, to invite States not parties to the Convention, as well as the United Nations, other relevant international organizations or institutions, regional organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and relevant non-governmental organizations, to attend the Fifth Review Conference as observers; 11. Calls upon States parties and States participating in meetings to address issues arising from outstanding dues and to proceed promptly with the payment of their share of the estimated costs; 12. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction”. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/51 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/409, para. 89)] 78/51. Radiological weapons The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions related to a prohibition of the development, production, stockpiling and use of radiological weapons, including resolutions 2602 C (XXIV) of 16 December 1969, 34/87 A of 11 December 1979, 35/156 G of 12 December 1980, 36/97 B of 9 December 1981, 37/99 C of 13 December 1982, 38/188 D of 20 December 1983, 39/151 J of 17 December 1984, 40/94 D of 12 December 1985, 41/59 I of 3 December 1986, 42/38 F of 30 November 1987, 43/75 J of 7 December 1988, 44/116 T of 15 November 1989, 45/58 F of 4 December 1990, 46/36 E of 6 December 1991 and 47/52 B of 9 December 1992, Reaffirming that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community, has the primary role in substantive negotiations on priority questions of disarmament, Welcoming the work, in 1980, of the ad hoc committees of the Conference on Disarmament established with a view to reaching an agreement on a convention prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling and use of radiological weapons1 and the work of the related ad hoc committees undertaken as recently as 1992 in this regard, and welcoming also the extensive work done in the years following on this topic at the Conference under the long-standing agenda item entitled “New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons”, Bearing in mind the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, the first special session devoted to disarmament, which was adopted by consensus, and wherein it was noted that progress towards the goal of general and complete disarmament can be achieved through the implementation of a programme __________________ 1 CD/133. A/RES/78/51 Radiological weapons 23-24492 2/2 of action on disarmament, and included in that programme of action was a measure that a convention should be concluded prohibiting the development, production, stockpiling, and use of radiological weapons,2 and expressing interest in taking steps towards this end, Seriously concerned that the use of radiological weapons could have significant health and economic impacts on civilian populations, Noting the extensive existing frameworks to address radiological threats with a focus on non-State actors, 3 including, among other instruments, the International Atomic Energy Agency Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, its supplementary Guidance on the Import and Export of Radioactive Sources and its supplementary Guidance on the Management of Disused Radioactive Sources, and wishing to complement, rather than duplicate, these existing measures, Seeking to add to the landmark agreements that States have successfully concluded on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons through renewed efforts to address radiological weapons as a means to enhance international peace and security, Reaffirming the need to ensure the equal, full and meaningful participation of underrepresented groups and reflect gender perspectives and diverse participant perspectives in the negotiation process, 1. Calls upon all States not to use radiological weapons; 2. Also calls upon all States not to develop, produce or stockpile devices or materials for use as radiological weapons, while desiring to avoid interfering with the legitimate uses of radioactive materials; 3. Emphasizes that radiological weapons are a unique category of weapons distinct and separate from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons; 4. Urges the Conference on Disarmament to adopt, in 2024, a comprehensive and balanced programme of work that includes the commencement of negotiations to conclude, as an initial step on this issue, a legally binding multilateral prohibition of the use of radiological weapons by States. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 2 Resolution S-10/2. 3 For the purposes of the present resolution, the General Assembly understands “non-State actor” to mean an individual or entity not acting under the lawful authority of any State in conducting activities that come within the scope of the present resolution. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/66 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 4 December 2023 [on the report of the First Committee (A/78/414, para. 7)] 78/66. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty The General Assembly, Reiterating that the cessation of nuclear-weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions constitutes an effective nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation measure, and convinced that this is a meaningful step in the realization of a systematic process for achieving nuclear disarmament, Recalling that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, adopted by the General Assembly by its resolution 50/245 of 10 September 1996, was opened for signature on 24 September 1996, Stressing that a universal and effectively verifiable Treaty constitutes a fundamental instrument in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and will be a major contribution to international peace and security, Stressing also the vital importance and urgency of achieving the entry into force of the Treaty, and affirming its resolute determination, 27 years after the Treaty was opened for signature, to achieve its entry into force, Encouraged by the signing of the Treaty by 187 States, including 41 of the 44 whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, and welcoming the ratification of the Treaty by 178 States, including 36 of the 44 whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, among which there are 3 nuclear-weapon States, Recognizing the sustained efforts by the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization to promote the universalization of the Treaty, and encouraging their continuation, Recalling its resolution 77/94 of 7 December 2022, Recalling also the adoption by consensus of the conclusions and recommendations for follow-on actions of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties A/RES/78/66 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 23-24446 2/3 to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,1 in which the Conference, inter alia, reaffirmed the vital importance of the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty as a core element of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and included specific actions to be taken in support of the entry into force of the Treaty, Recalling further the Final Declaration adopted by the thirteenth Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, held in New York on 22 September 2023, convened pursuant to article XIV of the Treaty, and recalling the joint statement issued by the Friends of the Comprehensive Nuclear- Test-Ban Treaty on 21 September 2022, Noting the contribution of diverse and inclusive participation in building and sustaining momentum for the universalization and entry into force of the Treaty, including through the Youth Group of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Welcoming the sustained efforts within the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization for the equal participation of both men and women in its staff and its capacity-building programmes, and encouraging the continuation of such efforts, Welcoming also the continuing progress in the development of the Treaty’s verification regime, which advances the Treaty’s primary non-proliferation and disarmament objective, and the establishment of 305 certified facilities of the International Monitoring System network, Welcoming further the renewed focus on ensuring the continued operation and long-term sustainability of the verification regime, Recognizing the civil and scientific benefits provided by the Treaty’s global monitoring system, 1. Stresses the vital importance and urgency of signature and ratification, without delay and without conditions, in order to achieve the earliest entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty;2 2. Welcomes the contributions by the signatory States to the work of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, in particular its efforts to ensure that the verification regime of the Treaty will be capable of meeting the verification requirements of the Treaty upon its entry into force, in accordance with article IV of the Treaty, and encourages their continuation; 3. Underlines the need to maintain momentum towards the completion of all elements of the verification regime; 4. Urges all States not to carry out nuclear-weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions, to maintain their moratoriums in this regard and to refrain from acts that would defeat the object and purpose of the Treaty, while stressing that these measures do not have the same permanent and legally binding effect as the entry into force of the Treaty; 5. Reiterates its condemnation of the six nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in violation of relevant Security Council __________________ 1 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2010/50 (Vol. I)), part I, Conclusions and recommendations for follow-on actions. 2 See resolution 50/245 and A/50/1027. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty A/RES/78/66 3/3 23-24446 resolutions, 3 urges full compliance with the obligations under those resolutions, including that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea abandon its nuclear weapons programme and not conduct any further nuclear tests, reaffirms its support for the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner, welcomes all efforts and dialogue to this end, and encourages all parties to continue diplomatic efforts; 6. Urges all States that have not yet signed or ratified, or that have signed but not yet ratified, the Treaty, in particular those whose ratification is needed for its entry into force, to sign and ratify it as soon as possible and to accelerate their ratification processes with a view to ensuring their earliest successful conclusion; 7. Welcomes, since the adoption of its previous resolution on the subject, the signature of the Treaty by Somalia and the ratification of the Treaty by Solomon Islands and Sri Lanka, since each signature or ratification is a significant step towards the entry into force and universalization of the Treaty; 8. Encourages further expressions from among the remaining States whose ratification is needed for the Treaty to enter into force of their intention to pursue and complete the ratification process; 9. Urges all States to remain seized of the issue at the highest political level and, where in a position to do so, to promote adherence to the Treaty through bilateral and joint outreach, seminars and other means; 10. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled “Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty”. 42nd plenary meeting 4 December 2023 __________________ 3 Including Security Council resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2094 (2013), 2270 (2016), 2321 (2016) and 2375 (2017). | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/7 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 2 November 2023 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/78/L.5)] 78/7. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba The General Assembly, Determined to encourage strict compliance with the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming, among other principles, the sovereign equality of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their internal affairs and freedom of international trade and navigation, which are also enshrined in many international legal instruments, Recalling the statements of the Heads of State or Government of Latin America and the Caribbean at the Summits of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States regarding the need to put an end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed against Cuba, Concerned about the continued promulgation and application by Member States of laws and regulations, such as that promulgated on 12 March 1996 known as “the Helms-Burton Act”, the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty of other States, the legitimate interests of entities or persons under their jurisdiction and the freedom of trade and navigation, Taking note of declarations and resolutions of different intergovernmental forums, bodies and Governments that express the rejection by the international community and public opinion of the promulgation and application of measures of the kind referred to above, Recalling its resolutions 47/19 of 24 November 1992, 48/16 of 3 November 1993, 49/9 of 26 October 1994, 50/10 of 2 November 1995, 51/17 of 12 November A/RES/78/7 Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba 23-21472 2/2 1996, 52/10 of 5 November 1997, 53/4 of 14 October 1998, 54/21 of 9 November 1999, 55/20 of 9 November 2000, 56/9 of 27 November 2001, 57/11 of 12 November 2002, 58/7 of 4 November 2003, 59/11 of 28 October 2004, 60/12 of 8 November 2005, 61/11 of 8 November 2006, 62/3 of 30 October 2007, 63/7 of 29 October 2008, 64/6 of 28 October 2009, 65/6 of 26 October 2010, 66/6 of 25 October 2011, 67/4 of 13 November 2012, 68/8 of 29 October 2013, 69/5 of 28 October 2014, 70/5 of 27 October 2015, 71/5 of 26 October 2016, 72/4 of 1 November 2017, 73/8 of 1 November 2018, 74/7 of 7 November 2019, 75/289 of 23 June 2021 and 77/7 of 3 November 2022 and its decision 76/563 of 11 May 2022, Recalling also the measures adopted by the Executive of the United States of America in 2015 and 2016 to modify several aspects of the application of the embargo, which contrast with the measures applied since 2017 to reinforce its implementation, Concerned that, since the adoption of its resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, 61/11, 62/3, 63/7, 64/6, 65/6, 66/6, 67/4, 68/8, 69/5, 70/5, 71/5, 72/4, 73/8, 74/7, 75/289 and 77/7, the economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba is still in place, and concerned also about the adverse effects of such measures on the Cuban people and on Cuban nationals living in other countries, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 77/7;1 2. Reiterates its call upon all States to refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind referred to in the preamble to the present resolution, in conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which, inter alia, reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation; 3. Once again urges States that have and continue to apply such laws and measures to take the steps necessary to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible in accordance with their legal regime; 4. Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations system, to prepare a report on the implementation of the present resolution in the light of the purposes and principles of the Charter and international law and to submit it to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session; 5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-ninth session the item entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. 26th plenary meeting 2 November 2023 __________________ 1 A/78/84. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/78/82 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 7 December 2023 [on the report of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee) (A/78/426, para. 8)] 78/82. Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories The General Assembly, Having considered the item entitled “Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories”, Having examined the report of the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples for 2023,1 Recalling its resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960, as well as all its other relevant resolutions, including, in particular, resolutions 46/181 of 19 December 1991, 55/146 of 8 December 2000, 65/119 of 10 December 2010 and 75/123 of 10 December 2020, Reaffirming the solemn obligation of the administering Powers under the Charter of the United Nations to promote the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the inhabitants of the Territories under their administration and to protect the human and natural resources of those Territories against abuses, Reaffirming also that any economic or other activity, including the use of the Non-Self-Governing Territories for military activity, that has a negative impact on the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and on the exercise of their right to self-determination in conformity with the Charter, General Assembly __________________ 1 Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-eighth Session, Supplement No. 23 (A/78/23). A/RES/78/82 Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories 23-24939 2/4 resolution 1514 (XV) and the other relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization is contrary to the purposes and principles of the Charter, Reaffirming further that the natural resources are the heritage of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, including the Indigenous populations, Taking into account its resolution 1803 (XVII) of 14 December 1962 regarding the sovereignty of peoples over their natural wealth and resources in accordance with the Charter and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization, Aware of the special circumstances of the geographical location, size and economic conditions of each Territory, and bearing in mind the need to promote the stability, diversification and strengthening of the economy of each Territory, Conscious of the particular vulnerability of the small Territories to hurricanes, natural phenomena or other extreme weather events and environmental degradation, Reaffirming its deep concern at the number and scale of hurricanes, natural phenomena or other extreme weather events and their devastating impact in 2017 in the Non-Self-Governing Territories in the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the loss of life and negative economic, social and environmental consequences for their vulnerable societies and hampering the achievement of sustainable development in these Territories, in particular in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, as well as in Puerto Rico, whose situation is addressed in the Special Committee, Stressing the importance of inclusiveness within the United Nations development system and with respect to the implementation of relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, and resolution 77/164 of 14 December 2022 on disaster risk reduction, Conscious that foreign economic investment, when undertaken in collaboration with the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and in accordance with their wishes, could make a valid contribution to the socioeconomic development of the Territories and to the exercise of their right to self-determination in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations, Concerned about any activities aimed at exploiting the natural and human resources of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to the detriment of the interests of the inhabitants of those Territories, Bearing in mind the relevant provisions of the final documents of the successive Conferences of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries and of the resolutions adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, the Pacific Islands Forum and the Caribbean Community, 1. Reaffirms the right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to self-determination in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and with General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV), containing the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and with other relevant resolutions of the United Nations, as well as their right to the enjoyment of their natural resources and their right to dispose of those resources in their best interest; 2. Affirms the value of foreign economic investment undertaken in collaboration with the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories and in accordance with their wishes in order to make a valid contribution to the socioeconomic development of the Territories, especially during times of economic and financial crisis; Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories A/RES/78/82 3/4 23-24939 3. Reaffirms the responsibility of the administering Powers under the Charter to promote the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and also reaffirms the legitimate rights of their peoples over their natural resources; 4. Reaffirms its concern about any activities aimed at the exploitation of the natural resources that are the heritage of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, including the Indigenous populations, in the Caribbean, the Pacific and other regions, and of their human resources, to the detriment of their interests, and in such a way as to deprive them of their right to dispose of those resources; 5. Reaffirms the need to avoid any economic or other activities, including the use of the Non-Self-Governing Territories for military activity, that adversely affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and in this regard reminds the administering Powers of their responsibility and accountability vis-à-vis any detriment to the interests of the peoples of those Territories, in accordance with relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization; 6. Calls once again upon all Governments that have not yet done so to take, in accordance with the relevant provisions of General Assembly resolution 2621 (XXV) of 12 October 1970, legislative, administrative or other measures in respect of their nationals and the bodies corporate under their jurisdiction that own and operate enterprises in the Non-Self-Governing Territories that are detrimental to the interests of the inhabitants of those Territories, in order to put an end to such enterprises; 7. Calls upon the administering Powers to ensure that the exploitation of the marine and other natural resources in the Non-Self-Governing Territories under their administration is not in violation of the relevant resolutions of the United Nations and does not adversely affect the interests of the peoples of those Territories; 8. Invites all Governments and organizations of the United Nations system to take all possible measures to ensure that the permanent sovereignty of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories over their natural resources is fully respected and safeguarded in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization; 9. Once again urges the administering Powers concerned to take effective measures to safeguard and guarantee the inalienable right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to their natural resources and to establish and maintain control over the future development of those resources, and requests the administering Powers to take all steps necessary to protect the property rights of the peoples of those Territories in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization; 10. Calls upon the administering Powers concerned to ensure that no discriminatory working conditions prevail in the Territories under their administration and to promote in each Territory a fair system of wages applicable to all the inhabitants without any discrimination; 11. Also calls upon the administering Powers concerned to provide all the necessary assistance to the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories affected by hurricanes, natural phenomena or other extreme weather events in order to alleviate the humanitarian needs in the affected communities, support the recovery and rebuilding efforts and enhance capabilities for emergency preparedness and risk reduction; 12. Encourages the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system and regional organizations to continue to provide assistance to the A/RES/78/82 Economic and other activities which affect the interests of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories 23-24939 4/4 Non-Self-Governing Territories affected by hurricanes, natural phenomena or other extreme weather events and to formulate appropriate programmes to support emergency response and recovery and rebuilding efforts, and requests the Secretary- General to report to the General Assembly on this matter; 13. Requests the Secretary-General to continue, through all means at his disposal, to inform world public opinion of any activity that affects the exercise of the right of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories to self-determination in conformity with the Charter, General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) and the other relevant resolutions of the United Nations on decolonization; 14. Appeals to trade unions and non-governmental organizations, as well as individuals, to continue their efforts to promote the economic well-being of the peoples of the Non-Self-Governing Territories, and also appeals to the media to disseminate information about the developments in this regard; 15. Decides to follow the situation in the Non-Self-Governing Territories so as to ensure that all economic activities in those Territories are aimed at strengthening and diversifying their economies in the interest of their peoples, in particular the Indigenous populations, and at promoting the economic and financial viability of those Territories; 16. Requests the Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples to continue to examine this question and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its seventy-ninth session. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/ES-10/13 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/ES-10/L.15)] ES-10/13. Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory The General Assembly, Recalling its relevant resolutions, including resolutions of the tenth emergency special session, Recalling also Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 267 (1969) of 3 July 1969, 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, 446 (1979) of 22 March 1979, 452 (1979) of 20 July 1979, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980, 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994, 1073 (1996) of 28 September 1996 and 1397 (2002) of 12 March 2002, Reaffirming the principle of the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, Reaffirming also its vision of a region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders, Condemning all acts of violence, terrorism and destruction, Condemning in particular the suicide bombings and their recent intensification with the attack in Haifa, Condemning the bomb attack in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the death of three American security officers, Deploring the extrajudicial killings and their recent intensification, in particular the attack on 20 October 2003 in Gaza, Stressing the urgency of ending the current violent situation on the ground, the need to end the occupation that began in 1967, and the need to achieve peace based on the vision of two States mentioned above, Particularly concerned that the route marked out for the wall under construction by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, could prejudge future negotiations and make the two-State solution physically impossible to implement and would cause further humanitarian hardship to the Palestinians, A/RES/ES-10/13 2 Reiterating its call upon Israel, the occupying Power, to fully and effectively respect the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949,1 Reiterating its opposition to settlement activities in the Occupied Territories and to any activities involving the confiscation of land, disruption of the livelihood of protected persons and the de facto annexation of land, 1. Demands that Israel stop and reverse the construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, which is in departure of the Armistice Line of 1949 and is in contradiction to relevant provisions of international law; 2. Calls upon both parties to fulfil their obligations under relevant provisions of the road map,2 the Palestinian Authority to undertake visible efforts on the ground to arrest, disrupt and restrain individuals and groups conducting and planning violent attacks, and the Government of Israel to take no actions undermining trust, including deportations and attacks on civilians and extrajudicial killings; 3. Requests the Secretary-General to report on compliance with the present resolution periodically, with the first report on compliance with paragraph 1 above to be submitted within one month and upon receipt of which further actions should be considered, if necessary, within the United Nations system; 4. Decides to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize the current President of the General Assembly to resume its meeting upon request from Member States. 22nd plenary meeting 21 October 2003 _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. 2 S/2003/529, annex. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/ES-10/14 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/ES-10/L.16)] ES-10/14. Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory The General Assembly, Reaffirming its resolution ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003, Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Aware of the established principle of international law on the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, Aware also that developing friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples is among the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling relevant General Assembly resolutions, including resolution 181 (II) of 29 November 1947, which partitioned mandated Palestine into two States, one Arab and one Jewish, Recalling also the resolutions of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, Recalling further relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, 267 (1969) of 3 July 1969, 298 (1971) of 25 September 1971, 446 (1979) of 22 March 1979, 452 (1979) of 20 July 1979, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980, 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994, 1073 (1996) of 28 September 1996, 1397 (2002) of 12 March 2002 and 1515 (2003) of 19 November 2003, Reaffirming the applicability of the Fourth Geneva Convention1 as well as Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions2 to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. 2 Ibid., vol 1125, No. 17512. A/RES/ES-10/14 2 Recalling the Regulations annexed to the Hague Convention Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land of 1907,3 Welcoming the convening of the Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention on measures to enforce the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including Jerusalem, at Geneva on 15 July 1999, Expressing its support for the declaration adopted by the reconvened Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention at Geneva on 5 December 2001, Recalling in particular relevant United Nations resolutions affirming that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, are illegal and an obstacle to peace and to economic and social development as well as those demanding the complete cessation of settlement activities, Recalling relevant United Nations resolutions affirming that actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to change the status and demographic composition of Occupied East Jerusalem have no legal validity and are null and void, Noting the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization in the context of the Middle East peace process, Gravely concerned at the commencement and continuation of construction by Israel, the occupying Power, of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, which is in departure from the Armistice Line of 1949 (Green Line) and which has involved the confiscation and destruction of Palestinian land and resources, the disruption of the lives of thousands of protected civilians and the de facto annexation of large areas of territory, and underlining the unanimous opposition by the international community to the construction of that wall, Gravely concerned also at the even more devastating impact of the projected parts of the wall on the Palestinian civilian population and on the prospects for solving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and establishing peace in the region, Welcoming the report of 8 September 2003 of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967,4 in particular the section regarding the wall, Affirming the necessity of ending the conflict on the basis of the two-State solution of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security based on the Armistice Line of 1949, in accordance with relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, Having received with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General, submitted in accordance with resolution ES-10/13,5 _______________ 3 See Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The Hague Conventions and Declarations of 1899 and 1907 (New York, Oxford University Press, 1915). 4 E/CN.4/2004/6. 5 A/ES-10/248. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/ES-10/21 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 27 October 2023 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/ES-10/L.25)] ES-10/21. Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations The General Assembly, Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Recalling its relevant resolutions regarding the question of Palestine, Reaffirming the obligation to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law in all circumstances in accordance with article 1 of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949,1 Recalling the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973, 446 (1979) of 22 March 1979, 452 (1979) of 20 July 1979, 465 (1980) of 1 March 1980, 476 (1980) of 30 June 1980, 478 (1980) of 20 August 1980, 904 (1994) of 18 March 1994, 1397 (2002) of 12 March 2002, 1515 (2003) of 19 November 2003, 1850 (2008) of 16 December 2008, 1860 (2009) of 8 January 2009 and 2334 (2016) of 23 December 2016, Recalling also Security Council resolutions on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, including on children and armed conflict, Expressing grave concern at the latest escalation of violence since the 7 October 2023 attack and the grave deterioration of the situation in the region, in particular in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, Condemning all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destruction, __________________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, Nos. 970–973. A/RES/ES–10/21 Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations 23-21048 2/3 Recalling the need to uphold the principles of distinction, necessity, proportionality and precaution in the conduct of hostilities, Emphasizing that civilians must be protected, in accordance with international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and deploring in this regard the heavy civilian casualties and widespread destruction, Emphasizing also the need to pursue accountability, and stressing in this regard the importance of ensuring independent and transparent investigations in accordance with international standards, Expressing grave concern at the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and at its vast consequences for the civilian population, largely comprising children, and underlining the need for full, immediate, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access, Expressing strong support for the efforts of the Secretary-General and for his calls for the immediate and unrestricted access of humanitarian aid to respond to the most basic needs of the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, underlining the Secretary-General’s message that food, water, medicine and fuel need to be sustained and at scale, and expressing its appreciation for the critical role played by Egypt in this regard, Expressing strong support also for all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving an immediate cessation of hostilities, ensuring the protection of civilians and providing humanitarian aid, 1. Calls for an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities; 2. Demands that all parties immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly in regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, as well as the protection of humanitarian personnel, persons hors de combat, and humanitarian facilities and assets, and to enable and facilitate humanitarian access for essential supplies and services to reach all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip; 3. Also demands the immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip, including but not limited to water, food, medical supplies, fuel and electricity, stressing the imperative, under international humanitarian law, of ensuring that civilians are not deprived of objects indispensable to their survival; 4. Calls for immediate, full, sustained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and other United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all other humanitarian organizations upholding humanitarian principles and delivering urgent assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, encourages the establishment of humanitarian corridors and other initiatives to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians, and welcomes efforts in this regard; 5. Also calls for the rescinding of the order by Israel, the occupying Power, for Palestinian civilians and United Nations staff, as well as humanitarian and medical workers, to evacuate all areas in the Gaza Strip north of the Wadi Gaza and relocate to southern Gaza, recalls and reiterates that civilians are protected under international humanitarian law and should receive humanitarian assistance wherever they are, and reiterates the need to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations A/RES/ES–10/21 3/3 23-21048 civilians, in particular children, and their protection, and allowing their safe movement; 6. Firmly rejects any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population; 7. Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilians who are being illegally held captive, demanding their safety, well-being and humane treatment in compliance with international law; 8. Also calls for respect and protection, consistent with international humanitarian law, of all civilian and humanitarian facilities, including hospitals and other medical facilities, as well as their means of transport and equipment, schools, places of worship and United Nations facilities, as well as all of humanitarian and medical personnel and journalists, media professionals and associated personnel, in armed conflict in the region; 9. Stresses the particularly grave impact that armed conflict has on women and children, including as refugees and displaced persons, as well as on other civilians who may have specific vulnerabilities, including persons with disabilities and older persons; 10. Also stresses the need to urgently establish a mechanism to ensure the protection of the Palestinian civilian population, in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions; 11. Further stresses the importance of a humanitarian notification mechanism to ensure the protection of United Nations facilities and all humanitarian installations, and to ensure the unimpeded movement of aid convoys; 12. Emphasizes the importance of preventing further destabilization and escalation of violence in the region, and in this regard calls upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and upon all those with influence on them to work toward this objective; 13. Reaffirms that a just and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved by peaceful means, based on the relevant United Nations resolutions and in accordance with international law, and on the basis of the two-State solution; 14. Decides to adjourn the tenth emergency special session temporarily and to authorize the President of the General Assembly at its most recent session to resume its meeting upon request from Member States. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
A/RES/ES-10/8 | Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [without reference to a Main Committee (A/ES-10/L.7)] ES-10/8 Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory The General Assembly, Recalling its relevant resolutions, Recalling also relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 1322 (2000) of 7 October 2000, Emphasizing the need for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967 and 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and the principle of land for peace, Emphasizing also in that regard the essential role of the Palestinian Authority, which remains the indispensable and legitimate party for peace and needs to be preserved fully, Expressing its grave concern at the continuation of the tragic and violent events that have taken place since September 2000, Expressing also its grave concern at the recent dangerous deterioration of the situation and its possible impact on the region, Emphasizing further the importance of the safety and well-being of all civilians in the whole Middle East region, and condemning in particular all acts of violence and terror resulting in the deaths and injuries among Palestinian and Israeli civilians, Expressing its determination to contribute to ending the violence and to promoting dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian sides, Reiterating the need for the two sides to comply with their obligations under the existing agreements, A/RES/ES-10/8 2 Also reiterating the need for Israel, the occupying Power, to abide scrupulously by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949,1 1. Demands the immediate cessation of all acts of violence, provocation and destruction, as well as the return to the positions and arrangements that existed prior to September 2000; 2. Condemns all acts of terror, in particular those targeting civilians; 3. Also condemns all acts of extrajudiciary executions, excessive use of force and wide destruction of properties; 4. Calls upon the two sides to start the comprehensive and immediate implementation of the recommendations made in the report of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee (Mitchell report) in a speedy manner; 5. Encourages all concerned to establish a monitoring mechanism to help the parties implement the recommendations of the report of the Fact-Finding Committee and to help to create a better situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; 6. Calls for the resumption of negotiations between the two sides within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis, taking into consideration developments in previous discussions between the two sides, and urges them to reach a final agreement on all issues, on the basis of their previous agreements, with the objective of implementing Security Council resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973); 7. Decides to remain seized of the matter. 15th plenary meeting 20 December 2001 _______________ 1 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 75, No. 973. | ZIMBABWE | 1 |
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