Comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty, G.A. res. 47/47, 47 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 57, U.N. Doc. A/47/49 (1992).


The General Assembly,

Recalling previous resolutions that identify the complete cessation of nuclear-weapon tests and a comprehensive test ban as one of the priority objectives in the field of disarmament,

Convinced that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought,

Welcoming the improved relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States of America and their consequent announcements of significant measures, including unilateral steps, which could signal the reversal of the nuclear-arms race,

Welcoming also the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms, signed on 31 July 1991, and the signing of a protocol to this Treaty in which Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United States of America undertake to give effect to the Treaty,

Welcoming further the Joint Understanding of 17 June 1992 between the Russian Federation and the United States of America on further reductions in their strategic offensive arms,

Welcoming the decision taken by France to suspend its testing of nuclear weapons for 1992,

Endorsing the call made by France and by the Russian Federation on the other nuclear Powers to suspend their nuclear tests,

Welcoming also in addition the recent decision of the United States of America to implement a testing moratorium accompanied by a plan for achieving a multilateral, comprehensive ban on the testing of nuclear weapons,

Welcoming further the decision of the Russian Federation to extend its earlier-announced nuclear-testing moratorium,

Convinced that an end to nuclear testing by all States in all environments for all time is an essential step in order to prevent the qualitative improvement and development of nuclear weapons and their further proliferation and to contribute, along with other concurrent efforts to reduce nuclear arms, to the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons,

Noting the concerns expressed about the environmental and health risks associated with underground nuclear testing, as brought out in the Expert Study on Questions Related to a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in CD/1167 of 14 August 1992, which noted, inter alia, the environmental benefits and economic savings to be derived from a complete ban on nuclear testing,

Convinced also that the most effective way to achieve an end to nuclear testing is through the conclusion, at an early date, of a verifiable, comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty that will attract the adherence of all States,

Taking into account the undertakings by the original parties to the 1963 Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water to seek to achieve the early discontinuance of all test explosions of nuclear weapons for all time, and also noting the reiteration of this commitment in the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

Noting with satisfaction the work being undertaken within the Conference on Disarmament by the Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Cooperative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events, and in this context welcoming the results of the second technical test concerning the global exchange and analysis of seismic data, which will permit the system to be redesigned in the light of this experience,

Recalling that the Amendment Conference of States Parties to the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water was held in New York from 7 to 18 January 1991,

Expressing its disappointment that the Conference on Disarmament was unable to re-establish the Ad Hoc Committee on item 1 of its agenda, entitled "Nuclear test ban", despite the improved political climate,

1. Reaffirms its conviction that a treaty to achieve the prohibition of all nuclear-test explosions by all States in all environments for all time is a matter of priority which would constitute an essential step in order to prevent the qualitative improvement and development of nuclear weapons and their further proliferation, and which would contribute to the process of nuclear disarmament;

2. Urges, therefore, all States to seek to achieve the early discontinuance of all nuclear-test explosions for all time;

3. Urges:

(a) The nuclear-weapon States to agree promptly to appropriate verifiable and militarily significant interim measures, with a view to concluding a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty;

(b) Those nuclear-weapon States which have not yet done so to adhere to the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and under Water;

4. Reaffirms the particular responsibilities of the Conference on Disarmament in the negotiation of a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty, and in this context urges the re-establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Nuclear Test Ban in 1993;

5. Requests the Conference on Disarmament, in this context, to intensify its substantive work begun in 1990 on specific and interrelated test-ban issues, including structure and scope and verification and compliance, taking also into account all relevant proposals and future initiatives;

6. Urges the Conference on Disarmament:

(a) To take into account the progress achieved by the Ad Hoc Group of Scientific Experts to Consider International Cooperative Measures to Detect and Identify Seismic Events, including the experience gained from the technical test concerning the global exchange and analysis of seismic data, and other relevant initiatives;

(b) To continue efforts to establish, with the widest possible participation, an international seismic monitoring network with a view to developing further a system for the effective monitoring and verification of compliance with a comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty;

(c) To investigate other measures to monitor and verify compliance with such a treaty, including on-site inspections, satellite monitoring and an international network to monitor atmospheric radioactivity;

7. Calls upon the Conference on Disarmament to report to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session on progress made, including its recommendations on how the objectives of the Ad Hoc Committee on item 1 of its agenda, entitled "Nuclear test ban", should be carried forward most effectively towards achieving a comprehensive test-ban treaty;

8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-eighth session the item entitled "Comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty".

81st plenary meeting
9 December 1992