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, G.A. res. 50/74, U.N. Doc. A/RES/50/74 (1995)


      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolution 49/79 of 15 December 1994 and previous
resolutions referring to 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,
 
      Recalling with satisfaction the adoption, on 10 October 1980, of the
Convention, together with the Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol
I), the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby
Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) and the Protocol on Prohibitions or
Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III), which entered
into force on 2 December 1983,
 
      Recalling the commitment by the States that are parties to the
Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto to respect the objectives and the
provisions thereof,
 
      Reaffirming its conviction that a general and verifiable agreement on
prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons would
significantly reduce the suffering of civilians and combatants,
 
      Noting that, in conformity with article 8 of the Convention, conferences
may be convened to examine amendments to the Convention or to any of the
Protocols thereto, to examine additional protocols concerning other categories
of conventional weapons not covered by the existing Protocols or to review the
scope and application of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto and
to examine any proposed amendments or additional protocols,
 
      Noting with satisfaction that the group of governmental experts
established to prepare a conference to review the Convention and the Protocols
annexed thereto held four meetings and completed its work by submitting a
final report,
 
      Welcoming the fact that the Review Conference of the States Parties to
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 met at Vienna from 25 September to 13 October
1995, in accordance with article 8, paragraph 3, of the Convention and that,
in addition to the States parties, forty other States attended and took an
active part in the Conference,
 
      Particularly welcoming the adoption on 13 October 1995 of the Protocol
on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) annexed to the Convention,
 
      Noting that the Review Conference was not able to complete its work in
reviewing the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines,
Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II), and the decision of the
Conference therefore to continue its work,
 
      Recalling the role played by the International Committee of the Red
Cross in the elaboration of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto,
 
      Noting with satisfaction the convening by the Secretary-General of the
International Meeting on Mine Clearance at Geneva from 5 to 7 July 1995, and
that substantial contributions to the Voluntary Trust Fund for Assistance in
Mine Clearance were pledged at the Conference,
 
      Welcoming the national measures adopted by Member States relating to the
transfer, the production or the reduction of existing stockpiles of
anti-personnel land-mines,
 
      Desirous of reinforcing international cooperation in the area of
prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons, in
particular for the removal of minefields, mines and booby traps,
 
      Recalling in this respect its resolutions 48/7 of 19 October 1993 and
49/215 of 23 December 1994 on assistance in mine clearance,
 
      1.    Registers its satisfaction with the report of the Secretary-
General; 
 
      2.    Welcomes the fact that additional States have ratified or accepted
the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain
Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to
Have Indiscriminate Effects, which was opened for signature in New York on 10
April 1981, or have acceded to the Convention;
 
      3.    Urgently calls upon all States that have not yet done so to take
all measures to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention and its
Protocols and upon successor States to take appropriate measures so that
ultimately access to these instruments will be universal;
 
      4.    Calls upon the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary of
the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto, to continue to inform it
periodically of accessions to the Convention and the Protocols;
 
      5.    Takes note of the interim report of the Review Conference of the
States Parties to 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, held at Vienna from 25 September to 13
October 1995;
 
      6.    Commends the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV) to
all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to this
instrument at an early date;
 
      7.    Calls upon the States parties to intensify their efforts in order
to conclude negotiations on a strengthened Protocol II;
 
      8.    Takes note of the decision of the Review Conference to continue
its work at resumed sessions at Geneva from 15 to 19 January and 22 April to 3
May 1996;
 
      9.    Requests the Secretary-General to continue furnishing needed
assistance to the Review Conference;
 
      10.   Again calls upon the maximum number of States to attend the Review
Conference;
 
      11.   Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-first
session the item entitled "Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the
Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively
Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects".
      

 

 



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