The General Assembly this afternoon called for renewed efforts by the States parties to the 1972 Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Systems -– Russian Federation and United States -— to preserve and strengthen it through full and strict compliance, by the terms of one of 47 resolutions and four decisions adopted on the recommendation of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).
By further terms of the amended text, the Assembly also called on the parties to limit the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems and to refrain from the deployment of such systems for a defence of the territory of its country. The resolution was adopted by a recorded vote of 80 in favour to 4 against (Albania, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States), with 68 abstentions. (For details of the vote, see Annex V).
...........
According to a draft resolution contained in the report on the prevention of an arms race in outer space (document A/54/562), the General Assembly would call upon all States, in particular those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space and of the prevention of an arms race in outer space and to refrain from actions contrary to that objective and to the relevant existing treaties.
Reiterating that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, had the primary role in negotiating a multilateral agreement, as appropriate, on the prevention of an outer space arms race in all its aspects, the Assembly would urge States conducting activities in outer space, as well as States interested in conducting such activities, to keep the Conference on Disarmament informed of the progress of bilateral and multilateral negotiations on the matter. It would invite the Conference to complete examination and updating of the mandate contained in its decision of 13 February 1992 and establish an ad hoc committee at the earliest, during its 2000 session.
The text was approved on 1 November by a recorded vote of 138 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (Israel, United States).
The report on general and complete disarmament (document A/54/563) contains 22 draft resolutions and one draft decision, A to V (the texts are listed as they are expected to be considered by the Assembly).
According to draft A on the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty), the Assembly, recognizing the historic role of the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the United States of 26 May 1972 as a cornerstone for maintaining international peace and security and strategic stability, would call for continued efforts to strengthen the Treaty and to preserve its integrity and validity so that it remained a cornerstone of global strategic stability and world peace and in promoting further strategic nuclear arms reductions.
In a related provision, the Assembly would call for renewed efforts by each of the States parties to the ABM Treaty to preserve and strengthen it through full and strict compliance. It would also call on the parties to the Treaty to limit the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems and to refrain from the deployment of anti-ballistic missile systems for a defence of the territory of its country and not to provide a base for such a defence, and not to transfer to other States or to deploy outside its national territory ABM systems or their components limited by the Treaty. The Assembly would urge all Member States to support efforts aimed at stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.
The Assembly would consider that the implementation of any measure undermining the purposes and provisions of the Treaty would also undermine global strategic stability and world peace and the promotion of further strategic nuclear arms reductions. The Assembly would support further efforts by the international community in the light of emerging developments with the goal of safeguarding the inviolability and integrity of the ABM Treaty. It would decide to include the item in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session.
The Committee approved the draft resolution, as amended, on 5 November by a vote of 54 in favour to 4 against (United States, Israel, Federated States of Micronesia, Latvia), with 73 abstentions.
..........
Speaking in explanation of vote before the vote, KIM SAM JONG (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) said the ABM Treaty was a pillar of strategic stability. His delegation would vote in favour of the related draft resolution and would have been willing to co-sponsor it.
Mr. IBRAIMOVA (Kyrgyzstan) said that if his delegation had had the right to vote, it would have voted in favour of the draft on the ABM Treaty.
ERIC SAZONOU (Benin) said that although he had voted in favour of the draft on the Indian Ocean (document A/54/556), his Committee vote had not been recorded.
The draft, as amended, on the ABM Treaty (document A/54/563-A) was adopted by a vote of 80 in favour to 4 against (Albania, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States), with 68 abstentions (Annex V).
By a vote of 139 in favour to 1 against (Lebanon), with 20 abstentions, the Assembly adopted the draft on the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) (document A/54/563-B) (Annex VI).
Acting without a vote, the Assembly adopted a text on the prohibition of the dumping of radioactive wastes (document A/54/563-C).
SELIM TADMOURY (Lebanon) said his delegation would have abstained in the vote on the ABM Treaty draft.
EMILIO IZQUIERDO (Ecuador) said his delegation would have abstained in the vote on the ABM Treaty draft and would have voted in favour of the text on the Ottawa Convention.
.................
ANNEX IV
Vote on Outer Space Arms Race
The draft resolution on prevention of an arms race in outer space (document A/54/562) was adopted by a recorded vote of 162 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Against: None.
Abstain: Israel and United States.
Absent: Afghanistan, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Federated States of Micronesia, Gabon, Gambia, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Nauru, Palau, Rwanda, and Tonga.
(END OF ANNEX IV)
ANNEX V
Vote on Compliance with ABM Treaty
The draft resolution on preservation of and compliance with the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty) (document A/54/563- A) was adopted by a recorded vote of 80 in favour to 4 against, with 68 abstentions, as follows:
In favour: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brunei and Darussalam, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, China, Colombia, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Cyprus, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Gabon, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Turkmenistan, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Viet Nam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Against: Albania, Federated States of Micronesia, Israel, United States.
Abstain: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela.
Absent: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, El Salvador, Gambia, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Nauru, Nicaragua, Oman, Palau, Panama, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Tonga, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.
(END OF ANNEX V)
..............
* *** *