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UNITED                                                                        
NATIONS


                         General Assembly


                                                              Distr.
                                                              GENERAL

                                                              A/RES/53/80
                                                              8 January 1999


Fifty-third session
Agenda item 74


                   RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                [on the report of the First Committee (A/53/587)]


       53/80.     The risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East


    The General Assembly,

    Bearing in mind its relevant resolutions,

    Taking note of the relevant resolutions adopted by the General
Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the latest of which
is GC(42)/RES/21 adopted on 25 September 1998,

    Cognizant that the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region of
the Middle East would pose a serious threat to international peace and
security,

    Mindful of the immediate need for placing all nuclear facilities in
the region of the Middle East under full-scope safeguards of the
International Atomic Energy Agency,

    Recalling the resolution on the Middle East adopted by the 1995 Review
and Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 11 May 1995, 1/ in which the
Conference noted with concern the continued existence in the Middle East
of unsafeguarded nuclear facilities, reaffirmed the importance of the
early realization of universal adherence to the Treaty 2/ and called
upon all States in the Middle East that had not yet done so, without
exception, to accede to the Treaty as soon as possible and to place all
their nuclear facilities under full-scope safeguards of the International
Atomic Energy Agency,

    Recalling also the decision on principles and objectives for nuclear
non-proliferation and disarmament adopted by the 1995 Review and
Extension Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-
Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons on 11 May 1995, 1/ in which the
Conference urged universal adherence to the Treaty as an urgent priority
and called upon all States not yet party to the Treaty to accede to it
at the earliest date, particularly those States that operate
unsafeguarded nuclear facilities,

    Noting that, since the adoption of General Assembly resolution 51/48
of 10 December 1996, Israel remains the only State in the Middle East
that has not yet become party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons,

    Concerned about the threats posed by the proliferation of nuclear
weapons to the security and stability of the Middle East region,

    Stressing the importance of taking confidence-building measures, in
particular the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle
East, in order to enhance peace and security in the region and to
consolidate the global non-proliferation regime,

    Noting the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 3/
and its signature by one hundred and eighty-seven States, including a
number of States in the region,

    1. Calls upon the only State in the region that is not party to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons 2/ to accede to the
Treaty without further delay and not to develop, produce, test or
otherwise acquire nuclear weapons, and to renounce possession of nuclear
weapons, and to place all its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities under
full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards as an important
confidence-building measure among all States of the region and as a step
towards enhancing peace and security;

    2. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly
at its fifty-fourth session on the implementation of the present
resolution;

    3. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fourth
session the item entitled -The risk of nuclear proliferation in the
Middle Eastū.

                                                     79th plenary meeting
                                                          4 December 1998


                                      Notes

1/  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)), annex.

2/  United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 729, No. 10485.

3/  See resolution 50/245.


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