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UNITED
NATIONS
General Assembly
Distr.
GENERAL
A/RES/53/84
8 January 1999
Fifty-third session
Agenda item 78
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
[on the report of the First Committee (A/53/591)]
53/84. Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological
(Biological) and Toxin Weapons and
on Their Destruction
The General Assembly,
Recalling its previous resolutions relating to the complete and
effective prohibition of bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons
and to their destruction,
Noting with satisfaction that there are one hundred and forty-one
States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development,
Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin
Weapons and on Their Destruction, 1/ including all the permanent
members of the Security Council,
Bearing in mind its call upon all States parties to the Convention to
participate in the implementation of the recommendations of the Review
Conferences, including the exchange of information and data agreed to in
the Final Declaration of the Third Review Conference of the Parties to
the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and
Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on
Their Destruction, 2/ and to provide such information and data in
conformity with standardized procedure to the Secretary-General on an
annual basis and no later than 15 April,
Recalling its resolution 46/35 A, adopted without a vote on 6 December
1991, in which it welcomed, inter alia, the establishment, proceeding
from the recommendations of the Third Review Conference, 3/ of an ad hoc
group of governmental experts open to the participation of all States
parties to identify and examine potential verification measures from a
scientific and technical standpoint,
Recalling also its resolution 48/65, adopted without a vote on
16 December 1993, in which it commended the final report of the Ad Hoc
Group of Governmental Experts to Identify and Examine Potential
Verification Measures from a Scientific and Technical Standpoint, 3/ agreed to
by consensus at the last meeting of the Ad Hoc Group at Geneva
on 24 September 1993,
Recalling further its resolution 49/86, adopted without a vote on
15 December 1994, in which it welcomed the final report of the Special
Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, adopted by consensus
on 30 September 1994, in which the States parties agreed to establish an
ad hoc group, open to the participation of all States parties, whose
objective should be to consider appropriate measures, including possible
verification measures, and draft proposals to strengthen the Convention,
to be included, as appropriate, in a legally binding instrument to be
submitted for the consideration of the States parties,
Recalling the provisions of the Convention related to scientific and
technological cooperation and the related provisions of the final report
of the Ad Hoc Group of Governmental Experts, the final report of the
Special Conference of the States Parties to the Convention, held from 19
to 30 September 1994, and the final documents of the Review Conferences,
Recalling also the Final Document of the Twelfth Conference of Heads
of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Durban, South
Africa, from 29 August to 3 September 1998, 4/ in which the heads of
State or Government noted the progress achieved so far in the negotiation
of a protocol, stressed the importance of achieving further substantive
progress for the conclusion of a universally acceptable and legally
binding instrument designed to strengthen the Convention and reaffirmed
the decision of the Fourth Review Conference of the Parties to the
Convention urging the conclusion of the negotiations by the Ad Hoc Group
as soon as possible before the commencement of the Fifth Review
Conference,
Welcoming the reaffirmation made in the Final Declaration of the
Fourth Review Conference 5/ that under all circumstances the use of
bacteriological (biological) and toxin weapons and their development,
production and stockpiling are effectively prohibited under article I of
the Convention,
Recalling the Declaration of the informal Ministerial Meeting, held
in New York on 23 September 1998, in which the participants and the co-
sponsors affirmed their strong support for the Convention and for
strengthening the effectiveness and improving the implementation of the
Convention,
1. Welcomes the information and data provided to date, and reiterates
its call upon all States parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of
the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological
(Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction1 to participate
in the exchange of information and data agreed to in the Final
Declaration of the Third Review Conference of the Parties to the
Convention; 2/
2. Also welcomes the progress achieved so far in the negotiation of
a protocol to strengthen the Convention, and reaffirms the decision of
the Fourth Review Conference urging the conclusion of the negotiations
by the Ad Hoc Group as soon as possible before the commencement of the
Fifth Review Conference and urging it to submit its report, which shall
be adopted by consensus, to the States parties to be considered at a
special conference; 6/
3. Calls upon all States parties, in this context, to accelerate the
negotiations and to redouble their efforts within the Ad Hoc Group to
formulate an efficient, cost-effective and practical regime and seek
early resolution of the outstanding issues through renewed flexibility
in order to complete the protocol on the basis of consensus at the
earliest possible date;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to render the necessary
assistance to the depositary Governments of the Convention and to provide
such services as may be required for the implementation of the decisions
and recommendations of the Review Conferences, as well as the decisions
contained in the final report of the Special Conference, including all
necessary assistance to the Ad Hoc Group;
5. Calls upon all signatory States that have not yet ratified the
Convention to do so without delay, and also calls upon those States that
have not signed the Convention to become parties thereto at an early
date, thus contributing to the achievement of universal adherence to the
Convention;
6. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fourth
session the item entitled "Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological)
and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction".
79th plenary meeting
4 December 1998
Notes
1/ Resolution 2826 (XXVI), annex.
2/ BWC/CONF.III/23, part II.
3/ BWC/CONF.III/VEREX/9 and Corr.1.
4/ A/53/667-S/1998/1071, annex I; see Official Records of the Security
Council, Fifty-third Year, Supplement for October, November and December
1998, document S/1998/1071.
5/ BWC/CONF.IV/9, part II.
6/ See BWC/CONF.IV/9.
.