The General Assembly,
Recalling that at its tenth special session, the first special session devoted to disarmament, it unanimously stressed the importance of both qualitative and quantitative measures in the process of disarmament,
Recognizing that scientific and technological developments can have both civilian and military applications and that progress in science and technology for civilian applications needs to be maintained and encouraged,
Noting with concern the potential in technological advances for application to military purposes, which could lead to more sophisticated weapons and new weapon systems,
Stressing the interests of the international community in the subject and the need to follow closely the scientific and technological developments that may have a negative impact on the security environment and on the process of arms limitation and disarmament and to channel scientific and technological developments for beneficial purposes,
Emphasizing that the proposal contained in its resolution 43/77 A of 7 December 1988 is without prejudice to research and development efforts being undertaken for peaceful purposes,
Noting the results of the United Nations conference on New Trends in Science and Technology: Implications for International Peace and Security, held at Sendai, Japan, from 16 to 19 April 1990, and recognizing, in this regard, the need for the scientific and policy communities to work together in dealing with the complex implications of technological change,
1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled "Scientific and technological developments and their impact on international security";
2. Takes note also of the interim report of the Secretary-General submitted in pursuance of resolution 45/60 of 4 December 1990;
3. Fully agrees that:
(a) The international community needs to position itself better to follow the nature and direction of technological change;
(b) The United Nations can serve as a catalyst and a clearing-house for ideas to this purpose;
4. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to follow scientific and technological developments in order to make an assessment of emerging "new technologies" and to submit to the General Assembly at its forty-eighth session a framework for technology assessment guided, inter alia, by the criteria suggested in his report;
5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-eighth session the item entitled "Scientific and technological developments and their impact on international security".
81st plenary meeting
9 December 1992
