The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 35/142 B of 12 December 1980, which introduced the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures, 46/25 of 6 December 1991 and 47/54 B of 9 December 1992, dealing with the guidelines and recommendations for objective information on military matters,
Noting that since then national reports on military expenditures have voluntarily been submitted by a number of Member States belonging to different geographic regions,
Expressing its appreciation to the Secretary-General for providing Member States with the reports on military expenditures,
Welcoming the decision of the States participating in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, as contained in the Vienna Document 1990 of the negotiations on confidence- and security-building measures, to exchange information annually on their military budgets, on the basis of the categories of the United Nations standardized reporting system,
Welcoming also the recent progress achieved in arms limitations and disarmament, which, in the long term, will lead to significant reductions in military expenditures,
Convinced that the end of the East-West confrontation and the resulting improvement of international relations form a sound basis for promoting further openness and transparency on all military matters,
Emphasizing that an increased flow and exchange of information on military expenditures will contribute to the predictability of military activities, thus strengthening international peace and security on a global and regional level,
Recalling that the guidelines and recommendations for objective information on military matters stated that the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures should continue in operation and could be further improved,
1. Calls upon all Member States to participate in the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures as endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 47/54 B;
2. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on ways and means to strengthen, and to broaden participation in, the United Nations system for the standardized reporting of military expenditures and to submit a report on the subject to the General Assembly at its forty-ninth session;
3. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth session the item entitled "Transparency of military expenditures".
81st plenary meeting
16 December 1993
