The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 32/152 of 19 December 1977, 35/153 of 12 December 1980, 36/93 of 9 December 1981, 37/79 of 9 December 1982, 38/66 of 15 December 1983, 39/56 of 12 December 1984, 40/84 of 12 December 1985, 41/50 of 3 December 1986, 42/30 of 30 November 1987, 43/67 of 7 December 1988, 45/64 of 4 December 1990, 46/40 of 6 December 1991 and 47/56 of 9 December 1992,
Recalling with satisfaction the adoption, on 10 October 1980, of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, together with the Protocol on Non-Detectable Fragments (Protocol I), the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II) and the Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III),
Recalling the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in the elaboration of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto,
Noting with satisfaction that, the conditions set forth in article 5 of the Convention having been met, the Convention and the three Protocols annexed thereto entered into force on 2 December 1983,
Recalling the commitment by the States that are parties to the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto to respect the objectives and the provisions thereof, especially those set forth in the ninth preambular paragraph of the Convention, relating to the wish to prohibit or restrict further the use of certain conventional weapons and believing that the positive results achieved in this area may facilitate the main talks on disarmament with a view to putting an end to the production, stockpiling and proliferation of such weapons,
Noting that, in conformity with article 8 of the Convention, conferences may be convened to examine amendments to the Convention or to any of the Protocols thereto, to examine additional protocols concerning other categories of conventional weapons not covered by the existing protocols or to review the scope and application of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto and to examine any proposed amendments or additional protocols,
Noting with satisfaction that a State party has asked the Secretary-General of the United Nations to convene, in conformity with article 8, paragraph 3, of the Convention, a conference to review the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto, giving priority to the question of anti- personnel land mines,
Noting that international meetings have discussed possible restrictions of the use of other weapon categories presently not covered by the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto,
Reaffirming its conviction that a general and verifiable agreement on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons would significantly reduce the suffering of civilians and combatants,
Being desirous of reinforcing international cooperation in the area of prohibitions or restrictions on the use of certain conventional weapons, and particularly for the removal of minefields, mines and booby-traps,
Recalling in this respect resolution 48/7 of 19 October 1993 on assistance in mine clearance,
1. Registers its satisfaction with the report of the Secretary- General;
2. Notes with satisfaction that additional States have signed, ratified or accepted the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects, which was opened for signature in New York on 10 April 1981, or have acceded to the Convention;
3. Urgently calls upon all States that have not yet done so to take all measures to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention and upon successor States to take appropriate measures so that ultimately access to this instrument will be universal;
4. Calls upon the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his capacity as depositary of the Convention and the three Protocols annexed thereto, to inform it periodically of accessions to the Convention and the Protocols;
5. Welcomes the request to the Secretary-General to convene at an appropriate time, if possible in 1994, in accordance with article 8, paragraph 3, of the Convention, a conference to review the Convention;
6. Encourages the States parties to request the Secretary-General to establish as soon as possible a group of governmental experts to prepare the review conference and to furnish needed assistance and assure services, including the preparation of analytical reports that the review conference and the group of experts might need;
7. Calls upon the maximum number of States to attend the conference, to which the States parties may invite interested non-governmental organizations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross;
8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-ninth session the item entitled "Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects".
81st plenary meeting
16 December 1993
