Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 94
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 48/92 of 20 December 1993,
Reaffirming the purposes and principles enshrined in the
Charter of the United Nations concerning the strict observance
of the principles of sovereign equality, political independence,
territorial integrity of States and self-determination of peoples,
Urging strict respect for the principle of the non-use
or threat of the use of force in international relations, as developed
in the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning
Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance
with the Charter of the United Nations, 1/
Recognizing that mercenaries are used for activities that
violate those principles,
Concerned about the menace that the activities of mercenaries
represent for all States, particularly African and other developing
States,
Alarmed at the continued international criminal activities
of mercenaries in collusion with drug traffickers,
Recalling all of its relevant resolutions, in which, inter
alia, it condemned any State that permitted or tolerated the recruitment,
financing, training, assembly, transit and use of mercenaries
with the objective of overthrowing the Governments of States Members
of the United Nations, especially those of developing countries,
or of fighting against national liberation movements, and recalling
also the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the Economic
and Social Council and the Organization of African Unity,
Deeply concerned about the loss of life, the substantial
damage to property and the short- and long-term negative effects
on the economy of affected countries resulting from mercenary
aggression,
Convinced that it is necessary to develop and maintain
international cooperation among States for the prevention, prosecution
and punishment of mercenary activities,
1. Takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur of
the Commission on Human Rights on the use of mercenaries 2/ and
in particular the concern expressed therein at the continuation
of mercenary-related activities despite General Assembly resolution
48/92;
2. Reaffirms that the use of mercenaries and their recruitment,
financing and training are causes of grave concern to all States
and violate the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter
of the United Nations;
3. Urges all States to take the necessary steps and to
exercise the utmost vigilance against the menace posed by the
activities of mercenaries and to ensure by legislative measures
that their territory and other territories under their control,
as well as their nationals, are not used for the recruitment,
assembly, financing, training and transit of mercenaries or for
the planning of activities designed to destabilize or overthrow
the Government of any State or threaten the territorial integrity
of sovereign States, and to fight the national liberation movements
struggling against colonial domination and foreign intervention
or occupation;
4. Calls upon all States that have not yet done so to consider
taking early action to sign or to ratify the International Convention
against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries;
3/
5. Urges all States to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur
in the fulfilment of his mandate;
6. Once again requests the Centre for Human Rights of the
Secretariat, as a matter of priority, to put more effort into
publicizing the adverse effects of mercenary activities, to render
advisory services to States that are experiencing the consequences
of mercenary activities and to consider organizing, within existing
resources, working meetings to analyse and consider the political
and legal aspects of the recommendations contained in the report
of the Special Rapporteur;
7. Requests the Special Rapporteur to submit a report with
specific recommendations to the General Assembly at its fiftieth
session on the new elements identified in the use of mercenaries.
94th plenary meeting
23 December 1994
1/ Resolution 2625 (XXV), annex.
2/ A/49/362, annex.
3/ Resolution 44/34, annex. .