Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 30
RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolution 41/11 of 27 October 1986, in which
it solemnly declared the Atlantic Ocean, in the region situated
between Africa and South America, the "Zone of peace and
cooperation of the South Atlantic",
Recalling also its subsequent resolutions on the matter,
including resolution 45/36 of 27 November 1990, in which it reaffirmed
the determination of the States of the zone to enhance and accelerate
their cooperation in the political, economic, scientific, technical,
cultural and other spheres,
Reaffirming that the questions of peace and security and
those of development are interrelated and inseparable, and considering
that cooperation among all States, in particular those of the
region, for peace and development is essential in promoting the
objectives of the zone of peace and cooperation in the South Atlantic,
Aware of the importance that the States of the zone attach
to the preservation of the region's environment, and recognizing
the threat that pollution from any source poses to the marine
and coastal environment, its ecological balance and its resources,
Noting the concern expressed on the use of fishing methods
and practices that cause the over-exploitation of living marine
resources, especially of highly migratory and straddling fish
stocks, and that it has an adverse impact on the conservation
and management of living resources of the marine environment,
both within and beyond the exclusive economic zones,
1. Emphasizes the importance of the purposes and objectives
of the zone of peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic as
a basis for the promotion of cooperation among the countries of
the region;
2. Calls upon all States to cooperate in the promotion
of the objectives established in the declaration of the zone of
peace and cooperation of the South Atlantic and to refrain from
any action inconsistent with those objectives and with the Charter
of the United Nations and relevant resolutions of the Organization,
particularly action which may create or aggravate situations of
tension and potential conflict in the region;
3. Welcomes with satisfaction the holding of the third
meeting of the States members of the zone, held at Brasilia on
21 and 22 September 1994, and takes note of the Final Declaration,
the Declaration on the Denuclearization of the South Atlantic,
the Declaration on the Marine Environment, the Declaration on
Business Cooperation in the South Atlantic and the decision on
the establishment of the Permanent Committee of the zone of peace
and cooperation of the South Atlantic, adopted at the meeting;
1/
4. Welcomes the agreement reached at Brasilia to encourage
democracy and political pluralism and, in accordance with the
Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by the World
Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993, 2/ to promote and
defend human rights and fundamental freedoms and also to cooperate
towards the achievement of those goals;
5. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General of
14 October 1994, submitted in accordance with its resolution 48/23
of 24 November 1993; 3/
6. Welcomes also the recent progress towards the full entry
into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
in Latin America and the Caribbean (Treaty of Tlatelolco) 4/ for
all States in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will permit
the consolidation in the near future of the status of the Treaty
region as a nuclear-weapon-free zone;
7. Welcomes further the efforts made towards the implementation
of the Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa 5/ leading
to the conclusion of a treaty on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in
Africa;
8. Affirms the importance of the South Atlantic to global
maritime and commercial transactions and its determination to
preserve the region for all activities protected by customary
international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention
on the Law of the Sea; 6/
9. Warmly welcomes South Africa into the community of South
Atlantic States;
10. Expresses its appreciation for the efforts of the international
community, especially the recent adoption by the Security Council
of resolutions aimed at achieving a lasting peace in Angola and
Liberia, and welcomes in particular the initialling, on 31 October
1994, of the Lusaka Protocol by the Government of Angola and the
National Union for the Total Independence of Angola;
11. Commends the efforts of Member States and humanitarian
organizations to render emergency humanitarian assistance to Angola
and Liberia, and urges them to continue to provide and to increase
such assistance;
12. Congratulates the Government of Nigeria for its valuable
work as coordinator of the zone of peace and cooperation of the
South Atlantic since the meeting held at Abuja in 1990, and expresses
its satisfaction at the constructive participation of all members
of the zone during the same period;
13. Welcomes the offers made by the Governments of South
Africa, Argentina and Benin to host the fourth, fifth and sixth
ministerial meetings of the zone in 1995, 1996 and 1997;
14. Welcomes also the offer made by the Government of Namibia
to host a meeting of ministers of trade and industry of the States
of the zone in early 1995;
15. Stresses the importance to the zone of the results
of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development,
held at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 3 to 14 June 1992, highlighting
as a remarkable result the adoption of the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development 7/ and Agenda 21, 8/ as well as the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 9/ and the
Convention on Biological Diversity, 10/ in the conviction that
their implementation will strengthen the basis for cooperation
within the zone and for the benefit of the international community
as a whole;
16. Requests the relevant organizations, organs and bodies
of the United Nations system to render appropriate assistance
which States of the zone may seek in their joint efforts to implement
the objectives of the zone;
17. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the implementation
of resolution 41/11 and subsequent resolutions on the matter under
review and to submit a report to the General Assembly at its fiftieth
session, taking into account, inter alia, the views expressed
by Member States;
18. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its
fiftieth session the item entitled "Zone of peace and cooperation
of the South Atlantic".
74th plenary meeting
2 December 1994
____________
1/ A/49/467, annexes I-V.
2/ Report of the World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna, 14-25
June 1993 (A/CONF.157/24 (Part I)), chap. III.
3/ A/49/524.
4/ United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 634, No. 9068.
5/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Twentieth Session,
Annexes, agenda item 105, document A/5975.
6/ Official Records of the Third United Nations Conference on
the Law of the Sea, vol. XVII (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.84.V.3), document A/CONF.62/122.
7/ Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 (A/CONF.151/26/Rev.1
(Vol. I and Vol.I/Corr.1, Vol.II, Vol.III and Vol.III/Corr/1)(United
Nations publication, Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigenda), vol.
I, Resolutions adopted by the Conference, resolution 1, annex
I.
8/ Ibid., resolution 1, annex II.
9/ A/AC.237/18 (Part II)/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex I.
10/ See United Nations Environment Programme, Convention on Biological
Diversity (Environmental Law and Institutions Programme Activity
Centre), June 1992.