A/RES/57/85
disarmament, adopted at the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 3
Recalling the adoption of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in its
resolution 50/245 of 10 September 1996, and expressing its satisfaction at the
increasing number of States that have signed and ratified the Treaty,
Recognizing with satisfaction that the Antarctic Treaty 4 and the treaties of
Tlatelolco, 5 Rarotonga, 6 Bangkok 7 and Pelindaba 8 are gradually freeing the entire
southern hemisphere and adjacent areas covered by those treaties from nuclear
weapons,
Noting the signing of the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions (“the
Moscow Treaty”), 9 by the United States of America and the Russian Federation on
24 May 2002, following the demise of the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic
Missile Systems, 10 and urging them to take further steps under the Moscow Treaty as
well as through bilateral arrangements or agreements and unilateral decisions
towards the irreversible reduction of their nuclear arsenals,
Stressing the importance of strengthening all existing nuclear-related
disarmament, arms control and reduction measures,
Recognizing the need for a multilaterally negotiated and legally binding
instrument to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the threat or use of nuclear
weapons,
Reaffirming the central role of the Conference on Disarmament as the single
multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, and regretting the lack of progress in
disarmament negotiations, particularly nuclear disarmament, in the Conference
during its 2002 session,
Emphasizing the need for the Conference on Disarmament to commence
negotiations on a phased programme for the complete elimination of nuclear
weapons with a specified framework of time,
Expressing its deep concern at the lack of progress in the implementation of
the thirteen steps to implement article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons agreed to at the 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 11
_______________
3
2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Final
Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II), part I, section entitled “Article VI and eighth to
twelfth preambular paragraphs”, para. 15:6.
4
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 402, No. 5778.
5
Ibid., vol. 634, No. 9068.
6
See The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, vol. 10:1985 (United Nations publication, Sales
No. E.86.IX.7), appendix VII.
7
Treaty on the South-East Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.
8
A/50/426, annex.
9
See CD/1674.
10
United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 944, No. 13446.
11
See 2000 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,
Final Document, vol. I (NPT/CONF.2000/28 (Parts I and II)), part I, section entitled “Article VI and eighth
to twelfth preambular paragraphs”, para. 15.
2