A/RES/54/53
Page 2
Recalling its previous resolutions on this issue, and taking note of the proposals submitted to the
General Assembly at its tenth special session and at its regular sessions, and of the recommendations made
to the competent organs of the United Nations and to the Conference on Disarmament,
Recognizing that prevention of an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for
international peace and security,
Emphasizing the paramount importance of strict compliance with existing arms limitation and
disarmament agreements relevant to outer space, including bilateral agreements, and with the existing legal
regime concerning the use of outer space,
Considering that wide participation in the legal regime applicable to outer space could contribute to
enhancing its effectiveness,
Noting that the Ad Hoc Committee on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, taking into
account its previous efforts since its establishment in 1985 and seeking to enhance its functioning in
qualitative terms, continued the examination and identification of various issues, existing agreements and
existing proposals, as well as future initiatives relevant to the prevention of an arms race in outer space,3
and that this contributed to a better understanding of a number of problems and to a clearer perception
of the various positions,
Noting also that there were no objections in principle in the Conference on Disarmament to the reestablishment of the Ad Hoc Committee, subject to re-examination of the mandate contained in the
decision of the Conference on Disarmament of 13 February 1992,4
Emphasizing the mutually complementary nature of bilateral and multilateral efforts in the field of
preventing an arms race in outer space, and hoping that concrete results will emerge from those efforts
as soon as possible,
Convinced that further measures should be examined in the search for effective and verifiable bilateral
and multilateral agreements in order to prevent an arms race in outer space, including the weaponization
of outer space,
Stressing that the growing use of outer space increases the need for greater transparency and better
information on the part of the international community,
Recalling in this context its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 45/55 B of 4 December
1990, 47/51 of 9 December 1992 and 48/74 A of 16 December 1993, in which, inter alia, it reaffirmed
the importance of confidence-building measures as means conducive to ensuring the attainment of the
objective of the prevention of an arms race in outer space,
Conscious of the benefits of confidence- and security-building measures in the military field,
3
Official Records of the General Assembly, Forty-ninth Session, Supplement No. 27 (A/49/27), sect. III.D
(para. 5 of the quoted text).
4
CD/1125.
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