A UNITED NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/RES/51/83 28 February 1997 Fifty-first session Agenda item 109 RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [on the report of the Third Committee (A/51/618)] 51/83. Use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 49/150 of 23 December 1994 and 50/138 of 21 December 1995, Recalling also 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 further the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Organization of African Unity, 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 selfdetermination of peoples, Alarmed and concerned about the danger which the activities of mercenaries constitute to peace and security in developing countries, particularly in Africa and in small States, where democratically elected Governments have been overthrown by mercenaries or through mercenary international criminal activities, Deeply concerned about the loss of life, the substantial damage to property and the negative effects on the polity and economies of affected countries resulting from mercenary aggression and criminal activities, 97-77059 /...