A/RES/52/42 Page 2 Recalling the role played by the International Committee of the Red Cross in the elaboration of the Convention and the Procotols thereto, Noting that, in conformity with article 8 of the Convention, conferences may be convened to examine amendments to the Convention or to any of the Protocols thereto, to examine additional protocols concerning other categories of conventional weapons not covered by existing Protocols or to review the scope and application of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto and to examine any proposed amendments or additional protocols, and welcoming the decision adopted by the Review Conference in its Final Declaration4 on 3 May 1996 to convene a Review Conference no later than the year 2001, 1. Welcomes the additional ratifications and acceptances of or accessions5 to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects,1 as well as the ratifications and acceptances of or accessions5 to the amended Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby Traps and Other Devices (Protocol II);3 2. Urgently calls upon all States that have not yet done so to take all measures to become parties, as soon as possible, to the Convention and the Protocols thereto, and in particular to amended Protocol II, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to this instrument at an early date, and calls upon successor States to take appropriate measures so that ultimately adherence to these instruments will be universal; 3. Calls, in particular, upon the States parties to the Convention to express their consent to be bound by the amended Protocol II with a view to its entry into force as soon as possible, and, pending its entry into force, to respect and ensure respect for its substantive provisions to the fullest extent possible; 4. Commends the Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons (Protocol IV)2 to all States, with a view to achieving the widest possible adherence to this instrument at an early date and calls, in particular, upon the States parties to express their consent to be bound by the Protocol with a view to its entry into force as soon as possible; 5. Calls upon the Secretary-General, in his capacity as depositary of the Convention and the Protocols annexed thereto, to continue to inform it periodically of ratifications and acceptances of and accessions to the Convention and the Protocols, and decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-third session the item entitled "Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects". 67th plenary meeting 9 December 1997 4 Ibid., annex C. 5 See A/52/227 and Corr.1 and 2.