United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/69/26

Sixty-ninth session

Agenda item 88

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 51/53 of 10 December 1996 and 56/17 of 29 November 2001 and all its other relevant resolutions, as well as those of the Organization of African Unity and of the African Union,

Recalling also the signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba) in Cairo on 11 April 1996,

Recalling further the Cairo Declaration adopted on that occasion, in which it was emphasized that nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in regions of tension, such as the Middle East, enhance global and regional peace and security,

Recalling the statement made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of the members of the Council on 12 April 1996, in which the Council affirmed that the signature of the Treaty constituted an important contribution by the African countries to the maintenance of international peace and security,

Considering that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially in the Middle East, would enhance the security of Africa and the viability of the African nuclear-weapon-free zone,

1. Recalls with satisfaction the entry into force of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba) on 15 July 2009;

2. Calls upon African States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty as soon as possible;

3. Welcomes the convening of the first Conference of States Parties to the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba), on 4 November 2010, the second Conference of States Parties, on 12 and 13 November 2012, and the third Conference of States Parties, on 29 and 30 May 2014, all held in Addis Ababa;

4. Expresses its appreciation to the nuclear-weapon States that have signed the Protocols to the Treaty that concern them, and calls upon those that have not yet ratified the Protocols that concern them to do so as soon as possible;

5. Calls upon the States contemplated in Protocol III to the Treaty that have not yet done so to take all measures necessary to ensure the speedy application of the Treaty to territories for which they are, de jure or de facto, internationally responsible and which lie within the limits of the geographical zone established in the Treaty;

6. Calls upon the African States parties to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that have not yet done so to conclude comprehensive safeguards agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency pursuant to the Treaty, thereby satisfying the requirements of article 9 (b) of and annex II to the Treaty of Pelindaba, and encourages them to conclude additional protocols to their safeguards agreements on the basis of the model protocol approved by the Board of Governors of the Agency on 15 May 1997;

7. Expresses its gratitude to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency for the diligence with which they have rendered effective assistance to the signatories to the Treaty;

8. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventieth session the item entitled “African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty”.

62nd plenary meeting 2 December 2014