United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/69/76

Sixty-ninth session

Agenda item 98 (a)

The General Assembly,

Having considered the report of the Conference on Disarmament,

Convinced that the Conference on Disarmament, as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community, has the primary role in substantive negotiations on priority questions of disarmament,

Recognizing the message of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, as well as the addresses of Ministers for Foreign Affairs and other high-level officials in the Conference on Disarmament, as expressions of support and concern for the endeavours of the Conference and as calls for the Conference to immediately commence negotiations to advance disarmament goals through the adoption of a balanced and comprehensive programme of work,

Recognizing also the need to conduct multilateral negotiations with the aim of reaching agreement on concrete issues, and considering that the present international climate should give additional impetus to multilateral negotiations,

Noting with renewed concern that, despite the intensive efforts by States members and successive Presidents of the Conference on Disarmament in the 2014 session to reach consensus on a programme of work on the basis of relevant proposals and suggestions, the Conference did not succeed in commencing its substantive work, including negotiations, as called for by the General Assembly in its resolution 68/64 of 5 December 2013, or in agreeing on and implementing a programme of work,

Recalling, in this respect, that the Conference on Disarmament has a number of urgent and important issues for negotiation to achieve disarmament goals,

Welcoming the overwhelming call for greater flexibility with respect to commencing the substantive work of the Conference on Disarmament without further delay, on the basis of a balanced and comprehensive programme of work,

Appreciating the continued cooperation among the States members of the Conference on Disarmament as well as the six successive Presidents of the Conference at its 2014 session,

Noting with appreciation the significant contributions made during the 2014 session to promote substantive discussions on issues on the agenda, including the informal discussions held pursuant to the decision contained in document CD/1978, and noting the discussions on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament, as well as the discussions held on other issues that could also be relevant to the current international security environment,

Emphasizing the importance of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, as a stand-alone, autonomous institution, and the contribution that its research makes,

Recognizing the importance of engagement between civil society and the Conference on Disarmament according to decisions taken by the Conference,

Stressing the urgent need for the Conference on Disarmament to commence its substantive work at the beginning of its 2015 session,

1. Reaffirms the role of the Conference on Disarmament as the single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community;

2. Appreciates the strong support expressed for the Conference on Disarmament during its 2014 session by Ministers for Foreign Affairs and other high-level officials, while also acknowledging their concern about its ongoing impasse, and takes into account their calls for greater flexibility with respect to commencing the substantive work of the Conference without further delay;

3. Calls upon the Conference on Disarmament to further intensify consultations and to explore possibilities for overcoming its ongoing deadlock of well over a decade by adopting and implementing a balanced and comprehensive programme of work at the earliest possible date during its 2015 session, bearing in mind the decision on the programme of work adopted by the Conference on 29 May 2009, as well as other relevant present, past and future proposals;

4. Welcomes the decision of the Conference on Disarmament to re-establish the informal working group with a mandate to produce a programme of work robust in substance and progressive over time in implementation, and appreciates the efforts of the Co-Chair and Vice Co-Chair of the informal working group;

5. Also welcomes the fact that the Conference on Disarmament, pursuant to document CD/1978, held a series of structured and substantive informal discussions on all items on the agenda of the Conference;

6. Further welcomes the decision of the Conference on Disarmament to request the current President and the incoming President of the Conference to conduct consultations during the intersessional period and, if possible, to make recommendations, taking into account all relevant proposals, past, present and future, including those submitted as documents of the Conference, views presented and discussions held, and to endeavour to keep the membership of the Conference informed, as appropriate, of their consultations;

7. Requests all States members of the Conference on Disarmament to cooperate with the current President and successive Presidents in their efforts to guide the Conference to the early commencement of its substantive work, including negotiations, in its 2015 session;

8. Recognizes the importance of continuing consultations in 2015 on the question of the expansion of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament;

9. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to ensure and to strengthen, if needed, the provision to the Conference on Disarmament of all necessary administrative, substantive and conference support services;

10. Requests the Conference on Disarmament to submit to the General Assembly at its seventieth session a report on its work;

11. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventieth session, under the item entitled “Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session”, the sub item entitled “Report of the Conference on Disarmament”.

62nd plenary meeting 2 December 2014