Review of the implementation of the recommendations and decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session, G.A. res. 51/47, 51 U.N. GAOR Supp. (No. 49) at 101, U.N. Doc. A/51/49 (Vol. I) (1996).
A Expansion of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament The General Assembly, Having considered the report of the Conference on Disarmament and in particular the section concerning the expansion of the membership of the Conference, Stressing the role of the Conference on Disarmament as the sole multilateral global negotiating body on disarmament, Convinced that a more representative membership of the Conference on Disarmament from among the United Nations would contribute to the more effective pursuit of disarmament goals affecting the entire international community, Recalling that, since 1978, when agreement was reached at the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament that the membership of the then Committee on Disarmament would be reviewed at regular intervals, there have been thirty-seven applications for membership in the Conference, Recalling also that, in 1993, the Special Coordinator for Membership of the Conference on Disarmament proposed that twenty-three applicants for membership should be admitted to the Conference and proposed further that a dynamic solution to the question of membership should be pursued, Recalling further decision CD/1406 of the Conference on Disarmament, adopted at its 739th plenary meeting on 17 June 1996, admitting twenty-three countries as members of the Conference, Recalling its resolution 50/72 C of 12 December 1995, adopted without a vote, in which it urged that, following the presentation of progress reports by the President of the Conference, the other applicants to date be further considered by the Conference at its 1996 session, Noting the request of the Conference on Disarmament that its President continue consultations on a further expansion of its membership and report to it at the beginning of its 1997 session, 1. Recognizes the legitimate aspirations of all countries that have applied for membership to participate fully in the work of the Conference on Disarmament; 2. Calls upon the Conference on Disarmament to consider all remaining applications for membership with a view to reaching a decision on its further enlargement before the end of its 1997 session. B Report of the Disarmament Commission The General Assembly, Having considered the report of the Disarmament Commission, Recalling its resolutions 47/54 A of 9 December 1992, 47/54 G of 8 April 1993, 48/77 A of 16 December 1993, 49/77 A of 15 December 1994 and 50/72 D of 12 December 1995, Considering the role that the Disarmament Commission has been called upon to play and the contribution that it should make in examining and submitting recommendations on various problems in the field of disarmament and in the promotion of the implementation of the relevant decisions adopted by the General Assembly at its tenth special session, 1. Takes note of the report of the Disarmament Commission; 2. Commends the Disarmament Commission for its adoption by consensus, at its 1996 substantive session, of a set of guidelines for international arms transfers in the context of General Assembly resolution 46/36 H of 6 December 1991, which were recommended to the Assembly for consideration; 3. Endorses the guidelines for international arms transfers in the context of General Assembly resolution 46/36 H of 6 December 1991, as adopted by the Disarmament Commission; 4. Notes with satisfaction that the Disarmament Commission has made significant progress in the discussions on its agenda item regarding the convening of the fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; 5. Reaffirms the importance of further enhancing the dialogue and cooperation among the First Committee, the Disarmament Commission and the Conference on Disarmament; 6. Also reaffirms the role of the Disarmament Commission as the specialized, deliberative body within the United Nations multilateral disarmament machinery that allows for in-depth deliberations on specific disarmament issues, leading to the submission of concrete recommendations on those issues; 7. Encourages the Disarmament Commission to continue to make every effort to enhance its working methods so as to enable it to give focused consideration to a limited number of priority issues in the field of disarmament, bearing in mind the decision it has taken to move its agenda towards a three-item phased approach; 8. Requests the Disarmament Commission to continue its work in accordance with its mandate, as set forth in paragraph 118 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and with paragraph 3 of Assembly resolution 37/78 H of 9 December 1982, and to that end to make every effort to achieve specific recommendations on the items of its agenda, taking into account the adopted "Ways and means to enhance the functioning of the Disarmament Commission"; 9. Recommends that, pursuant to the adopted three-item phased approach, the Disarmament Commission, at its 1996 organizational session, adopt the following items for consideration at its 1997 substantive session: (a) The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at among the States of the region concerned; (b) The fourth special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament; (c)