Regulation, Limitation and Balanced Reduction of All Armed Forces and All Armaments; International Control of Atomic Energy

A/RES/502(VI)View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, published in 1952.

What subjects does this mandate have?

15 subjects

Armed Forces Arms Limitation Conference and Meeting Services Conferences Conventional Disarmament Dissolution Establishment Negotiation Nuclear Disarmament Nuclear Safeguards Nuclear Weapons Terms of Reference Treaties Verification Weapons of Mass Destruction

What’s in this document?

12 operative paragraphs

t:·stablishcs under the Security Council a Disarmament Commission. This Commission shall have

Reaffirming its desire that the United ?\rations develop an effective collective security system to maintain the same membership as the Atomic Energy Commission and the Commission for Conventional Armathe peace and that the armed forces and armaments of the world he progre~sively reduced in accordance with ments, and shall function under the rules of procedure of the Atomic Energy Commission with such modificathe Purpos<'s and Principles uf the Charter,

tions as the Commission shall deem necessary;

Relieving that a necessarv means to thi~ end is the 2.

f)is.1·olvcs the Atomic Energy Commission and development by the Unitt:<i'Nations of comprehensive recon1111e11<ls to the Security Council that it dissolve the and co-ordinated plans, under international control.

C01nmission for Conventional Armaments; for the reg-ulation, limitation and balanced reduction 3.

Directs the Disarmament Commission to preof all armed forces and all armaments, for the elimination of all major weapons adaptable to mass de<strucpa re prnposals to he embo<iied in a draft treaty ( or treaties) for the regulation, limitation and balanced retion, and for the effective international control of atomic energy to ensme the prohibition uf atomic duct ion uf all armed forces and all armaments, for the weapons and the u~e of atomic energy for peaceful purposes only,

1 Sec ( l J]icial Records of the General Assembly, Sixth Session,

Recognizing that '.l genuine system for disarmament Amzc.ic.,. ;,gcnda items fh and 16, document A/1922.

elimination of all major weapons adaptable to mass destruction, and for effective international control of atomic energy to ensure the prohibition of atomic weapons and the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes only. The Commission shall be guided by the following principles:

In a system of guaranteed disarmament there must be progressive disclosure and verification on a continuing basis of all armed• forces-including paramilitary, security and police forces-and all armaments including atomic;

( l,)

Such verification must be based on effective international inspection to ensure the adequacy and accuracy of the information disclosed; this inspection to be carried out in accordance with the decisions of the international control organ ( or organs) to be established;

The Commission shall be ready to consider any proposals or plans for control that may be put forward involving either conventional armaments or atomic energy. Unless a better or no less effective system is devised, the United Nations plan for the international control of atomic energy and the prohibition of atomic weapons should continue to serve as the basis for the international control of atomic energy to ensure the prohibition of atomic weapons and the use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes only;

There must be an adequate system of safeguards to ensure observance of the disarmament programme, so as to provide for the prompt detection of violations while at the same time causing the minimum degree of interference in the internal life of each country;

( e) The treaty ( or treaties) shall specifically be open to all States for signature and ratification or adherence. The treaty ( or treaties) shall provide what States must become parties thereto before the treaty ( or treaties) shall enter into force;

Directs the Commission, when preparing the proposals referred to in the preceding paragraph, to formulate plans for the establishment, within the framework of the Security Council, of an international control organ (or organs) to ensure the implementation of the treaty ( or treaties). The functions and powers of the control organ ( or organs) shall be defined in the treaty which establishes it;

Directs the Commission, in preparing the proposals referred to in paragraph 3 above, to consider from the outset plans for progressive and continuing disclosure and verification, the implementation of which is recognized as a first and indispensable step in carrying out the disarmament programme envisaged in the present resolution;

Directs the Commission, in working out plans for the regulation, limitation and balanced reduction of all armed forces and all armaments:

To determine how over-all limits and restrictions on all armed forces and all armaments can be ea ku la ted and fixed;

( b) To consider methods acconlin~ to which States can agree by negotiation among themselves, under the auspices of the Commission, concerning the determination of the over-all limits and restrictions referred to in suh-paragraph (a) above and the allocation within their respective national military establishments of the permitted national armed forces and armaments;

Directs the Commission to commence its work not later than thirty days from the adoption of the present resolution and to report periodically, for information to the Security Council and to the General Assembly; or to the Members of the United Nations \vhen the General Assembly is not in session. The Commission shall submit its first report not later than 1 June 1952;

Declares that a conference of all States should be convened to consider the proposals for a draft treaty (or treaties) prepared by the Commission as soon as the work of the Commission shall have progrl'ssed to a point where in the judgrnent of the Commission any part of its programme is ready for submission to governments;

Requests the Secretary-General to convene such a conference when so advised by the Commission;

Requests the Secretary-General to furnish such experts, staff and facilities as the Commission may consider necessary for the effective accomplishment of the purposes of the present resolution.

11 January 1952.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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