Problems Arising From the Accumulation of Conventional Ammunition Stockpiles in Surplus

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 98v Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus, published in 2019.

What other versions does this mandate have?

10 versions · 2006–2021

This is an older version — the most recent is A/RES/76/233

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2021	A/RES/76/233	Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus	1,938	73%Compare
2019	A/RES/74/65	Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus	1,655	80%Compare
2017	A/RES/72/55	Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus	1,547	50%Compare
2015	A/RES/70/35	Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus	1,004	90%Compare
2013	A/RES/68/52	Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus	921	81%Compare

What subjects does this mandate have?

5 subjects

Ammunition Conventional Weapons Risk Assessment Stockpile Management Technical Cooperation

What’s in this document?

19 operative paragraphs

Encourages all interested States to assess, on a voluntary basis, whether, in conformity with their legitimate security needs, parts of their stockpiles of conventional ammunition should be considered to be in surplus, and recognizes that the security of such stockpiles must be taken into consideration and that appropriate controls with regard to the security and safety of stockpiles of conventional ammunition are indispensable at the national level in order to eliminate the risk of explosion, pollution or diversion;

Appeals to all interested States to determine the size and nature of their surplus stockpiles of conventional ammunition, whether they represent a security or safety risk, their preferred means of destruction, if appropriate, and whether external assistance is needed to eliminate this risk;

Encourages States in a position to do so to assist interested States within a bilateral framework or through international or regional organizations, including through activities conducted under the umbrella of the SaferGuard knowledge resource management programme, on a voluntary and transparent basis, in elaborating and implementing programmes to eliminate surplus stockpiles or to improve stockpile management;

Encourages all Member States to examine the possibility of developing and implementing, within a national, regional or subregional framework, measures to address accordingly the illicit trafficking related to the accumulation of such stockpiles;

Continues to encourage States to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Group of Governmental Experts established pursuant to resolution 61/72 to consider further steps to enhance cooperation with regard to the issue of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus;5

Notes with appreciation initiatives at the international, regional and national levels that shed light on improving the sustainable management of ammunition, including through the implementation of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines, recognizing the relevance of continued discussions and coordination in this regard;

Recalls the release of the updated version of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in 2015 and the intention to update the Guidelines on a regular basis, as well as the continued implementation of the SaferGuard programme, managed by the Office for Disarmament Affairs of the Secretariat;

Welcomes the continued application of the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in the field, including the online implementation support tools and training materials, takes note of the support guides and the availability of translations of the Guidelines in various languages, which encourages States in a position to do so to offer support to the SaferGuard programme, and calls upon all United Nations entities to make full use of the Guidelines when supporting national authorities;

Encourages consideration of the integration of ammunition management measures, where relevant, in the mandates of peacekeeping operations, including through the training of personnel of national authorities and peacekeepers, utilizing the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines;

Welcomes the ongoing work carried out by the SaferGuard programme to establish its quick-response mechanism, which allows ammunition experts to be deployed to assist States, upon request, in the management of ammunition stockpiles, and encourages States in a position to do so to provide technical expertise or financial support to the mechanism;

Encourages States wishing to improve their national ammunition stockpile management capacity, wishing to prevent the growth of conventional ammunition surpluses and wishing to implement wider risk mitigation to contact the SaferGuard programme, as well as potential national donors, regional organizations or other organizations, as appropriate;

Encourages States, as appropriate, to consider ammunition management as an intrinsic part of their actions for achieving relevant targets of the Sustainable Development Goals6 related to the reduction of illicit arms flows and the prevention of violence through strengthened institutions, and to consider, where relevant, developing national, regional and subregional indicators based on this understanding;

Also encourages States, where relevant, to develop voluntary national action plans on the safe and secure management of conventional ammunition, and acknowledges the utility of information-sharing and the benefit of good practices among States, as appropriate;

Takes note with appreciation of the series of informal consultations convened within the framework of its resolution 72/55 throughout 2018 and 2019 that focused on matters of conventional ammunition management within the United Nations system and beyond and that sought to identify urgent issues pertaining to the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus on which progress can be made and that may constitute a basis for convening a group of governmental experts;

Takes note of the informal paper presented by Germany on the informal consultative process undertaken within the framework of its resolution 72/55, as well as the inputs, both written and oral, received from Member States on the same matter;

Reiterates its request to the Secretary-General to convene a group of governmental experts in 2020 on problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus, taking into account the exchanges in the open, informal consultations;

Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly on the work of the group upon its completion;

Reiterates its decision to address the issue of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus in a comprehensive manner;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fifth session, under the item entitled “General and complete disarmament”, the sub-item entitled “Problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus”.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

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