General Assembly Adopts Resolution on ABM Treaty

The 56th General Assembly session Thursday adopted a resolution calling for united global efforts to strengthen the Treaty on the Limitation of Anti-Ballistic Missile Systems (ABM Treaty).

The resolution, proposed by Russia, China and Belarus, was approved by a recorded vote of 82 in favor and 5 against, with 62 abstentions. The United States, Israel, Albania and other three countries voted against this resolution.

The resolution also called for concerted efforts to preserve the U.N.'s integrity and validity so that it remains a cornerstone in global strategic stability, world peace and strategic nuclear arms reductions.

The resolution urged the parties to the treaty, in accordance with their obligations, to limit the deployment of anti-ballistic systems and refrain from the deployment of anti-ballistic systems for defense, not to provide bases for such defense and not to transfer to other states or deploy outside their national territory anti-ballistic missile systems or components limited by the treaty.

The resolution called for renewed efforts by each of the states to preserve and strengthen the treaty through full and strict compliance.

Earlier this month, the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, which is in charge of disarmament and international security, adopted this resolution.

The treaty urged all U.N. member states to support efforts aimed at stemming the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery.

It welcomed the decision taken by the United States of America on September 1, 2000, to not authorize deployment of a national missile defense system at this time.

The ABM Treaty, signed by the U.S. and the Soviet Union in 1972, has played a cornerstone role in maintaining world strategic stability and in promoting nuclear disarmament of the U.S. and the former Soviet Union.

Yet, the U.S. has devoted great resources to developing the national anti-missile system since last year, despite Russia's rejection of its proposal to revise the ABM Treaty.

The pass of the resolution demonstrated the international community's opposition against the U.S. efforts to develop and deploy the NMD.

( November 30, 2001)