DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
296
66/62. Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of
Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be
Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects
The General Assembly, through this
annual resolution, acknowledged the work of
the Implementation Support Unit within the
Geneva Branch of the Office for Disarmament
Affairs, welcomed the preparatory work for
the Fourth Review Conference conducted by
the Group of Governmental Experts of the
High Contracting Parties to the Convention, and noted that the issue of urgently
addressing the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions, while striking a balance
between military and humanitarian considerations, would be further addressed at
the Fourth Review Conference in November 2011. The Assembly requested the
Secretary-General to render the necessary assistance and to provide such services
as may be required for the Fourth Review Conference and other annual conferences
and expert meetings of the High Contracting Parties to Amended Protocol II and
Protocol V.
First Committee. Explaining its position before the action on the draft
resolution, Libya said that it would join the consensus, however, it was a non-State
party to the CCW. It noted that the draft resolution did not take into account the right
to self-defence of some States. It believed that addressing the question of certain
conventional weapons required sincere cooperation that took into account the concerns
of all nations. It added that weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons,
represented the greatest danger to human life.
66/518. The arms trade treaty (decision)
The General Assembly, recalling its
resolution 64/48 of 2 December 2009, decided to
hold, within existing resources, the final session of
the Preparatory Committee for the United Nations
Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty from 13 to
17 February 2012 in New York, to conclude the
Preparatory Committee’s substantive work and to
decide on all relevant procedural matters, pursuant
to paragraph 8 of resolution 64/48.
Introduced by: Sweden (18 Oct.)
GA vote: w/o vote (2 Dec.)
1st Cttee vote: w/o vote (27 Oct.)
For text and sponsors, see Yearbook,
Part I, pp. 179-182.
Introduced by: United Kingdom
(19 Oct.)
GA vote: 166-0-13 (2 Dec.)
1st Cttee vote: 155-0-13 (28 Oct.)
For text, sponsors and voting pattern,
see Yearbook, Part I, pp. 202-203.
First Committee. After the vote, three States that had voted in favour took the
floor:
• India expressed its understanding that the discussions in or papers circulated
at the Preparatory Committee would continue to be without prejudice to the
negotiations at the 2012 Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty. India believed
that prospects for a viable and effective arms trade treaty of universal acceptance
would be enhanced only if the interests of all stakeholders were addressed in a
consensus-based process.
• The United Kingdom stated that it regretted that a vote had to be held on the
draft decision, but thanked all delegations that showed their support.