Reduction of military budgets.

  • Author: UN General Assembly (32nd sess. : 1977)
  • Document source:
  • Date:
    12 December 1977

32. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE
85. Reduction of military budgets

The General Assembly, Recalling that, in its resolution 31/87 of 14 December 1976, it requested the Secretary-General to prepare, with the assistance of an intergovernmental group of budgetary experts appointed by him, a report containing an analysis of the comments provided by States in the light of the suggestions set forth in the 1976 report of the Group of Experts on the Reduction of Military Budgets,[1] Noting with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General[2] submitted to the General Assembly in response to the aforementioned resolution, Recognizing the value of the availability of a satisfactory instrument for standardized reporting on the military expenditures of Member States, particularly of the States permanent members of the Security Council as well as any other State with comparable military expenditures, Recognizing that the work set in motion by the General Assembly on the reduction of military budgets has reached a decisive stage and that successive reports of groups of experts have moved the whole exercise to a position where practical steps for testing and refining the proposed reporting instrument could now be taken, Noting that the special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, to be held in May and June 1978, will provide an opportunity to consider the disarmament problem in a broad perspective, Noting further that at the special session several matters related to the reduction of military expenditures will be considered, Reaffirming its conviction that part of the resources thus released should be utilized for social and economic development, particularly that of the developing countries, Reaffirming also its conviction of the urgent necessity that the States permanent members of the Security Council, as well as any other State with comparable military expenditures, carry out reductions in their military budgets, Conscious that, without an accompanying process of co-operation among such States, it will not be possible to accomplish the ultimate objectives,

1. Expresses its appreciation to the Secretary-General and to the Group of Budgetary Experts which assisted in the preparation of the report;2

2. Requests the Secretary-General to ascertain those States which would be prepared to participate in a pilot test of the reporting instrument and to report thereon to the General Assembly at its special session devoted to disarmament;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to prepare a background report for the special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament and transmit it to all Member States not later than 1 April 1978, compiling the proposals and recommendations put forward by the groups of experts appointed by the Secretary-General and under Assembly resolutions 3463 (XXX) and 31/87, and containing information concerning the progress made in carrying out the task referred to in paragraph 2 above;

4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its thirty-third session the item entitled "Reduction of military budgets".

100th plenary meeting
12 December 1977


[1] A/31/Rev.1 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.77.I.6). [2] A/32/194 and Add.1.
Disclaimer:

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.