Question of Antarctica

 

Question of Antarctica

A The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 38/77 of 15 December 1983 and 39/152 of 17 December 1984, Having considered the item entitled "Question of Antarctica", Welcoming the increasing international awareness of and interest in Antarctica, Bearing in mind the Antarctic Treaty and the significance of the system it has developed, Taking into account the debate on this item at its fortieth session, Convinced of the advantages of a better knowledge of Antarctica, Affirming the conviction that, in the interest of all mankind, Antarctica should continue forever to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes and that it should not become the scene or object of international discord, Recalling the relevant paragraphs of the Economic Declaration adopted at the Seventh Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi from 7 to 12 March 1983, and of the Final Political Declaration of the Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries held at Luanda from 4 to 7 September 1985, as well as the resolution on Antarctica adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-second ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 10 to 17 July 1985, Conscious of the significance of Antarctica to the international community in terms, inter alia, of international peace and security, economy, environment, scientific research and meteorology, Recognizing, therefore, the interest of mankind as a whole in Antarctica, Bearing in mind the coming into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Noting once again with appreciation the study on the question of Antarctica, Convinced that it would be desirable to examine further certain issues affecting Antarctica,

1. Requests the Secretary-General to update and expand the study on the question of Antarctica by addressing questions concerning the availability to the United Nations of information from the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties on their respective activities in and their deliberations regarding Antarctica, the involvement of the relevant specialized agencies and intergovernmental organizations in the Antarctic Treaty system and the significance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the southern ocean;

2. Requests the Secretary-General to seek the co-operation of all Member States and the relevant specialized agencies, organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as the relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental bodies, in the preparation of the study by inviting them to transmit, as appropriate, their views and any information they may wish to provide;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to submit the study to the General Assembly at its forty-first session;

4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "Question of Antarctica".

B The General Assembly, Recalling its resolutions 38/77 of 15 December 1983 and 39/152 of 17 December 1984, Having considered the item entitled "Question of Antarctica", Recalling the relevant paragraphs of the Economic Declaration adopted at the Seventh Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at New Delhi from 7 to 12 March 1983, and of the Final Political Declaration of the Conference of Foreign Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries held at Luanda from 4 to 7 September 1985, as well as the resolution on Antarctica adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-second ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 10 to 17 July 1985, Recognizing that the management, exploration and use of Antarctica should be conducted in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and in the interest of maintaining international peace and security and of promoting international co-operation for the benefit of mankind as a whole, Aware that negotiations are in progress among the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties, with the non-Consultative Parties as observers, to which other States are not privy, with a view to establishing a regime regarding Antarctic minerals,

1. Affirms that any exploitation of the resources of Antarctica should ensure the maintenance of international peace and security in Antarctica, the protection of its environment, the non-appropriation and conservation of its resources and the international management and equitable sharing of the benefits of such exploitation;

2. Invites the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties to inform the Secretary-General of their negotiations to establish a regime regarding Antarctic minerals;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly for consideration at its forty-first session a report containing the replies received from Consultative Parties;

4. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its forty-first session the item entitled "Question of Antarctica".

C The General Assembly, Having considered the item entitled "Question of Antarctica", Noting with regret that the racist apartheid regime of South Africa, which has been suspended from participation in the General Assembly of the United Nations, is a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty, Recalling the interest of African States in Antarctica as shown by the resolution adopted by the Council of Ministers of the Organization of African Unity at its forty-second ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 10 to 17 July 1985, Recalling further that the Antarctic Treaty is, by its terms, intended to further the purposes and principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Views with concern the continued status of the apartheid regime of South Africa as a Consultative Party to the Antarctic Treaty;

2. Urges the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Parties to exclude the racist apartheid regime of South Africa from participation in the meetings of the Consultative Parties at the earliest possible date;

3. Invites the States parties to the Antarctic Treaty to inform the Secretary-General on the actions taken regarding the provisions of the present resolution..

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