United Nations General Assembly: Resolution on Prevention of the Illicit Transfer and Unauthorized Access to and Use of Man-portable Air Defence Systems

A/RES/60/77
Sixtieth session
Agenda item 97 (x)

Resolution adopted by the General Assembly [on the report of the First Committee (A/60/463)]

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 58/42 and 58/54 of 8 December 2003, 58/241 of 23 December 2003 and 59/90 of 3 December 2004,

Recognizing that disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation are essential for the maintenance of international peace and security,

Acknowledging the authorized trade in man-portable air defence systems between Governments and the legitimate right of Governments to possess such weapons in the interests of their national security,

Recognizing the threat to civil aviation, peacekeeping, crisis management and security posed by the illicit transfer and unauthorized access to and use of manportable air defence systems,

Taking into account the fact that man-portable air defence systems are easily carried, concealed, fired and, in certain circumstances, obtained,

Recognizing that effective control over man-portable air defence systems acquires special importance in the context of the intensified international fight against global terrorism,

Convinced of the importance of effective national control of transfers of manportable air defence systems and their training and instruction materials and of the safe and effective management of stockpiles of such weapons,

Acknowledging the role of the unauthorized transfer of relevant materials and information in assisting the unauthorized manufacture and illicit transfer of manportable air defence systems and related components,

Welcoming the ongoing efforts of, and noting declarations by, various international and regional forums to enhance transport security and to strengthen management of man-portable air defence systems stockpiles in order to prevent the illicit transfer and unauthorized access to and use of such weapons,

Noting the importance of information exchange and transparency in the trade in man-portable air defence systems to build confidence and security among States and to prevent the illicit trade in and unauthorized access to such weapons,

Acknowledging the considerable efforts of some Member States to collect, secure and destroy voluntarily those man-portable air defence systems declared to be surplus by the competent national authority,

1. Emphasizes the importance of the full implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, adopted by the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects;[1]

2. Urges Member States to support current international, regional and national efforts to combat and prevent the illicit transfer of man-portable air defence systems and unauthorized access to and use of such weapons;

3. Stresses the importance of effective and comprehensive national controls on the production, stockpiling, transfer and brokering of man-portable air defence systems to prevent the illicit trade in and unauthorized access to and use of such weapons, their components and training and instruction materials;

4. Encourages Member States to enact or improve legislation, regulations, procedures and stockpile management practices and to assist other States, at their request, to exercise effective control over access to and transfer of man-portable air defence systems so as to prevent the illicit brokering and transfer of and unauthorized access to and use of such weapons;

5. Also encourages Member States to enact or improve legislation, regulations and procedures to ban the transfer of man-portable air defence systems to non-State end-users and to ensure that such weapons are exported only to Governments or agents authorized by a Government;

6. Encourages initiatives to exchange information and to mobilize resources and technical expertise to assist States, at their request, in enhancing national controls and stockpile management practices to prevent unauthorized access to and use and transfer of man-portable air defence systems and to destroy excess or obsolete stockpiles of such weapons, as appropriate;

7. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

61st plenary meeting
8 December 2005

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[1] See Report of the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, New York, 9-20 July 2001 (A/CONF.192/15), chap. IV, para. 24.