United Nations General Assembly

10 October 2002

Original: English and Russian

Fifty-seventh session

First Committee

Agenda item 66

General and complete disarmament 

Russian Federation and the United States of America: draft resolution

Bilateral strategic nuclear arms reductions and
the new strategic framework

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolution 53/77 Z of 4 December 1998 and other relevant resolutions,

Welcoming the completion of strategic arms reductions codified in the Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms ("START") by Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and the United States of America,

Agreeing that new global challenges and threats require the building of a qualitatively new foundation for strategic relations between the United States of America and the Russian Federation,

Noting with satisfaction the building of the new strategic relationship between the United States of America and the Russian Federation based on the principles of mutual security, trust, openness, cooperation and predictability,

Appreciating the joint determination of the two countries to work together and with other nations and international organizations to promote security, economic well-being and a peaceful, prosperous free world,

Applauding the agreement whereby each country will reduce its strategic nuclear warheads to a number that does not exceed 1,700 to 2,200, as specified in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions (the "Moscow Treaty"), by 31 December 2012,

Believing that the agreed strategic reductions advance the commitment of both the United States of America and the Russian Federation under article VI of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,

Appreciating that the United States of America and the Russian Federation will continue to work closely together, including through cooperative programmes, to ensure the security of weapons of mass destruction and missile technologies, information, expertise and material,

1. Welcomes the commitment of the two countries to strategic nuclear warhead reductions in the Treaty on Strategic Offensive Reductions (Moscow Treaty), signed on 24 May 2002, which is an important result of this new bilateral strategic relationship, and which will help to establish more favourable conditions for actively promoting security and cooperation and enhancing international stability;

2. Looks forward to the entry into force of the Moscow Treaty at the earliest possible date;

3. Notes with satisfaction the Joint Declaration signed by the United States of America and the Russian Federation, in Moscow on 24 May 2002, which, inter alia, created the Consultative Group for Strategic Security, chaired by Foreign and Defence Ministers, through which the United States of America and the Russian Federation will strengthen mutual confidence, expand transparency, share information and plans and discuss strategic issues of mutual interest;

4. Recognizes that the Group of Eight Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, launched by leaders at the Kananaskis Summit, held at Kananaskis, Canada, on 26 and 27 June 2002, will enhance international security and safety by supporting specific cooperation projects, initially in the Russian Federation to address non-proliferation, disarmament, counter-terrorism and nuclear safety issues;

5. Calls upon all countries to join the Group of Eight commitment to the non-proliferation principles endorsed by the Group of Eight leaders at the Kananaskis Summit aimed at preventing terrorists, or those that harbour them, from acquiring or developing nuclear, chemical, radiological and biological weapons, missiles, and related materials, equipment and technology;

6. Invites the United States of America and the Russian Federation to keep other States Members of the United Nations duly informed of their strategic offensive reductions;

7. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-eighth session an item entitled "Bilateral strategic nuclear arms reductions and the new strategic framework."