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Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly at Its 254th Plenary Meeting, 23 November 19491

[New York,] 24 November 1949.

[299 (IV)]

International Control of Atomic Energy

The General Assembly,

Recalling its resolutions 1 (I) of 24 January 1946, 41 (I) of 14 December 1946 and 191 (III) of 4 November 1948,

Aware that atomic energy, if used for peace, will lead to the increase of human welfare, but if used for war may bring about the destruction of civilization,

Anxious to free humanity from the dangers which will continue to exist as long as States retain under their individual control the development and operation of atomic energy facilities,

Convinced that an international co-operative effort can avoid these dangers and can hasten the development of the peaceful uses of atomic energy for the benefit of all peoples,

1.
Urges all nations to join in such a co-operative development and use of atomic energy for peaceful ends;
2.
Calls upon Governments to do everything in their power to make possible, by the acceptance of effective international control, the effective prohibition and elimination of atomic weapons;
3.
Requests the permanent members of the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission to continue their consultations, to explore all possible avenues and examine all concrete suggestions with a view to determining whether they might lead to an agreement securing the basic objectives of the General Assembly in this question, and to keep the Atomic Energy Commission and the General Assembly informed of their progress;
4.
Recommends that all nations, in the use of their rights of sovereignty, join in mutual agreement to limit the individual exercise of those rights in the control of atomic energy to the extent required, in the light of the foregoing considerations, for the promotion of world security and peace, and recommends that all nations agree to exercise such rights jointly.

  1. The General Assembly considered the report of the Ad Hoc Political Committee on agenda item 23, the international control of atomic energy (A/1119), at its 253rd and 254th Meetings, November 23. At the 254th Meeting, the Assembly adopted the resolution recommended by the Committee. The vote was 49–5 (the Soviet bloc), with three abstentions (Israel, South Africa, and Yugoslavia). The Soviet representative then asked for a roll call, paragraph by paragraph vote on Soviet proposal A/1120, a draft identical with document A/AC31/L.28 which had been rejected in committee. The General Assembly rejected the Soviet text by votes of 50–5–1 (paragraph 1), 51–5–1 (paragraph 2), and 41–6–10 (paragraph 3). For the record of the 254th Meeting, see GA (IV), Plenary, p. 344.↩