Note:
The following resolution on terrorism was adopted by a vote of 153-2-1, whereby the only countries which voted against the resolution were Israel and the United States (Honduras abstained).

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General Assembly

Distr. GENERAL  

7 December 1987

ORIGINAL:
ENGLISH

                                                        A/RES/42/159

 
         42/159.  Measures to prevent international terrorism which endangers or takes innocent human lives or jeopardizes fundamental freedoms and study of the underlying causes of those forms of terrorism and acts of violence which lie in misery, frustration, grievance and despair and which cause some people to sacrifice human lives, including their own, in an attempt to effect radical changes:
 
                  (a)  Report of the Secretary-General;
 
                  (b)  Convening, under the auspices of the United Nations, of an international conference to define terrorism and to differentiate it from the struggle of peoples for national liberation
 
      The General Assembly,
 
      Recalling its resolutions 3034 (VII) of 18 December 1972, 31/102 of  15 December 1976, 32/147 of 16 December 1977, 34/145 of 17 December 1979,  36/109 of 10 December 1981 and 38/130 of 19 December 1983,
 
      Reaffirming its resolution 40/61 of 9 December 1985, adopted without a  vote, and the importance thereof in the consideration of the question of  international terrorism and, in particular, in the strengthening of  co-operation in preventing and eliminating terrorism,
 
      Recalling the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee on International  Terrorism contained in its report to the General Assembly at its thirty-fourth  session,
 
      Recalling also the Declaration on Principles of International Law  concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance with  the Charter of the United Nations, the Declaration on the Strengthening of  International Security, the Definition of Aggression and relevant  instruments on international humanitarian law applicable in armed conflict,
 
      Further recalling the existing international conventions relating to  various aspects of the problem of international terrorism, inter alia, the  Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft,  signed at Tokyo on 14 September 1963, the Convention for the Suppression of  Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, signed at The Hague on 16 December 1970, the  Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil  Aviation, concluded at Montreal on 23 September 1971, the Convention on the  Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons,  including Diplomatic Agents, adopted at New York on 14 December 1973, and  the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages, adopted at New  York on 17 December 1979, as well as the Convention on the Physical  Protection of Nuclear Material, adopted at Vienna on 3 March 1980,
 
      Convinced of the importance of the observance by States of their  obligations under the relevant international conventions to ensure that  appropriate law enforcement measures are taken in connection with the offences  addressed in those conventions,
 
      Deploring the continuation of all terrorist acts, including those in  which States are directly or indirectly involved, which spread violence and  terror, may result in loss of human lives and material damage and jeopardize  the normal functioning of international relations,
 
      Deeply disturbed by the world-wide persistence of those acts of  international terrorism which can pose a threat to international peace and  security and to friendly relations among States,
 
      Convinced of the importance of expanding and improving international  co-operation among States, on a bilateral, regional and multilateral basis,  which will contribute to the elimination of acts of international terrorism  and their underlying causes and to the prevention and elimination of this  criminal scourge,
 
      Convinced that international co-operation in combating and preventing  terrorism will contribute to the strengthening of confidence among States,  reduce tensions and create a better climate among them,
 
      Reaffirming the principle of the self-determination of peoples as  enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,
 
      Reaffirming also the inalienable right to self-determination and  independence of all peoples under colonial and racist regimes and other forms  of alien domination, and upholding the legitimacy of their struggle, in  particular the struggle of national liberation movements, in accordance with  the purposes and principles of the Charter and of the Declaration on  Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation  among States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations,
 
      Noting the efforts and important achievements of the International Civil  Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization in promoting  the security of international air and sea transport against acts of terrorism,  consistent with General Assembly resolution 40/61,
 
      Appealing to all States to take all appropriate steps to prevent  terrorist attacks against various forms of public transport,
 
      Urging all States to take effective measures, in accordance with  established principles of international law, in order that all acts, methods  and practices of international terrorism may be brought to an end,
 
      Mindful of the necessity of maintaining and safeguarding the basic rights  of the individual in accordance with the relevant international human rights  instruments and generally accepted international standards,
 
      Recognizing that the effectiveness of the struggle against terrorism  could be enhanced by the establishment of a generally agreed definition of  international terrorism,
 
      Taking into account the proposal made at its forty-second session to  hold an international conference on international terrorism, as referred to in  agenda item 126 (b),
 
      Taking note of the report of the Secretary-General,
 
      1.   Once again unequivocally condemns, as criminal, all acts, methods  and practices of terrorism wherever and by whomever committed, including those  which jeopardize friendly relations among States and their security;
 
      2.   Deeply deplores the loss of human lives which results from such acts  of terrorism;
 
      3.   Also deplores the pernicious impact of acts of international  terrorism on relations of co-operation among States, including co-operation  for development;
 
      4.   Calls upon all States to fulfil their obligations under  international law to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting or  participating in terrorist acts in other States, or acquiescing in activities  within their territory directed towards the commission of such acts;
 
      5.   Urges all States to fulfil their obligations under international law  and to take effective and resolute measures for the speedy and final  elimination of international terrorism and, to that end:
 
      (a)  To prevent the preparation and organization in their respective  territories, for commission within or outside their territories, of terrorist  acts and subversive acts directed against other States and their citizens;
 
      (b)  To ensure the apprehension and prosecution or extradition of  perpetrators of terrorist acts;
 
      (c)  To endeavour to conclude special agreements to that effect on a  bilateral, regional and multilateral basis;
 
      (d)  To co-operate with one another in exchanging relevant information  concerning the prevention and combating of terrorism;
 
      (e)  To harmonize their domestic legislation with the existing  international conventions on this subject to which they are parties;
 
      6.   Appeals to all States that have not yet done so to consider becoming  party to the international conventions relating to various aspects of  international terrorism referred to in the preamble to the present resolution;
 
      7.   Urges all States not to allow any circumstances to obstruct the  application of appropriate law enforcement measures provided for in the  relevant conventions to which they are party to persons who commit acts of  international terrorism covered by those conventions;
 
      8.   Also urges all States, unilaterally and in co-operation with other  States, as well as relevant United Nations organs, to contribute to the  progressive elimination of the causes underlying international terrorism and  to pay special attention to all situations, including colonialism, racism and  situations involving mass and flagrant violations of human rights and  fundamental freedoms and those involving alien domination and occupation, that  may give rise to international terrorism and may endanger international peace  and security;
 
      9.   Welcomes the efforts undertaken by the International Civil Aviation  Organization aimed at promoting universal acceptance of and strict compliance  with international air-security conventions, and its ongoing work on a new  instrument for the suppression of unlawful acts of violence at airports  serving international civil aviation;
 
      10.  Also welcomes the work undertaken by the International Maritime  Organization on the problem of terrorism on board or against ships, and the  initiative under way to draft instruments on the suppression of unlawful acts  against the safety of maritime navigation and of fixed platforms on the  continental shelf;
 
      11.  Requests the other relevant specialized agencies and  intergovernmental organizations, in particular the Universal Postal Union, the  World Tourism Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency, within  their respective spheres of competence, to consider what further measures can  usefully be taken to combat and eliminate terrorism;
 
      12.  Requests the Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on  international terrorism in all its aspects and on ways and means of combating  it, including, inter alia, the convening, under the auspices of the United  Nations, of an international conference to deal with international terrorism  in the light of the proposal referred to in the penultimate preambular  paragraph of the present resolution;
 
      13.  Further requests the Secretary-General to follow up, as appropriate,  the implementation of the present resolution and to submit a report in this  respect to the General Assembly at its forty-fourth session;
 
      14.  Considers that nothing in the present resolution could in any way  prejudice the right to self-determination, freedom and independence, as  derived from the Charter of the United Nations, of peoples forcibly deprived  of that right referred to in the Declaration on Principles of International  Law concerning Friendly Relations and Co-operation among States in accordance  with the Charter of the United Nations, particularly peoples under colonial  and racist regimes and foreign occupation or other forms of colonial  domination, nor, in accordance with the principles of the Charter and in  conformity with the above-mentioned Declaration, the right of these peoples to  struggle to this end and to seek and receive support;
 
      15.  Decides to include the item in the provisional agenda of its  forty-fourth session.