The resolution entitled 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium'1 was passed by 122 votes to six at the UN First Committee in New York; with 35 abstentions. The resolution urges UN member states to re-examine the health hazards posed by the use of uranium weapons.

The resolution was drafted by the Movement of Non Aligned States and submitted by Indonesia. It requests that states and international bodies submit a report on DU to the UN General Assembly during next year's session; depleted uranium weapons will also feature on the Assembly's agenda. A second vote confirming the resolution will take place early next year.

“This is a good result for our campaign,” said an ICBUW spokesperson.“States around the world are no longer content to accept the claims by the users of these weapon systems that exposure to uranium dust is not linked to ill health. The last few years have seen great advances in our understanding of the health hazards posed by depleted uranium and it's high time that the international standards caught up with this research.”

The vote comes after a year of intense campaigning by ICBUW and its member organisations, and follows calls by the European Parliament for a ban.2 In March this year, Belgium became the first country in the world to introduce a domestic ban on the use of uranium in all conventional weapon systems.3 The decision by Brussels to take this step sent a clear message to all NATO members and users of uranium weapons that the continued use of chemically toxic and radioactive weapon systems is incompatible with international humanitarian legal standards.

How the voting went:
For: 122 countries (including Japan)
Against: 6 countries (US, UK, France, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Israel)
Abstentions: 35 countries

Full text (select your language of choice):
http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=A/C.1/62/L.18/rev.1

1. 'Effects of the use of armaments and ammunitions containing depleted uranium' A/C.1/62/L.18/Rev.1
2. European Parliament Makes Fourth Call for DU Ban: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/a/89.html
3. Belgium bans depleted uranium weapons and armour: http://www.bandepleteduranium.org/en/a/118.html

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