A/RES/53/77 Page 38 2. Recognizes also that there is a genuine need to de-emphasize the role of nuclear weapons and to review and revise nuclear doctrines accordingly; 3. Urges the nuclear-weapon States to stop immediately the qualitative improvement, development, production and stockpiling of nuclear warheads and their delivery systems; 4. Also urges the nuclear-weapon States, as an interim measure, to de-alert and deactivate immediately their nuclear weapons; 5. Calls for the conclusion, as a first step, of a universal and legally binding multilateral agreement committing all States to the objective of the total elimination of nuclear weapons; 6. Reiterates its call upon the nuclear-weapon States to undertake the step-by-step reduction of the nuclear threat and to carry out effective nuclear disarmament measures with a view to the total elimination of these weapons with a specified framework of time; 7. Calls upon the nuclear-weapon States, pending the achievement of a total ban on nuclear weapons through a nuclear-weapons convention, to agree on an internationally and legally binding instrument of the joint undertaking not to be the first to use nuclear weapons, and calls upon all States to conclude an internationally and legally binding instrument on security assurances of non-use and threat of use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon States; 8. Welcomes the establishment in the Conference on Disarmament of the Ad Hoc Committee on the prohibition of the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons and other nuclear explosive devices and urges a speedy conclusion of a universal and non-discriminatory convention thereon, and also welcomes the establishment of the Ad Hoc Committee on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons and urges the pursuit of efforts in this regard as a matter of priority; 9. Expresses its concern at the continuing opposition by some nuclear-weapon States to the establishment of an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament in the Conference on Disarmament, as called for in General Assembly resolution 52/38 L; 10. Reiterates its call upon the Conference on Disarmament to establish, on a priority basis, an ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament to commence negotiations early in 1999 on a phased programme of nuclear disarmament and for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time through a nuclear weapons convention; 11. Urges the Conference on Disarmament to take into account in this regard the proposal of the twenty-eight delegations for a programme of action for the elimination of nuclear weapons,58 as well as the mandate for the ad hoc committee on nuclear disarmament, proposed by the twenty-six delegations;59 12. Calls for the convening of an international conference on nuclear disarmament at an early date with the objective of arriving at an agreement on a phased programme of nuclear disarmament and for the eventual elimination of nuclear weapons with a specified framework of time through a nuclear weapons convention; /...