The committee yesterday approved a resolution by 82 to 37 votes with 20 abstensions calling upon the conference on disarmament to commence negotiations on an international convention prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons ``under any circumstance''.

It also approved a resolution on conventional arms control at regional and sub-regional levels by 129 votes with India and Bhutan casting negative votes and Cuba abstaining.

The resolution, which now goes to the general assembly for formal adoption, also asks the conference to report to the assembly on the results of those negotiations.

Prior to approval of the resolution, the committee held a separate vote and approved a preambular paragraph which stresses that an international convention on prohibition of use of nuclear weapons would be an important stepin a phased programme towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within a specified time framework.

Eighty-two voted in favour of retaining the paragraph, 38 cast negative votes and 18 abstained.

The disarmament committee discusses resolutions within its scope in depth and then makes recommendations to the general assembly where their adoption is a mere formality if it has already approved a draft. All member-nations are represented on the committee.

Under the terms of another draft approved by the committee, the assembly would renew its call to all states to strictly observe the principles and objectives of the 1925 Geneva protocol.

The protocol prohibits use of asphyxiating, poisonous and other gases and of bacteriological methods of warfare in wars.

The draft was approved by 136 votes with none against and the United States, Israel, and South Korea abstaining.

The committee approved without vote a resolution calling all signatory states that have not yet ratified or signed theconvention on prohibition of development, production and stockpiling of bacteriological and toxic weapons and their destruction, to do so earliest.

Another draft approved yesterday calls for prevention of dumping of nuclear or radioactive wastes that would infringe on states' sovereignty.