CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS TIMETABLE OF INFORMAL MEETINGS TO DISCUSS ITS AGENDA ITEMS

The Conference on Disarmament this morning adopted an indicative timetable to hold informal meetings to discuss its agenda items during the remaining three weeks under the Presidency of China.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Wang Qun of China, said that his open-ended informal consultations on 25 March had shown there was an emerging consensus on his suggested timetable. He presented CD/WP.565/Rev. 1 in presidential consultations with the regional coordinators yesterday after making two requested changes concerning the rescheduling of activities during China’s remaining three weeks of Presidency of the Council, and firming up the names of the Coordinators for the four core issues. The Council adopted the document, and immediately went into an informal meeting.

According to CD/WP.565/Rev. 1, the Conference today will discuss in informal meetings agenda items 1 on cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament and item 2 on prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters, with a general focus on nuclear disarmament. There will
be a public plenary at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 March. On Thursday, 31 March, the Conference will discuss in informal meetings agenda item 3 on prevention of an arms race in outer space.

The first part of the 2011 session of the Conference concludes on Friday, 1 April. The second part of the session will be held from 16 May to 1 July. The indicative timetable also elaborates on the schedule of informal meeting from 16 until 27 May, at which point the Presidency of China will come to an end. The Presidency of the Conference rotates every four working weeks between the Member States of the Conference, according to the English alphabet.

At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the Conference expressed on behalf of the Conference and on his own behalf their sincere condolences to the victims of the earthquake that struck Myanmar last week.


The next plenary of the Conference will be at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, 30 March.


For use of the information media; not an official record

DC11/025E