ADDRESS TO THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT BY SERGEI ORDZHONIKIDZE

Following are the remarks made by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, to a meeting of the Conference on Disarmament today:

“On 21 June 2006, the Secretary-General of the United Nations addressed this august body underscoring the role of the Conference in a period where the multilateral disarmament machinery is stalling. In this regard, he referred inter alia to the failure of the World Summit to include any reference to the issues of non-proliferation and disarmament as well as to the dismal results of the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. To these disappointing conclusions we can now add the failure to agree on an outcome document of the United Nations Conference to review the implementation of the Programme of Action on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons.

The Secretary-General remains very committed to and concerned about the issues of disarmament and non-proliferation and has followed up on his message of 21 June. To underscore this concern and commitment, he has sent me a letter from which I should like to quote a passage:

‘I was pleased to have the opportunity to address the Conference on Disarmament. At this critical time, I hope that the Member states will make good use of the Conference to build momentum and overcome the obstacles that have prevented progress for so long.’

Personally, I think that the policy of continuity and coherence forged by successive Presidents, offers us this year a rare opportunity to overcome the differences that have been plaguing us for such a long time.

I hope that this unique body can live up to expectations and address before long the challenges that the international community faces in the sphere of disarmament and non-proliferation”.

For use of the information media; not an official record

DG06026E