CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ADOPTS AGENDA FOR 2005 SESSION

The Conference on Disarmament today adopted its agenda for its 2005 session and the President of the Conference said that he had concluded that there was an absence of consensus on the establishment of any subsidiary bodies or mandates during the first two weeks of the session.

The adopted agenda includes the following items: cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament; prevention of nuclear war, including all related matters; prevention of an arms race in outer space; effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons; new types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons, radiological weapons; comprehensive programme of disarmament; transparency in armaments; and consideration of the annual report and any other report, as appropriate, to the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Ambassador Chris Sanders of the Netherlands, the President of the Conference, said in a Presidential statement in connection with the adoption of the agenda that it was his understanding that if there was a consensus within the Conference to deal with any issues, they could be dealt with within the agenda.

Ambassador Francois Rivasseau of France, speaking after the agenda was adopted, said that the Conference could have chosen the easy way and refused to reflect carefully and seriously on its work. Luckily, there had been a particularly productive informal debate on the agenda last Tuesday. During the debate, some could have tried to belittle the gains made during the informal sessions of 2004. That had been avoided despite a difficult and disappointing discussion. France had hoped for more encouraging movement for the future. It believed that the Conference was having difficult adapting to the new security environment while other security forums at the same time were proceeding towards brave adjustments.

Ambassador Sanders said that he would be travelling for consultations in his capacity as President of the Conference for the next two days. The next plenary will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 15 February 2005.