CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT CLOSES 2009 SUBSTANTIVE SESSION

The Conference on Disarmament this morning adopted its annual report to the General Assembly by consensus and closed the work of its 2009 substantive session, which officially ends this Friday, 18 September.

The major achievement of the Conference this year was the adoption of decision CD/1864 on a programme of work by consensus after a more than decade-long stalemate; however, consensus subsequently proved elusive on a decision to implement the work programme.

In concluding remarks at the final plenary meeting for 2009, Ambassador Christian Strohal of Austria, President of the Conference, said a defining moment of change had come with the adoption of the programme of work of the Conference on 29 May 2009. They should build on the success and progress they had achieved with that consensus this year.

This year’s performance in the Conference was a glass half full rather than half empty, according to Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry of Algeria, who was the President of the Conference at the time the programme of work was adopted, also addressing the final meeting. “Perhaps we were overoptimistic on 29 May, when we thought that we were really going to get down to business following the adoption of the programme of work”. It could be said that CD/1864 already came pretty late in 2009. And it was understandable that there were some issues that were still sensitive in terms of procedure; perhaps they had not been aware enough of that situation.

The annual report of the Conference (CD/WP.554/Rev.1 and CD/WP.554/Rev.1/Amend.2), adopted by consensus today, noted that on 19 May 2009, following the completion of broad and in-depth consultations, then Conference President Jazairy had submitted a draft decision for the establishment of a Programme of Work for the 2009 session (CD/1863).

Addressing the Conference on 19 May, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, had asked members to take “bold action” to make a safer world a reality, referring to the new initiative. “This meeting is taking place in an improved international climate” said Mr. Ban, noting initiatives such as the recent announcements by the United States and Russian Presidents to begin talks to replace a Cold War-era nuclear arms control treaty. “However, the bilateral efforts we are witnessing must feed into a broader multilateral framework”, he stressed, adding that the “world looks to [the Conference] to channel these positive signals into a coherent global strategy”. Mr. Ban believed that the document (CD/1863) could achieve consensus and that it addressed all substantive and procedural issues.

Subsequently, on 29 May 2009, the Conference had adopted document CD/1863, entitled “Draft Decision for the establishment of a Programme of Work for the 2009 session”, which was later circulated as decision CD/1864.


The report sets out the text of decision CD/1864 in full. By that decision, the Conference on Disarmament agreed to establish several Working Groups. Under agenda item 1, cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament, it was to establish a Working Group to exchange views and information on practical steps for progressive and systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the ultimate goal of their elimination, including on approaches toward potential future work of multilateral character. A second Working Group under that agenda item was tasked with negotiating a treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, on the basis of the document CD/1299 of 24 March 1995 and the mandate contained therein (also known as the Shannon Mandate). It also agreed to establish Working Groups on prevention of an arms race in outer space and on negative security assurances. By the decision, the Conference was also to appoint Special Coordinators on the other agenda items, including weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons; comprehensive programme of disarmament; and transparency in armaments; to seek the views of its members on the most appropriate way to deal with those issues.

Subsequently, a number of proposals for implementing decisions were elaborated, culminating in CD/1870/Rev.2, which combined the previous proposals on the appointment of the Working Group Chairs and the Special Coordinators (CD/1867) and the revised calendar of activities (CD/1866/Rev. 1). The report notes that no consensus was reached on any of proposals on the implementation of CD/1864, and that delegations continued their efforts to reach a consensus on the implementation of CD/1864.

Other issues treated in the report include the question of the expansion of the membership of the Conference on Disarmament, and the issue of non-governmental organization involvement in the work of the Conference. In that context, to mark the International Women’s Day, a statement of the NGO Working Group on Peace of the NGO Committee on the Status of Women related to peace, security and disarmament issues was read by the President of the Conference on Disarmament on 5 March 2009. Subsequently, the report notes, several delegations expressed the view that next year the statement should be delivered by one of its authors. Similarly, the report records two informal meetings held with non-governmental organizations – on 28 May 2009, with a number of NGOs, and on 8 September, when it heard from the Geneva NGO Committee for Disarmament. During those meetings, it was noted, several delegations reiterated their hope of enhanced civil society engagement in the work of the Conference.

As set out in the annual report, the Conference decided that the dates for the three parts of its 2010 session will be from 18 January to 26 March for the first part; 31 May to 16 July for the second part; and 9 August to 24 September for the third part.


For use of the information media; not an official record

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