DISARMAMENT COMMISSION FAILS TO ACHIEVE CONSENSUS ON THIRD AGENDA ITEM

Press Release
DC/2551

DISARMAMENT COMMISSION FAILS TO ACHIEVE CONSENSUS ON THIRD AGENDA ITEM

The Disarmament Commission, acknowledging its inability to achieve consensus on a third agenda item, yesterday afternoon approved a modified agenda for its 1996 substantive session which included only two specific items, namely, international arms transfers and an exchange of views on the proposed fourth special session of the Assembly devoted to disarmament.

Chairman Wolfgang Hoffman (Germany) stated that, following discussions during an extended organizational session and subsequent intensive consultations, it was not possible to include in its 1996 agenda a third item on guidelines and principles of nuclear-weapon-free zones. Customarily the Commission had operated on a consensus basis, and, therefore, as one delegation had opposed the nuclear item, there was no alternative to dropping it.

He added that such action should not be considered a precedent for future sessions and there would be a return to the three-item format which had been the policy since 1993. In 1997 there would also be a return to a normal length for the substantive session of three weeks and one day. During the current session, working group I would focus on the guidelines and principles of international arms transfers and working group II would deal with the proposed fourth special session of the Assembly on disarmament.

Following the Commission's action on its agenda, the representative of Syria joined several other delegations in expressing regret that the item on nuclear-weapon-free zones could not be included in the 1996 agenda. He asked the Indian delegation to state its position on the possible inclusion of the item in the 1997 agenda. The representative of India replied that it agreed with the suggestion that the topic should be "the role of nuclear-weapon-free zones in the context of global efforts aimed at nuclear disarmament".

Also this afternoon, the United Republic of Tanzania was elected as a Vice-Chairman of the session, joining Pakistan, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Nigeria, Nicaragua and Colombia.

The Commission is scheduled to meet again at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 30 April, to hear the progress reports of the two working groups.

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