DC/2588

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ISSUES TO BE HELD IN SAPPORO, JAPAN, 22 - 25 JULY

9 July 1997


Press Release
DC/2588


UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT ISSUES TO BE HELD IN SAPPORO, JAPAN, 22 - 25 JULY

19970709 NEW YORK, 9 July (Centre for Disarmament Affairs) -- A United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues entitled "New Agenda for Disarmament and Regional Security" will be held in Sapporo, Japan, from 22 to 25 July.

The Conference intends to provide an informal setting for frank and open discussion of critical issues in the field of arms control, disarmament and confidence-building measures, with a view to addressing differences in approach, on the one hand, and, possibly, identifying common grounds for achieving further progress in the formal disarmament deliberating and negotiation forums, on the other.

With this in mind, the Conference will address issues such as new initiatives for nuclear disarmament, further reduction of nuclear weapons, the implementation of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), ban on ballistic missiles, and prevention of accidental or unauthorized use of nuclear weapons. It will also focus on issues related to small weapons and export-control regimes. Furthermore, the Conference will address region- specific issues, including regional security and cooperation in South Asia and North-east Asia, and maritime arms control.

Hosted by Hokkaido Prefecture and Sapporo City, the Conference is organized by the United Nations Centre for Disarmament Affairs through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific. The entire cost of this Conference is being financed from voluntary contributions of the Government of Japan and Hokkaido Prefecture and Sapporo City.

Approximately 80 participants from governments, academic and research institutes, non-governmental organizations, elected representatives and the media, mainly from within the Asia-Pacific region, will attend in their personal capacity.

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For information media. Not an official record.