DISARMAMENT COMMISSION HOLDS ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING, DECIDES ON DATE, ISSUES FOR SUBSTANTIVE SESSION

Press Release
DC/2731

DISARMAMENT COMMISSION HOLDS ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING, DECIDES ON DATE, ISSUES FOR SUBSTANTIVE SESSION

The Disarmament Commission, at an organizational meeting this morning, announced the dates for its 2001 annual substantive session, elected several members of its Bureau, and agreed to deliberate on the following two disarmament items: ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament, and practical confidence- building measures in the field of conventional arms.

The Disarmament Commission, which is a specialized deliberative body of the United Nations that focuses on specific disarmament issues, will consider those two items, for the second consecutive year, during a three-week session from 9 to 27 April 2001. It is now customary for the Commission to consider two items for three years, but that timeframe can be extended if members so decide.

On the basis of the established principle of rotation among the groups of States, four of eight vice-chairmen and one rapporteur were elected today by acclamation, as follows: Hira Bahadur Thapa (Nepal) from the Group of Asian States; Georgi Vassilev (Bulgaria) from the Group of Eastern European States; Roberto Lema (Bolivia) and Diane Quarless (Jamaica) from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States. Ko Ko Shein (Myanmar) from the Group of Asian States was elected Rapporteur.

The Acting Chairman of the Commission and newly elected Vice-Chairman for the 2001 session, Georgi Vassilev (Bulgaria), urged the regional groups to proceed with consultations for the remaining Bureau members -- the Chairman, to be nominated from the Group of Western European and Other States, and four vice- chairmen from the remaining regional groups.

Members also decided to re-establish working groups I and II to deal with the two agenda items and, as in previous years, it established the Committee of the Whole to deal with other other substantive and organizational matters. The chairmen of the two working groups will be appointed at a later date.

Mr. Vassilev (Bulgaria), the Acting Chairman, addressing members on the future work of the Commission, noted that next year's disarmament calendar was “rich with events”. The present international climate was propitious for a wide variety of undertakings in the disarmament field. Hopefully, that atmosphere of great expectations would positively influence the Commission’s work. At the 2000 substantive session, a solid foundation had been laid down in the two working

Disarmament Commission - 2 - Press Release DC/2731 240th Meeting (AM) 1 December 2000

groups. Conscious of existing obstacles, the consensus on the issues before the Commission was still politically feasible and practicably attainable. That made the job of delegations so much more challenging and intellectually stimulating.

Turning to a review of the resolution on the Disarmament Commission (document A/55/35 C) adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November, the Acting Chairman noted that the relevant provisions, operative paragraphs 5 and 6, had recommended the above-mentioned two items for the Commission’s consideration in 2001. It had also requested the Commission to meet for a period not exceeding three weeks and to submit a substantive report to the Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. Mr. Vassilev recalled that last year’s decision to reduce the session from three weeks to two had been taken on an exceptional basis. This year, the Commission would revert back to its usual practice of a full three-week session.

The Acting Chairman suspended the organizational session to give delegations time to conduct further consultations on the outstanding members of the Bureau.

The Disarmament Commission will meet again at a date and time to be announced.

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