PRESS BRIEFING BY CHAIRMAN OF EXPERT GROUP ON DISARMAMENT EDUCATION

PRESS BRIEFING BY CHAIRMAN OF EXPERT GROUP ON DISARMAMENT EDUCATION

There was a tremendous need for education on disarmament in the face of widespread ignorance about and indifference to the issues involved, Miguel Marin Bosch, Chairman of the Group of Governmental Experts that produced a United Nations study on the subject, said at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

Launching the United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Education, Mr. Marin Bosch described the level of popular debate on the subject as pathetic, noting that young people, who had such a good grasp of environmental questions, lacked a similar understanding of disarmament issues.

He called for the opening up of disarmament talks, pointing out that on the whole, the people, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society groups were kept in the dark about the nature of discussions in official quarters, including the General Assembly's First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).  He stressed the importance of popular opinion, adding that government discussions were not enough.

Jayantha Dhanapala, Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, who attended the press conference, outlined the background of the study, saying it was now before the First Committee, which was considering a draft resolution relating to its recommendations.  Secretary-General Kofi Annan requested the study in

2001 pursuant to General Assembly resolution 55/33E.

Asked how ignorance was hurting the debate, he replied that editorials in the Mexican press on weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems were written in a way that would give the reader the impression that they were a threat to countries far away from Baghdad.  "This is something very difficult to assume or accept," he added.

He explained that the study departed from convention in that it brought civil society and NGOs into the discussion.  They should not be shut out, as had been the practice, but rather be given a bigger role.  He also called for the education of children about disarmament.

Mr. Marin Bosch disagreed with a journalist who felt the study was short on analysis but long on recommendations, pointing out that the analysis was there.  The intention was not to paint a gloomy picture of the global situation, he added.

The main contribution of the study, which seeks to revitalize past efforts at disarmament education, is the 34 recommendations for action by governments, regional organizations and the United Nations, among others.  It also seeks to establish close collaboration between experts in the field and civil society, including educators and academic institutions, mainly at the secondary and tertiary levels.

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