United Nations conference on nuclear proliferation, disarmament issues

to be held in Yokohama, Japan, 21-23 august

NEW YORK, 16 August (Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- The eighteenth United Nations conference on disarmament issues will be held in Yokohama, Japan, from 21 to 23 August 2006.

Organized by the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific of the Department for Disarmament Affairs, the conference is hosted by the Government of Japan and Yokohama City.

Approximately 50 participants from Governments, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and the press will attend the conference in their personal capacity.

In view of the growing threats to global and regional security arising from nuclear proliferation risks, the conference will address problems and challenges of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, examining issues of compliance, verification, nuclear fuel cycle and peaceful use of nuclear energy.  Regional issues such as the nuclear programmes of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran, and related approaches such as the six-party talks, and the Five Plus One proposal will also be addressed.  The conference will discuss ways to eradicate the nuclear black market and to regain confidence in multilateral efforts towards nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

The conference is entirely financed from voluntary contributions made to the Regional Centre by the Government of Japan and Yokohama City.

For further information, contact Tsutomu Ishiguri, Director, Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific, tel: 917 367 4130, fax: 212 963 1121, e-mail: rasandiharisoa@un.org.

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For information media • not an official record