Disarmament

Background Release

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT TO OPEN 2004 SESSION ON 19 JANUARY

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 16 January (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, will open its 2004 session on Monday, 19 January, at the Palais des Nations.  The first public plenary will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 January.

CONFERENCE ON IMPLEMENTATION, BY ARAB STATES, OF UN ACTION PROGRAMME ON ILLICIT

TRADE IN SMALL ARMS TO TAKE PLACE IN CAIRO, 16-18 DECEMBER

GROUP OF EXPERTS CONCLUDES NEGOTIATIONS ON A PROTOCOL ON EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR

(Reissued as received.)

STATES PARTIES APPEAL FOR WIDER ADHERENCE TO AMENDED

PROTOCOL II ON PROHIBITION OF MINES

(Reissued as received.)

REPUBLIC OF KOREA TO HOST MEETING ON DISARMAMENT, NON-PROLIFERATION

NORMS IN EAST ASIA FROM 3-5 DECEMBER

GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS TO REVIEW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DISARMAMENT

AND DEVELOPMENT, 17-21 NOVEMBER

NEW YORK, 17 November (Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- A group of governmental experts to undertake a review of the relationship between disarmament and development is holding its first session from 17 to 21 November, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

STATES PARTIES TO BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS CONVENTION TO MEET NEXT WEEK IN GENEVA;

AIM IS TO STRENGTHEN IMPLEMENTATION

GENEVA, 7 November (UN Information Service) -- The first of three annual meetings of the States Parties to the biological weapons Convention will be held in Geneva from 10 to 14 November 2003, in a new process to strengthen the implementation and effectiveness of the Convention.

Disarmament Commission

2003 Organizational Session

257^th Meeting (AM)

DISARMAMENT COMMISSION HOLDS ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION;

WILL MEET AT HEADQUARTERS 5 - 23 APRIL 2004

The Disarmament Commission, in its 2003 organizational session held this morning, adopted the agenda for its 2004 substantive session, to be held in New York from 5 to 23 April, and elected its Bureau.

UNITED NATIONS COMMITTEE ON CENTRAL AFRICAN SECURITY QUESTIONS

TO HOLD REVIEW MEETING NEXT WEEK IN EQUATORIAL GUINEA

THIRD PART OF 2003 UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME OF DISARMAMENT

FELLOWSHIPS BEGINS IN NEW YORK