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

Round-Up of Session

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT CONCLUDES 2003 SESSION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 9 September (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament, the world’s sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, today concluded the third and last part of its 2003 session after adopting its annual report.

STATES PARTIES TO LANDMINES BAN TREATY TAKE THEIR MESSAGE TO ASIA

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 8 September (UN Information Service) -- States Parties to the Convention banning anti-personnel mines will meet in Asia for the first time ever when they convene their fifth annual meeting in Bangkok from September 15 to 19, 2003.

GLOBAL DISARMAMENT EFFORTS SURVEYED IN ANNUAL YEARBOOK ISSUED TODAY IN NEW YORK

NEW YORK, 5 September (Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- The 2002United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, published by the Department for Disarmament Affairs, was released today.  As described by Secretary-General Kofi Annan in the first chapter:

CONFERENCE ON TEST-BAN TREATY CONCLUDES; FINAL DECLARATION

CALLS FOR UNIVERSAL RATIFICATION

(Reissued as received.)

SPEAKERS AT TEST BAN TREATY CONFERENCE RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT POTENTIAL

THREATS OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM, RESUMED WEAPONS TESTING

(Reissued as received.)

FOREIGN MINISTER OF JAPAN ADDRESSES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

Conference Hears Statements by France, Cuba, Republic

Of Korea, United Kingdom, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan

(Reissued as received.)