ACRONYM Reports

Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty: Now or Never

Appendix I: Membership Of The Conference On Disarmament

Membership was established as 38 in 1978, but is now counted as 37. Czechoslovakia' s seat fell vacant when that country dissolved. Despite agreement between the Czech and Slovak Republics that this seat should be taken by Slovakia, opposition in the CD prevented this, an injustice which has been raised frequently during 1994 and 1995, to no avail.

The members became organised into three groupings during the cold war, which are now recognised as less relevant to states' real interests and alliances. However, appointments and consultations are still on the basis of group membership, with Sweden (which left the G-21 in 1993) and China outside any of the groups. Yugoslavia no longer sits in the CD, although it has not been officially suspended.

Group of Western States and Others: Argentina*, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, UK and USA.

Group of Eastern European States and Others: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation.

G-21 Group of Non-Aligned States: Algeria, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Mexico, Mongolia**, Morocco, Myanmar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Sri Lanka, Venezuela, Zaire.

* Argentina transferred from the G-21 to the Western Group.

** Mongolia transferred from the Eastern Group to the G-21.

The O'Sullivan list of 23 states identified for new membership: Austria, Bangladesh, Belarus, Cameroon, Chile, Colombia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Finland, Iraq, Israel, New Zealand, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Senegal, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe.

Dates for the 1996 CD Session:

22 January - 29 March

13 May - 28 June

29 July - 13 September

© 1995 The Acronym Institute.