Disarmament Diplomacy

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Conference on Disarmament fails to adopt 2008 programme of work, tries new P-6 presidential draft decision [CD/1840 verbatim text]

Having failed to get agreement on last year's L.1 Programme of Work, on March 13 the six 2008 CD Presidents issued a new draft decision (CD/1840) hoping that this will bring China, Pakistan and Iran on board.

The Conference on Disarmament,

In order to provide a basis for organizing the work of the Conference which does not prejudice any past, present or future position, proposal or priority of any delegations, nor any commitment undertaken in any other multilateral fora related to disarmament, Without prescribing or precluding any outcome(s) for the substantive discussions under paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 below, with a view to enabling future compromise(s) and agreement(s) and including the possibility of future negotiations under any agenda item, thus upholding the nature of this forum, Bearing in mind that taken together with a schedule of activities which remains to beelaborated, the following decisions will constitute a programme of work for the current session which does not prejudge any future decision the Conference might take on its programme of work, Recognizing that the method of using Co-ordinators to preside over meetings on specific issues is a practical arrangement comparable to a subsidiary body and that Co-ordinators appointed by the Conference will work under its guidance, be accountable to it and submit their report to it for consideration, as would any chair-person of any subsidiary body, Noting that all work will be carried out under the Rules of Procedure of the Conference, Without prejudice to future work and negotiations on its agenda items, Takes the following decisions:

1. To appoint Ambassador (to be announced) (Chile) as Co-ordinator to preside over substantive discussions on nuclear disarmament and the prevention of nuclear war.

2. To appoint Ambassador Tarui (Japan) as Co-ordinator to preside over negotiations, without any preconditions, on a non-discriminatory and multilateral treaty banning the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices, thus providing all delegations with the opportunity to actively pursue their respective positions and priorities, and to submit proposals on any issue they deem relevant in the course of the negotiations.

3. To appoint Ambassador Grinius (Canada) as Co-ordinator to preside over substantive discussions dealing with issues related to Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.

4. To appoint Ambassador Mbaye (Senegal) as Co-ordinator to preside over substantive discussions dealing with appropriate arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

5. To request the Co-ordinators mentioned in paragraphs 1, 2, 3 and 4 to present a report to the Conference on Disarmament on the progress of the work before the conclusion of the current session.

The Conference on Disarmament also decides to request the Co-ordinators for the following agenda items previously appointed by the 2008 Presidents of the Conference to continue their work, as appropriate and under the authority of the 2008 Presidents of the Conference, during the current session:

(i) Ambassador Draganov (Bulgaria) for the agenda item entitled "New types of weapons of mass destruction and new systems of such weapons; radiological weapons".

(ii) Ambassador Jayatilleka (Sri Lanka) for the agenda item entitled "Comprehensive programme of disarmament".

(iii) Ambassador Puja (Indonesia) for the agenda item entitled "Transparency in armament".

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© 2008 The Acronym Institute.