Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters was established in 1978 pursuant to paragraph 124 of the
Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and received its current mandate
pursuant to General Assembly decision 54/418 of 1 December 1999. The
Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters has the following functions:
To advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament, including on studies and
research under the auspices of the United Nations or institutions within the United Nations system
To serve as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
To advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme
Membership
The Secretary-General chooses the members of the Board from all regions of the world for their knowledge and experience in the
field of disarmament and international security. Members serve an initial two-year term.
There are fifteen members in 2012.
The Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member.
Sessions
The Advisory Board holds two sessions a year, alternating between New York and Geneva. The Board adopts
its agenda based on requests from the Secretary-General for advice on specific disarmament issues and upon its own recommendations of items to be considered. The chairman of the Board rotates by region on a yearly basis, and is responsible for submission of a private report on the session to the Secretary-General. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 38/183 O of 20 December 1983 (A/RES/38/183), the Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly on the activities of the Advisory Board.
UNIDIR
In its role as Board of Trustees of UNIDIR, the Advisory Board reviews reports of the work of the Institute, including completed and on going projects, personnel and financial matters, and future plans. For further information about UNIDIR, see its website at http://www.unidir.org
Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters Sessions
- 58th Session: 04 - 06 July 2012, Geneva
- Issue to be discussed
- - Conventional arms regulation: the future United nations architecture
- - Follow-up discussions on the issue of the revitalization of the CD
- Members
- 57th Session: 22 - 24 February 2012, New York
- Issue discussed
- - Ways to improve the work of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
- - Conventional arms regulation: the future United Nations architecture
- Members
- 56th Session: 29 June - 1 July 2011, Geneva
- Issue discussed
- Follow-up on the issue raised at the High-level Meeting, including inter alia the possible establishment of a High-level panel of eminent persons with special focus on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament
- Report presented to the GA at its 66th session (2011)
- Members
- 55th Session: 23-25 February 2011, New York
- Issue discussed
- Follow-up on the issue raised at the High-level Meeting, including inter alia the possible establishment of a High-level panel of eminent persons with special focus on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament
- Members
- 54th Session: 7-9 July 2010, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Follow-up of action on the 2002 United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
- Exchange of views on the outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Report presented to the GA at its 65th session (2010)
- Members
- 53rd Session: 24-26 February 2010, New York
- Issues discussed
- Conceptual issues leading up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Follow-up action on the 2002 United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
- Members
- 52nd Session: 1-3 July 2009, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Cyberwarfare and its impact on international security
- Ways to strengthen the field of verification, including the role of the United Nations
- Conceptual issues leading up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Report presented to the GA at its 64th session (2009)
- Members
- 51st Session: 18-20 February 2009, New York
- Issues discussed
- Cyberwarfare and its impact on international security
- Ways to strengthen the field of verification, including the role of the United Nations
- Members
- 50th Session: 9-11 July 2008, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Issues of energy security and environment in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation
- The 'Hoover Plan' for nuclear disarmament: Multilateralism and the UN dimension
-
Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- Report presented to the GA at its 63rd session (2008)
- Members
- 49th Session: 20-22 February 2008, New York
- Issues discussed
- Issues of energy security and environment in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation
- The 'Hoover Plan' for nuclear disarmament: Multilateralism and the UN dimension
- Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- Members
- 48th Session: 16-18 July 2007, New York
- Issues discussed
- Review of ways to advance the disarmament agenda
- Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- Report presented to the GA at its 62nd session (2007)
- Members
- 47th Session: 21-23 June 2006, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Building an International Security System: The Way Ahead
- Consolidating and Further Developing of International Norms on Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Report presented to the GA at its 61st session (2006)
- Members
- 46th Session: 8-10 February 2006, New York
- Issues discussed
- Review of The Situation in the Field of Disarmament in the Light of the Decisions taken at the Summit held on the occasion of the Sixtieth Session of the General Assembly
- Measures to Prevent the Proliferation of Weapon Systems to Non-State Actors
- Members
- 45th Session: 29 June-1 July 2005, Geneva
- Press release
- Issues discussed
- Challenges and Opportunities at the Regional Level in the areas of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Conventional Arms
- A Review of Disarmament Machinery
- Report presented to the GA at its 60th session (2005)
- Members
- 44th Session: 23-25 February 2005, New York
- Press release
- Issues discussed
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Fissile Material Control
- Regional Security and Global Norms: Small Arms and Light Weapons
- NGO briefing
- Members
- 43rd Session: 30 June-2 July 2004, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Contribution of the Board to the work of the Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
- Export controls
- Report presented to the GA at its 59th session (2004)
-
Members
- 42nd Session: 4-6 February 2004, New York
- Press release
- Issues discussed
- Disarmament and reconciliation in conflict prevention
- Terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems
- NGO briefing
- Members
- 41st Session: 16-18 July 2003, Geneva
- Press release
- Issues discussed
- Compliance, verification and enforcement of multilateral treaties
- Disarmament and human security
- Rising military expenditures
- Report presented to the GA at its 58th session
- Members
- 40th Session: 5-7 February 2003, New York
- Remarks
- Press Releases
- Issues discussed
- Disarmament and development
- Review of the functioning and effectiveness of the Board in the context of the 25th anniversary of its establishment
- Open source data for disarmament
- Members
- 39th Session: 17-19 July 2002, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Weaponization of outer space
- Preparedness of public health systems to deal with bio-terrorism
- Nuclear security and safety
- Disarmament and development
- Report presented to the GA at its 57th session
- Members
- 38th Session: 30 January-1 February 2002, New York
- Remarks
- Issues discussed
- Biological Weapons and the BWT Convention
- Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism
- Members
- 37th Session: 25-27 July 2001, Geneva
- 36th Session: 31 January-2 February 2001,
New York
