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
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 2009 (see list) . The Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member.
