United Nations Disarmament Commission

Background

In 1952, the General Assembly, by its resolution 502 (VI) of January 1952, created the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) under the Security Council with a general mandate on disarmament questions. However, it met only occasionally after 1959.

In 1978, the first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament established a successor Disarmament Commission (UNDC) as a subsidiary organ of the Assembly, composed of all Member States of the United Nations. It was created as a deliberative body, with the function of considering and making recommendations on various issues in the field of disarmament and of following up on the relevant decisions and recommendations of the special session. It reports annually to the General Assembly.

Guidelines and Recommendations

In the light of its function, the UNDC focuses on a limited number of agenda items at each session. In 1989, to allow for in-depth consideration, it decided that its substantive agenda should be limited to a maximum of four items. From 1993, it has, in practice, dealt with two or three items, each of which has usually been considered for three consecutive years. In 1998, by its decision 52/492, the General Assembly decided that the UNDC's agenda, as of 2000, would normally comprise two substantive items per year from the whole range of disarmament issues, including one on nuclear disarmament.

The UNDC, which meets for three weeks in the spring, operates in plenary meetings and working groups, the number of working groups depending on the number of substantive items on its agenda. The five geographical groups take turns assuming the chairmanship of the UNDC, while the chairmen of the working groups are selected in accordance

Over the years, the UNDC has formulated consensus principles, guidelines and recommendations (see below) on a number of subjects, which have been endorsed by the General Assembly. However, in the past decade, it has not been able to agree on a substantial outcome.

The UNDC is serviced substantively by the Office for Disarmament Affairs and technically by the Department of General Assembly Affairs and Conference Services.

Sessions

2012 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- 2012 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
2011 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- 2011 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
2010 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/65/86 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/65/412)
- Report
  - A/65/42(SUPP) Report for 2010
- Statement
  - 29 March 2010
    Statement before the United Nations Disarmament Commission
    by Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.64
  - A/CN.10/L.63
- List of participants
  - A/CN.10/20120/INF/1
  - A/CN.10/20120/INF/1/REV.1
- Press Releases
2009 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolutions
  - A/RES/64/65 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/64/393)
- Reports
  - A/64/42(SUPP) Report for 2009
- Statement
  - 13 April 2009
    Statement before the United Nations Disarmament Commission
    by Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
- Provisional Agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.62/REV.1
  - A/CN.10/L.62
- List of participants
  - A/CN.10/2009/INF.1
  - A/CN.10/2009/INF.1/ADD.1
- Press Releases
2008 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/63/83Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/63/391)
- Reports
  - A/63/42(SUPP) Report for 2008
- Statement
  - 7 April 2008
    Secretary-General's Remarks to the Disarmament Commission
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.60
- List of participants
  - A/CN.10/2008/INF/1
- Press Releases
2007 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/62/54 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/62/393)
- Reports
  - A/62/42(SUPP) - Report for 2007
- Statement
  - 09 April 2007
    Collective, multilateral approach needed to eliminate weapons proliferation, Secretary-General tells Disarmament Commission
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.58A/CN.10/L.58
- List of Participants
  - A/CN.10/2007/INF/1
  - A/CN.10/2007/INF/1/Add.1
- Working Papers
  - A/CN.10/2007/WG.I/WP.1 - Working paper submitted by India
  - A/CN.10/2007/WG.I/WP.2 - Working paper submitted by Pakistan
  - A/CN.10/2007/WG.I/WP.3 - Working paper submitted by the Non-Aligned Movement
  - A/CN.10/2007/WG.I/WP.4 - Working paper submitted by the Chairman
- Press Releases
2006 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/61/98 - Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/61/396)
- Reports
  - A/61/42(SUPP) - Report for 2006
- Statement
  - 10 April 2006
    Statement by Under-Secretary-General Nobuaki Tanaka to the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.57
- List of Participants
  - A/CN.10/2006/INF/1
  - A/CN.10/2006/INF/1/Add.1
- Working Papers
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.I/WP.1 -- Working paper submitted by the United States of America
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.I/WP.2 -- Working paper submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.I/WP.3 -- Working paper submitted by China
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.I/WP.4 and Rev.1 -- Working paper submitted by the Chairman of Working Group I
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.1/WP.5 -- Working paper submitted by France
  - A/CN.10/2006/WG.1/WP.6 -- Working paper submitted by France
- Press Releases
2005 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
2004 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/59/105 - Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee ( A/59/461)
- Reports
  - A/59/42 (SUPP)- Report for 2004
  - A/CN.10/202 - Note by the Secretary-General
- Statement
  - 05 April 2004
    Statement before the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.55
- List of Participants
  - A/CN.10/2004/INF/1/ADD.1
  - A/CN.10/2004/INF/1
- Press Releases
2003 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/58/67 - Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on the report of the First Committee (A/58/464)
- Reports
  - A/58/42 - Report for 2003
- Statement
  - 31 March 2003
    Statement before the UN Disarmament Commission
- Working papers
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.6
    " Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
    Working paper submitted by Pakistan
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.5
    Proposals of the Non-Aligned Group concerning chapter V of the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
    Working paper submitted by Indonesia on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.4
    Proposals of the Non-Aligned Group concerning chapter IV of the Chairman's working papers, "Ways and means toachieve nuclear disarmament"
    Working paper submitted by Indonesia on behalf of the States Members of the Non-Aligned Movement
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.3
  - Proposal of the five Central Asian States (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) on paragraph 8 of annex II to the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
    Working paper submitted by Uzbekistan
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.2
    European Union proposal for chapter V of the Chairman's working paper, "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament"
    Working paper submitted by Greece on behalf of the European Union
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.II/WP.2
    Practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional arms
    Working paper submitted by Greece on behalf of the European Union
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.1/REV.1
    Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.II/WP.1
    Practical Confidence-Building Measures in the field of conventional arms, Chairman's working paper
  - A/CN.10/2003/WG.I/WP.1
    "Ways and means to achieve nuclear disarmament", Chairman's working paper
- Press Releases
2002 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Resolution
  - A/RES/57/95 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
- Reports
  - A/57/42- Report for 2002
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.52
2001 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Reports
  - A/56/42 - Report for 2001
- Statement
  - 09 April 2001
    Statement before the Disarmament Commission, United Nations, New York, 09 April 2001
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.48
  - A/CN.10/L.49 - Agenda
2000 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Reports
  - A/55/42 - Report for 1999
- Statement
  - 26 June 2000
    Statement before the Disarmament Commission, United Nations, New York
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.47
  - A/CN.10/L.46
1999 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Reports
  - A/54/42 - Report for 1999
- Statement
  - 12 April 1999
    Statement before the Disarmament Commission, United Nations, New York, 12 April 1999
1998 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Reports
  - A/53/42 - Report for 1998
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.43
  - A/CN.10/L.42
1997 Session of the United Nations Disarmament Commission
- Reports
  - A/52/42 - Report for 1997
- Provisional agenda
  - A/CN.10/L.41
  - A/CN.10/L.40