SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT’S ADOPTION OF WORK PROGRAMME;

 

HEARTENED SUBSTANTIVE TALKS CAN BEGIN ON STRATEGIC DISARMAMENT, NON-PROLIFERATION

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes today’s adoption of the Decision by the Conference on Disarmament to establish a Programme of Work for its 2009 session, particularly following his address to the members last week, when he underscored their special responsibility to demonstrate the Conference’s essential role as the main pillar of disarmament and non-proliferation.

The Secretary-General is heartened that the members and, in particular, the President, Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry, have overcome an impasse which had for far too long prevented the Conference on Disarmament from fulfilling its mandate.

For the first time in more than a decade, the single multilateral disarmament negotiating body can now engage in negotiations and substantive discussions on strategic disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

The Secretary-General believes that this will generate another important impetus to advancing disarmament and non-proliferation in general and to achieving success at the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in particular.

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For information media • not an official record