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1 Beatrice Fihn, The Conference on Disarmament and Negative Security Assurances 1 (2011)

handle is hein.unl/unaadx0001 and id is 1 raw text is: The Conference on Disarmament and NSAs
March 2011
The CD Discussion Series
Between December 2010 and July 2011, the UNIDIR project The Conference on
Disarmament: Breaking the Ice and the Geneva Forum are organizing a series of
thematic discussions to examine the myths and realities of the CD-as well as the
critical challenges facing it-with the aim to increase understanding of the history,
processes and issue areas of this unique negotiating forum.
The Conference on Disarmament
and Negative Security Assurances
Beatrice Fihn, project associate of Reaching Critical Will
In 1978, the final document of the First Special Session of the General Assembly
devoted to Disarmament asked nuclear-weapon states to pursue efforts to
conclude, as appropriate, effective arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon
States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.'
This final document also created the Conference on Disarmament (CD) as the
permanent body for negotiating disarmament issues. It has a permanent agenda
called the Decalogue, which includes (1) nuclear weapons in all its aspects,
(2) chemical weapons, (3) other weapons of mass destruction, (4) conventional
weapons, (5) reduction of military budgets, (6) reduction of armed forces, (7)
disarmament and development, (8) disarmament and international security, (9)
collateral measures, confidence-building measures, and effective verification
methods in relation to appropriate disarmament measures, acceptable to all
parties concerned, and (10) comprehensive programme of disarmament leading
to general and complete disarmament under effective international control. Out
of this broad framework, the CD adopts its annual agenda.
Already at its creation in 1979, the CD included the topic of negative security
assurances (NSAs) in its annual agenda, among five other items.2 An ad hoc
working group was established and documents and working papers regarding the
conclusion of an international convention to assure non-nuclear-weapon states
against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons were submitted by delegations.
This first working group on NSAs in the CD was chaired by the representative of
Egypt and held both plenary meetings and informal consultations. As a result of

DEAS FOR PEACE AND SECURITY

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