2020 Orientation Course: Table of Disarmament Forums and Agencies
Disarmament Forums and Agencies
NOTE: This list focuses mainly on Geneva-based entities and is not exhaustive.
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Main Bodies
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Details
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Venue |
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General Assembly First Committee [JCP1] |
https://www.un.org/en/ga/first/ Deals with disarmament and international security. |
New York |
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Conference on Disarmament (CD) |
Set up in current form by the General Assembly via SSOD I [JCP2]1 Deals with (mainly) nuclear disarmament including fissile materials; PAROS;2 NSAs;3 new types of WMD including radiological weapons; comprehensive programme of disarmament; and transparency in armaments. SSOD I [JCP3] styled the CD as “a single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of limited size taking decisions on the basis of consensus”. |
Geneva |
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Disarmament Commission [JCP4] |
Set up in current form by the General Assembly via SSOD I [JCP5] https://www.un.org/disarmament/institutions/disarmament-commission/ Deals with 2 items per year: nuclear disarmament and one item drawn from a range of issue |
New York |
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WMD |
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Treaty Bodies |
Meetings of States Parties (MSPs), Conferences of States Parties (CSPs), etc. |
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Biological: (BWC) |
Next MSP: 8–11 December 2020 https://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/92CFF2CB73D4806DC12572BC00319612?OpenDocument |
Geneva |
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Chemical: (CWC) |
25th CSP: 30 Nov–4 December 2020 https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2020/06/ec94dg08%28e%29.pdf |
The Hague |
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Nuclear: (NPT)
(CTBT) (TPNW) |
10th Review Conference of NPT States Parties: dates tbc https://www.un.org/en/conferences/npt2020 NB: in the next 5-yearly review cycle of the NPT, States Parties are likely to hold Preparatory Committee meetings in Vienna, Geneva and New York. Not yet in force Not yet in force |
New York |
[1] First special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament, 1978.
[2] Prevention of an arms race in outer space.
[3] Effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
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Conventional
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Details
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Venue |
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Inhumane Weapons Convention: (CCW & Protocols) |
Next MSPs: CCW: 11–13 November 2020 Protocol V: 9 November 2020 Amended Protocol II: 10 November 2020 https://www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/D9C3974A3504E274C1258408004BCE04?OpenDocument |
Geneva |
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Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) |
Next MSP: 16–20 November 2020 https://www.apminebanconvention.org/meetings-of-the-states-parties/ |
Geneva |
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Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) |
Next CSP: 17–21 August 2020 (CSP6) https://www.thearmstradetreaty.org/csp-6.html?templateId=1319530 |
Geneva |
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Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) |
Next MSP: 2nd Review Conference of the States Parties, Lausanne https://www.clusterconvention.org/2rc/ |
Geneva |
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Other issues of relevance to Geneva-based diplomats |
Details of relevant processes, e.g. Groups of Government Experts (GGEs), Open-ended Working Groups (OEWGs), etc. |
Geneva |
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Cyber |
GGE on Advancing Responsible State Behaviour in Cyberspace in the Context of International Security, 17–21 August 2020, and 20–29 May 2021 |
Geneva New York |
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ICT |
OEWG on ‘Developments in the field of Information and Telecommunications in the context of International Security’, 6–10 July 2020 |
New York |
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Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) |
GGE on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (GGE LAWS) of the CCW Parties, 10–14 August 2020 and 21–25 September 2020 |
Geneva |
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Ammunition |
GGE on ‘problems arising from the accumulation of conventional ammunition stockpiles in surplus’, 20–24 July 2020 (postponed) |
New York |
Acronyms: see those listed at the end of the Table on Weapons and Technologies that was prepared for participants of this Orientation programme.
Glossary of Terms for UN Delegates: https://unitar.org/sites/default/files/media/publication/doc/Glossary_E_0.pdf