This publication contains papers prepared by UNIDIR at the request of the CD President as background information for delegates participating in the Conference on Disarmament’s thematic debates of May and August 2012.
Those debates covered key issues on the agenda of the Conference. In addition, members of the CD addressed the question of revitalization. This issue has arisen because of concerns that, since the negotiation of the CTBT, the Conference has been unable to get underway on any negotiation.
Although these papers are brief, it is hoped that they will serve to provide newcomers to the work of the CD with insights into how key issues on the agenda have been shaped, as well as shed light on the complex procedural issues in play.
Citation: Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme (2012). "The Conference on Disarmament: Issues and Insights", UNIDIR, Geneva.