Conference on Disarmament (CD)

About the conference:

• The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements.
• The Conference meets annually in three separate sessions in Geneva.

Established in?

• It was formed in 1979 after agreement was reached among Member States during the first special session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) devoted to disarmament (1978).

The CD’s permanent agenda includes the following issues:

• Nuclear weapons in all aspects
• Other weapons of mass destruction
• Conventional weapons
• Reduction of military budgets
• Reduction of armed forces
• Disarmament and development etc.

Membership

• The conference is currently composed of 65 formal members, representing all areas of the world, as well as all known nuclear-weapon states.
• India is a member.

Relation with UN:

• The Conference is formally independent from the United Nations
• But it is linked to UN in various ways:
  • Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva serves as the Secretary-General of the Conference.
  • UNGA can pass resolutions recommending rules of procedure and agenda to the Conference.
  • Conference submits a report of its activities to the General Assembly yearly.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements regarding Conference on Disarmament:
1.India is not a member of the convention.
2.The convention deals only with conventional arms and not nuclear weapons.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question