Conference on Disarmament (CD)
The Conference on Disarmament is the international's community sole multilateral negotiating forum for disarmament agreements. The Conference succesfully negotiated both the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. Since it addresses the issues that touch upon the national security interests of states, it works strictly on the basis of consensus. It has a limited membership of 66 states and a unique relationship with the General Assembly. While the Conference defines its own rules and develops its own agenda, it takes into account the reccommendations of the GA and reports to it annualy. Since 1997, the Conference has been unable to agree upon a substantial programme of work due to lack of cosensus among its members on disarmament priorities.
The CD has a permanent agenda, also known as the Decalogue which is the following:
- Nuclear weapons in all aspects;
- Chemical weapons [removed from agenda in 1993 after the CD completed the Chemical Weapons Convention on 3 September 1992]
- Other weapons of mass destruction;
- Conventional weapons;
- Reduction of military budgets;
- Reduction of armed forces;
- Disarmament and development;
- Disarmament and international security;
- Collateral measures; confidence building measures; effective verification methods in relation to appropriate disarmament measures, acceptable to all parties;
- Comprehensive programme of disarmament leading to general and complete disarmament under effective international control.
