Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters was established in 1978 pursuant to paragraph 124 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and received its current mandate pursuant to General Assembly decision 54/418 of 1 December 1999. The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters has the following functions:
- To advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament, including on studies and research under the auspices of the United Nations or institutions within the United Nations system
- To serve as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
- To advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme
Membership
Meeting of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the board members of his Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, 2009.
The Secretary-General chooses the members of the Board from all regions of the world for their knowledge and experience in the field of disarmament and international security. There are fifteen members in 2016. The Director of UNIDIR is an ex officio member.
UNIDIR
In its role as Board of Trustees of UNIDIR, the Advisory Board reviews reports of the work of the Institute, including completed and on going projects, personnel and financial matters, and future plans. For further information about UNIDIR, see its website at http://www.unidir.org
Sessions
The Advisory Board holds two sessions a year, alternating between New York and Geneva. The Board adopts its agenda based on requests from the Secretary-General for advice on specific disarmament issues and upon its own recommendations of items to be considered. The chairman of the Board rotates by region on a yearly basis, and is responsible for submission of a private report on the session to the Secretary-General. Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 38/183 O of 20 December 1983 (A/RES/38/183), the Secretary-General reports annually to the General Assembly on the activities of the Advisory Board.
Reports of the Secretary-General and UNIDIR Director
For More Information
Please contact:
Curtis Raynold
Secretary of the Board
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
UN Headquarters
New York, NY, 10017
- 66th Session: 29 June - 1 July 2016, New York
- Issues to be discussed
- The challenges facing the NPT and its review process with a particular focus on the Middle East: lessons learned from non-UN and regional processes
- The relationship between sustainable development, security and arms control
- The emerging nexus between chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats (CBRN), cyber security and terrorism
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 65th Session: 27 - 29 January 2016, Geneva
- Issues to be discussed
- The challenges facing the NPT and its review process with a particular focus on the Middle East: lessons learned from non-UN and regional processes
- The relationship between sustainable development, security and arms control
- The emerging nexus between chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats (CBRN), cyber security and terrorism
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 64th Session: 29 June - 1 July 2015, New York
- Issues to be discussed
- The role of arms control in managing conflicts
- New challenges to disarmament and the increasing role of non-state actors
- The humanitarian consequences of nuclear use
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 63rd Session: 28 - 30 January 2015, Geneva
- Issues to be discussed
- The role of arms control in managing conflicts
- New challenges to disarmament and the increasing role of non-state actors
- The humanitarian consequences of nuclear use
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 62nd Session: 2 - 4 July 2014, Geneva
- Issues to be discussed
- Disarmament and security implications of emerging technologies
- Verification, with a special focus on verification technologies
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 61th Session: 5 - 7 March 2014, New York
- Issues to be discussed
- Disarmament and security implications of emerging technologies
- Verification, with a special focus on verification technologies
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues to be discussed
- 60th Session: 26 - 28 June 2013, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- The relations between the nuclear-weapon-free zones in advancing regional and global security
- Disarmament and security implications of emerging technologies
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 59th Session: 27 February - 1 March 2013, New York
- Issues discussed
- The relations between the nuclear-weapon-free zones in advancing regional and global security
- Disarmament and security implications of emerging technologies
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 58th Session: 04 - 06 July 2012, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Conventional arms regulation: the future United nations architecture
- Follow-up discussions on the issue of the revitalization of the CD
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 57th Session: 22 - 24 February 2012, New York
- Issue discussed
- Ways to improve the work of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters
- Conventional arms regulation: the future United Nations architecture
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issue discussed
- 56th Session: 29 June - 1 July 2011, Geneva
- Issue discussed
- Follow-up on the issue raised at the High-level Meeting, including inter alia the possible establishment of a High-level panel of eminent persons with special focus on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament
- Report presented to the GA at its 66th session (2011)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issue discussed
- 55th Session: 23-25 February 2011, New York
- Issue discussed
- Follow-up on the issue raised at the High-level Meeting, including inter alia the possible establishment of a High-level panel of eminent persons with special focus on the functioning of the Conference on Disarmament
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issue discussed
- 54th Session: 7-9 July 2010, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Follow-up of action on the 2002 United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
- Exchange of views on the outcome of the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Report presented to the GA at its 65th session (2010)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 53rd Session: 24-26 February 2010, New York
- Issues discussed
- Conceptual issues leading up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Follow-up action on the 2002 United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 52nd Session: 1-3 July 2009, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Cyberwarfare and its impact on international security
- Ways to strengthen the field of verification, including the role of the United Nations
- Conceptual issues leading up to the 2010 NPT Review Conference
- Report presented to the GA at its 64th session (2009)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 51st Session: 18-20 February 2009, New York
- Issues discussed
- Cyberwarfare and its impact on international security
- Ways to strengthen the field of verification, including the role of the United Nations
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 50th Session: 9-11 July 2008, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Issues of energy security and environment in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation
- The 'Hoover Plan' for nuclear disarmament: Multilateralism and the UN dimension
- Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- Report presented to the GA at its 63rd session (2008)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 49th Session: 20-22 February 2008, New York
- Issues discussed
- Issues of energy security and environment in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation
- The 'Hoover Plan' for nuclear disarmament: Multilateralism and the UN dimension
- Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 48th Session: 16-18 July 2007, New York
- Issues discussed
- Review of ways to advance the disarmament agenda
- Emerging weapons technologies, including outer space aspects
- Report presented to the GA at its 62nd session (2007)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 47th Session: 21-23 June 2006, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Building an International Security System: The Way Ahead
- Consolidating and Further Developing of International Norms on Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Report presented to the GA at its 61st session (2006)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 46th Session: 8-10 February 2006, New York
- Issues discussed
- Review of The Situation in the Field of Disarmament in the Light of the Decisions taken at the Summit held on the occasion of the Sixtieth Session of the General Assembly
- Measures to Prevent the Proliferation of Weapon Systems to Non-State Actors
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 45th Session: 29 June-1 July 2005, Geneva
- Press release
- Issues discussed
- Challenges and Opportunities at the Regional Level in the areas of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Conventional Arms
- A Review of Disarmament Machinery
- Report presented to the GA at its 60th session (2005)
- List of Members (PDF)
- 44th Session: 23-25 February 2005, New York
- Press release
- Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters to address nuclear material control, small arms threat at forthcoming session in New York (DC/2945, 22 February 2005)
- Credibility of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty faces serious challenges, Secretary-General tells Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (DC/2946, 23 February 2005)
- Issues discussed
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Fissile Material Control
- Regional Security and Global Norms: Small Arms and Light Weapons
- NGO briefing
- List of Members (PDF)
- Press release
- 43rd Session: 30 June-2 July 2004, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Contribution of the Board to the work of the Secretary-General's High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change
- Export controls
- Report presented to the GA at its 59th session (2004)
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 42nd Session: 4-6 February 2004, New York
- Press release
- Disarmament Advisory Board to address terrorism, weapons of mass destruction at forthcoming New York session, 4-6 February (DC/2905, 3 February 2004)
- Multilateral approaches are effective in countering threat of mass destruction weapons, but serious gaps remain, Secretary-General tells Advisory Board (SG/SM/9144-DC/2906l, 4 February 2004)
- Issues discussed
- Disarmament and reconciliation in conflict prevention
- Terrorism and weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems
- NGO briefing
- List of Members (PDF)
- Press release
- 41st Session: 16-18 July 2003, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Compliance, verification and enforcement of multilateral treaties
- Disarmament and human security
- Rising military expenditures
- Report presented to the GA at its 58th session
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 40th Session: 5-7 February 2003, New York
- Press releases
- Issues discussed
- Disarmament and development
- Review of the functioning and effectiveness of the Board in the context of the 25th anniversary of its establishment
- Open source data for disarmament
- List of Members (PDF)
- 39th Session: 17-19 July 2002, Geneva
- Issues discussed
- Weaponization of outer space
- Preparedness of public health systems to deal with bio-terrorism
- Nuclear security and safety
- Disarmament and development
- Report presented to the GA at its 57th session
- List of Members (PDF)
- Issues discussed
- 38th Session: 30 January-1 February 2002, New York
- Remarks
- Issues discussed
- Biological Weapons and the BWT Convention
- Small Arms and Light Weapons
- Weapons of Mass Destruction and Terrorism
- List of Members (PDF)
- 37th Session: 25-27 July 2001, Geneva
- 36th Session: 31 January-2 February 2001, New York
