UN Disarmament Commission concludes without consensus recommendations

by Katherine Prizeman, Global Action to Prevent War
 
The UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) concluded the second year in its three-year cycle on Friday, 19 April. Much of the discourse during the concluding plenary had a positive tone, with delegations noting that the work done in the 2013 substantive session will “set the stage” for progress next year. In his concluding remarks, Chair Ambassador Christopher Grima of Malta called the three-week session “productive” and rich in discussion. Still, it is discouraging that the session could not come to more concrete conclusions.

 

Memory lane

by Dr. Robert Zuber, Global Action to Prevent War
 
Among the proposals emerging from this year's session of the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC), there were two that particularly caught our eye. The Swiss proposals presented during the opening exchange of views calling for more involvement by experts in the work of the UNDC is one that Global Action to Prevent War and Armed Conflict (GAPW) has discussed in other commentary and fully supports in practice.
 

Building blocks

by Dr. Robert Zuber, Global Action to Prevent War

The general exchange of views at this years’ UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) put on display a mixture of post-Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) negotiating fatigue, a bit of bellicose rhetoric, and a certain resignation that outcomes for this year’s substantive session were unlikely to be more noteworthy than previous years.
 

Opening of the 2013 session of the UN Disarmament Commission: Time for substantive recommendations

by Katherine Prizeman, Global Action to Prevent War

On Monday, the UN Disarmament Commission (UNDC) opened its annual substantive session. The forum, which enjoys universal membership and is often referred to as the UN’s “disarmament think tank,” is surrounded by much anxiety about its ability to garner a consensus outcome before the end of its three-week session.