Conference on Disarmament

Conference on Disarmament web site
Canadian Statements and Proposals
Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty

Canada pursues its non-proliferation and disarmament objectives in the main body that is concerned with disarmament issues, the Conference on Disarmament (CD). The CD is divided into three sessions lasting approximately 6-8 weeks. The agenda of the CD includes the following items:

1. Cessation of the Nuclear Arms Race and Nuclear Disarmament;
2. Prevention of Nuclear War, including all related measures;
3. Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space;
4. Effective International Arrangements to assure non-nuclear weapons
   States against the Use of Threat of Nuclear Weapons;
5. New Types of Weapons of Mass Destruction and New Systems of such Weapons;
6. Comprehensive Programme of Disarmament;
7. Transparency in Armaments, and;
8. Consideration and Adoption of the Annual Report of the Conference and
   any other Report as appropriate to the General Assembly of the UN.

Canada continues to view the CD as a vital mechanism for moving forward the multilateral disarmament agenda. During the 1999 session and again this year, Canada renewed its call for the establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee for the substantive discussion of nuclear disarmament issues. Canada is concerned about the aggravated deadlock in the CD. If broad agreement cannot be reached on establishing standing mechanisms to discuss nuclear disarmament and the non-weaponization of outer space, as well as re-establishing the Ad Hoc Committee on the FMCT, Canada favours continuing intensive consultations by the Presidency involving systematic efforts coordinated by the past, current, and incoming CD presidents.