UN Disarmament Documentation

The First Committee, one of the six Main Committees of the General Assembly, is allocated agenda items related to disarmament and international security.

• Document series symbol for working documents
  • A/C.1/session/-
  • example: A/C.1/69/L.1
• Verbatim records, starting with the 22nd session, with the exception of the 48th session
  • A/C.1/session/PV.-
  • example: A/C.1/69/PV.20
  • See Ask DAG: What kind of meeting records does the First Committee of the General Assembly have? for more detailed information
• Press release series symbol
  • GA/DIS/-
  • example: GA/DIS/3517

The First Committee submits a separate report to the plenary on every agenda item allocated to it. Each report:

• indicates the meetings at which the item was considered
• summarizes the committee's consideration of the item
• identifies the sponsors of draft resolutions
• reports the vote, if any, of Member States on draft texts
• transmits the final version of draft resolutions and/or decisions recommended to the plenary for adoption
• symbol pattern
  • A/session/-
  • example: A/69/441

The plenary considers each report and votes on the draft resolutions or decisions it contains.

For example, the General Assembly adopted resolutions 69/68, 69/69, 69/70, 69/71, 69/72, 69/73, 69/74 and 69/75 based on the report of the First Committee (A/69/441).

Available translations:

The General Assembly has held three special sessions on the question of disarmament; a fourth has been called for by multiple General Assembly resolutions, recently in General Assembly resolution 77/46 of 7 December 2022.

First Special Session on Disarmament

• First special session on disarmament = Tenth special session of the General Assembly
• Held in New York, 23 May -30 June 1978
• Final document: General Assembly resolution S-10/2 of 30 June 1978, includes:
  • Declaration
  • Programme of Action
  • A section on international disarmament machinery

Second Special Session on Disarmament

• Second special session on disarmament = Twelfth special session of the General Assembly
• Held in New York, 7 June to 10 July 1982
• Final document: General Assembly decision S-12/24 of 10 July 1982 adopted A/S-12/32 as the session's concluding document

Third Special Session on Disarmament

• Third special session on disarmament = Fifteenth special session of the General Assembly
• Held in New York, 31 May to 26 June 1988
• Final document: General Assembly decision S-15/24 of 25 June 1988 took note of A/S-15/50 as the session's concluding document

Fourth Special Session on Disarmament (proposed)

• Several resolutions call for a Fourth Special Session on Disarmament, most recently in General Assembly resolution 77/46 of 7 December 2022
• An Open-Ended Working Group has been established to consider the objectives and agenda for a fourth special session on disarmament. It reports to the General Assembly. Search results for the Reports from the Open-Ended Working Group

General Assembly resolution S-10/2 of 30 June 1978, i.e., the final document of the first special session on disarmament, established several mechanisms to work on disarmament matters.

Conference on Disarmament

• Conference on Disarmament website
• Began as the Committee on Disarmament but renamed pursuant to General Assembly resolution 37/99K of 13 December 1982
• Sole multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, in accordance with General Assembly resolution S-10/2 of 30 June 1978
• Meets in Geneva
• Document series symbol for working documents
  • CD/-
  • example: CD/1946
• Verbatim records
  • CD/PV.[meeting number]
  • example: CD/PV.1248
• Sessional reports 
  • Supplement 27 to the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR)
  • A/session/27
  • example: A/71/27
• Press release series symbol: DCF/-

Disarmament Commission

• Disarmament Commission website
• Successor to the Commission originally established by resolution 502 (VI) of 11 January 1952
• Deliberative body composed of all Member States that considers and makes recommendations in the field of disarmament, in accordance with General Assembly resolution S-10/2 of 30 June 1978
• Meets annually in New York for three weeks
• Generally focuses on two agenda items at each session
• Document series symbol for working documents
  • A/CN.10/-
  • example: A/CN.10/207
• Verbatim records
  • A/CN.10/PV.[meeting number]
  • example: A/CN.10/PV.323
• Sessional reports 
  • Supplement 42 to the General Assembly Official Records (GAOR)
  • A/session/42
  • example: A/71/42
• Press releases series symbol: DC/-
• From 1952-1979, prior to the adoption of General Assembly resolution S-10/2, the body called the UN Disarmament Commission issued documents with the symbol DC/-

Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters

• Advisory Board website
• Advisory Board on Disarmament Studies established by General Assembly resolution S-10/2 of 30 June 1978
• Renamed the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters by the Secretary-General with effect from 1 January 1989 (A/44/654, para.4)
• Received its current mandate pursuant to General Assembly decision 54/418 of 1 December 1999
• Serves as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
• Advises the Secretary-General on arms limitation, disarmament, and the implementation of the UN Disarmament Information Programme
• Holds two sessions a year, alternating between New York and Geneva
• The Secretary-General reports on the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters to the General Assembly 

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

• UNIDIR website
• Established in 1980
• Statute was approved by General Assembly resolution 39/148H of 17 December 1984
• Based in Geneva
• An autonomous institution within the framework of the United Nations that conducts independent research on disarmament and security
• The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters functions as UNIDIR's Board of Trustees and approves its work programme
• The Director reports annually on the activities of the Institute
• UNIDIR publications