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Fourth Special Session on Disarmament
(SSOD IV)
Introduction
A special session on disarmament is a world summit, attended by
high level government officials of United Nations member states,
including heads of state, foreign ministers, and technical advisors,
who convene at the General Assembly to discuss and decide upon the
best ways to comprehensively and effectively control, reduce, and
eliminate global armaments.
A fourth special session of the General Assemby devoted to disarmament
(SSOD IV) is argubly the best chance for the international community
to break the current impasse in disarmament and non-proliferation.
The Conference
on Disarmament has not negotiated a treaty since 1996. The 2005
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference ended in
failure, and the new
cycle, which began in 2007, has not yet demonstrated its ability
to pick up the pieces. The UN
Disarmament Commission is struggling to agree on recommendations
on its two agenda items, due in April 2008, and the General
Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security,
the "consensus-building body" of the multilateral disarmament
system, has to adopt nearly half its resolutions by vote every year.
SSOD I, held in 1978, was the largest
meeting of states ever convened to consider the question of disarmament.
For the first time, consensus on a comprehensive disarmament strategy
was reached, which was embodied in the Final Document adopted at
the session. SSOD I eloquently registered the absurdity of the arms
race, and represented the height of envisioning disarmament.
However, the Final
Document of SSOD I, and its Program
of Action, are yet to be implemented. Despite two more special
sessions, in 1982 and 1988,
disarmament is still an aspiration, not a reality.
A fourth special session could address relevant changes in the
international political and technological context. Its holistic
approach to disarmament could help revitalize existing disarmament
machinery. SSOD IV could address the deadlock in the Conference
on Disarmament, and truly build off ideas and positions expressed
in the First Committee. The rules of procedure and mandates of these
and other fora could also be updated and improved.
The special session is also an important opportunity for disarmament
education. SSOD I and II mobilized world public opinion and encouraged
NGOs and governments to make disarmament information more widely
available. SSOD IV would be an excellent opportunity for advocacy
and activism around the world, focused on the United Nations. It
would demonstrate the full potential of the United Nations and go
a long way to strength its value in the international community.
Overall, special sessions offer an opportunity to further develop
the form and process of peacemaking.
Road to SSOD IV
In December 1995, the General Assembly decided to convene SSOD
IV in 1997. However, as the UN
Disarmament Commission completed its 1998 session, it had not
come to agreement on the objectives and agenda of the proposed fourth
special session, then pushed back to 1999. In December 1999, the
General Assembly again decided to convene the fourth session on
disarmament, and requested the Secretary-General to seek the views
of the member states on the objectives, agenda, and timing in a
First Committee, and then a General Assembly, resolution.
These resolutions were subsequently adopted by the General Assembly
until 2003, when an open-ended
working group was established "to consider the objectives
and agenda" for SSOD IV." A second open-ended working
group was established in 2007. Neither
working group was able to reach consensus on the question of establishing
SSOD IV. A new working group will convene during summer 2008.
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