The United Nations Commission on Conventional Armaments was founded as a result of the founding United Nations treaty in 1946. [1] [2] The goal of the commission was to find ways to reduce the size of non-nuclear armaments around the world. The Commission was formally established by the Security Council Resolution on 13 February 1947. The five permanent members of the United Nation Security Council could not agree on how to achieve this aim and so the first report of the Commission in 1949 made no substantial recommendations.
In 1950, the Soviet Union refused to sit with the representatives of the "Kuomintang group" (i.e. the non-communist Chinese representatives) on the Commission. This brought an effective end to the Commission's discussion. It was formally dissolved in 1952. [3]
The United Nations General Assembly is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as its main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ. Currently in its 78th session, its powers, composition, functions, and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.
Arms control is a term for international restrictions upon the development, production, stockpiling, proliferation and usage of small arms, conventional weapons, and weapons of mass destruction. Historically, arms control may apply to melee weapons before the invention of firearm. Arms control is typically exercised through the use of diplomacy which seeks to impose such limitations upon consenting participants through international treaties and agreements, although it may also comprise efforts by a nation or group of nations to enforce limitations upon a non-consenting country.
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons. Disarmament generally refers to a country's military or specific type of weaponry. Disarmament is often taken to mean total elimination of weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear arms. General and Complete Disarmament was defined by the United Nations General Assembly as the elimination of all WMD, coupled with the “balanced reduction of armed forces and conventional armaments, based on the principle of undiminished security of the parties with a view to promoting or enhancing stability at a lower military level, taking into account the need of all States to protect their security.”
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441 is a United Nations Security Council resolution adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council on 8 November 2002, offering Iraq under Saddam Hussein "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" that had been set out in several previous resolutions. It provided a legal justification for the subsequent US-led invasion of Iraq.
The Conference on Disarmament (CD) is a multilateral disarmament forum established by the international community to negotiate arms control and disarmament agreements based at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Conference meets annually in three separate sessions in Geneva.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade as well as disarmament and arms control. The research is based on open sources and is directed to decision-makers, researchers, media and the interested public.
The United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (UNAEC) was founded on 24 January 1946 by the very first resolution of the United Nations General Assembly "to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy."
The United Nations General Assembly First Committee is one of six main committees at the General Assembly of the United Nations. It deals with disarmament and international security matters.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 18 was adopted by the United Nations Security Council on February 13, 1947.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the United Nations:
United Nations Security Council Resolution 77, adopted on 11 October 1949, having received and examined the second progress report of the Commission for Conventional Armaments, the Council directed the Secretary-General to transmit the report, along with its annexes, accompanying resolution and a record of the Council’s consideration of the subject to the General Assembly for its information.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 78, adopted on October 18, 1949, having received and examined the proposals contained in the working document on the implementation of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 192, adopted by the United Nations Commission on Conventional Armaments the Council requested the Secretary-General transmit these proposals and the records of the discussion on this question in the Council and the Commission for Conventional Armaments to the General Assembly.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 79, adopted on January 17, 1950, having received and the text of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 300 concerning the regulation and general reduction of conventional armaments and armed forces, the Council decided to transmit the resolution to the Commission for Conventional Armaments for further study in accordance with the Commission’s plan of work.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 97, adopted on January 30, 1952, dissolved the Commission for Conventional Armaments.
The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) is a United Kingdom-based non-profit non-governmental organisation which campaigns for a reduction in the resources spent on arms and the military and for those resources to be diverted to programmes that benefit humanity and the earth; such as poverty reduction, sustainable development, protecting the vulnerable, systems for peaceful Conflict resolution and maintaining the environment.
Chapter V of the United Nations Charter contains provisions establishing the United Nations Security Council.
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is a multilateral treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons.
The Holy See is not a member of the United Nations but was granted permanent observer state status on 6 April 1964. In that capacity, it has the right to attend all sessions of the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Security Council, and the United Nations Economic and Social Council to observe their work. Accordingly, the Holy See has established permanent observer missions in New York and in Geneva and has been able to influence the decisions and recommendations of the United Nations.
Transparency in Armaments (TIA) is an arms control reporting program established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9, 1991 under UN resolution 46/36L. It calls for annual reporting by UN member states on imports, exports, and holdings of weapons in seven categories: battle tanks; armored combat vehicles; large caliber artillery systems; attack helicopters; combat aircraft; warships; and missiles and missile launchers. Reporting is not required but is strongly encouraged. Reports are sent to the Secretary General of the United Nations and are maintained in the United Nations Conventional Arms Register (UNCAR).
The United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) is a United Nations commission under the United Nations General Assembly which primarily deals with issues relating to Disarmament.