EuropaWorld2 6/10/2001The NGO Committee on Disarmament

The NGO Committee on Disarmament is an independent, private, voluntary organisation based at United Nations headquarters in New York. Its role is to provide services and facilities to civil society and non-governmental groups concerned with the peace and disarmament activities of the UN. As such, it is regarded as a primary ally of the international movement for arms control and peace. The Committee is one of five that constitute the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations (CONGO) that work to afford NGOs a broader participative role within the UN system.

The objectives of CONGO are to inform and empower NGOs worldwide to become an integral part of the international decision-making process. For the NGO Committee on Disarmament this process entails acting as a conference organiser, network clearinghouse, newspaper publisher and year-round UN liaison.

The work of the Committee falls in several main programme areas. The first is to facilitate the participation of NGOs in formal multilateral disarmament meetings. This includes meetings such as the UN General Assembly debates and review meetings of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Committee assists the UN Secretariat with NGO accreditation, organises briefings with key delegates and journalists, and conducts orientations and citizen diplomacy training.

The second focus for the Committee is information dissemination facilitated by its free publication Disarmament Times and a comprehensive website and electronic network. These aim to provide full and timely coverage of UN disarmament news, decisions and events, including updates as to the status of negotiations, country positions, and major obstacles and opportunities in the policy-making process.

The third area of the Committee's work is in hosting fora and conferences on nuclear and conventional disarmament issues, frequently in collaboration with the UN secretariats of Disarmament Affairs and Public Information. Such events offer NGOs an opportunity for dialogue with the key players in disarmament negotiations and a chance to introduce substantive proposals into the debate. The annual Disarmament Week symposium is a major event in the peace and diplomatic calendar. To further its objectives the Committee also runs several educational programmes and sponsors internships for students interested in disarmament affairs and international relations.

Although a member of CONGO, the NGO Committee for Disarmament is not part of the UN system and relies on voluntary contributions to fund its work. The Committee is headed by the Rev. Vernon Nichols, a representative of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (see EuropaWorld Recommends… 22 June 2001). Rev. Nichols acted as co-convener for the Peace, Security and Disarmament Theme of the UN NGO Millennium Forum.

More details about the NGO Committee for Disarmament and comprehensive information about the UN's role in disarmament can be found at http://www.igc.org/disarm