CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HOLDS BRIEF PUBLIC PLENARY

The Conference on Disarmament today held a brief public plenary during which it approved a request by Panama to become the thirty-fourth observer to the work of the Conference during its 2005 session.

The President of the Conference, Ambassador Chris Sanders of the Netherlands, said that the public plenary would be immediately followed by private consultations. The Conference has been facing an impasse for several years which has rendered it unable to agree on its programme of work.

The next public plenary of the Conference will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 8 February. It will be followed by a private plenary.