Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament
Encyclopedia
The Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament (ENCD) was sponsored by the United Nations
in 1961. The committee's conference was an attempt to begin dialogue between the United States and Soviet Union, at the time bitter Cold War
rivals. The ENCD considered disarmament
, confidence-building measures and nuclear test controls.
accepted the decision of the major powers to create the ENCD through resolution 1722 (XVI) on December 21, 1961. The ENCD began work on March 14, 1962 in Geneva, Switzerland and met regularly until August 26, 1969. On that date the ENCD was reconstituted as the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
(CCD). The August 26 meeting of the ENCD was its 431st since its inception. Soon after the ENCD began work the Soviet Union submitted a draft treaty for consideration. The USSR Draft Treaty on General and Complete Disarmament under Strict International Control was submitted to the ENCD on March 15, 1962. The Soviet draft treaty was an 18-point plan for disarmament in three stages which included nuclear disarmament
and the creation of a UN special disarmament organization. The United States quickly countered with its own proposals on April 18, 1962.
(TNCD) as well as eight additional member nations. The ENCD actually only included the participation of seventeen nations, as France did not participate in an official capacity. However, they were involved in an unofficial role in consultations with the other Western representatives.
Original members of TNCD: (Western Bloc
) - Canada
, France
, Great Britain
, Italy
, United States
. (Eastern Bloc
) - Bulgaria
, Czechoslovakia
, Poland
, Romania
, Soviet Union
.
Nations added to ENCD: Brazil
, Burma, Ethiopia
, India
, Mexico
, Nigeria
, Sweden
, United Arab Republic
(UAR).
(CD). The ENCD followed the short-lived Ten Nation Committee on Disarmament (1960), and was succeeded by the CCD (1969-78) until the CD was formed in 1979.
After the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
in 1962 leaders in both Washington, D.C.
and Moscow
found that communicating with each other was plagued with certain delay. In the aftermath of the crisis the ENCD presented a working paper titled "Measures to Reduce the Risk of War Through Accident, Miscalculation, or Failure of Communication". In the paper, the United States proposed a direct link of communication between Washington and Moscow. Though the Soviets had previously rejected such a link outside the framework of a larger disarmament agreement in April 1963 both sides announced a willingness to commit to such an agreement. The agreement, usually known as the "Hot Line Agreement
" was signed and entered into force on June 20, 1963. Although the ENCD ratified the Hot Line Agreement the negotiations that actually led to its implementation occurred outside the confines of the committee.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in 1961. The committee's conference was an attempt to begin dialogue between the United States and Soviet Union, at the time bitter Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
rivals. The ENCD considered disarmament
Disarmament
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...
, confidence-building measures and nuclear test controls.
History
The United Nations (UN) General AssemblyUnited Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
accepted the decision of the major powers to create the ENCD through resolution 1722 (XVI) on December 21, 1961. The ENCD began work on March 14, 1962 in Geneva, Switzerland and met regularly until August 26, 1969. On that date the ENCD was reconstituted as the Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
Conference of the Committee on Disarmament
The Conference of the Committee on Disarmament was a United Nations disarmament committee authorized by a General Assembly resolution. It began work in 1969 as the successor to the Eighteen Nation Committee on Disarmament.-History:...
(CCD). The August 26 meeting of the ENCD was its 431st since its inception. Soon after the ENCD began work the Soviet Union submitted a draft treaty for consideration. The USSR Draft Treaty on General and Complete Disarmament under Strict International Control was submitted to the ENCD on March 15, 1962. The Soviet draft treaty was an 18-point plan for disarmament in three stages which included nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament
Nuclear disarmament refers to both the act of reducing or eliminating nuclear weapons and to the end state of a nuclear-free world, in which nuclear weapons are completely eliminated....
and the creation of a UN special disarmament organization. The United States quickly countered with its own proposals on April 18, 1962.
Members
The ENCD included the original members of the Ten Nation Committee on DisarmamentTen Nation Committee on Disarmament
The Ten Nation Committee on Disarmament was designed to address the issue of nuclear disarmament during the Cold War. Created through the combination of a United Nations resolution and an agreement between the Big Four powers, the TNCD began work in March 1960...
(TNCD) as well as eight additional member nations. The ENCD actually only included the participation of seventeen nations, as France did not participate in an official capacity. However, they were involved in an unofficial role in consultations with the other Western representatives.
Original members of TNCD: (Western Bloc
Western Bloc
The Western Bloc or Capitalist Bloc during the Cold War refers to the powers allied with the United States and NATO against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact...
) - Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. (Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
) - Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Nations added to ENCD: Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Burma, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, United Arab Republic
United Arab Republic
The United Arab Republic , often abbreviated as the U.A.R., was a sovereign union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971. The President was Gamal...
(UAR).
Results and legacy
The ENCD (1962-69) was one of several predecessors to the current UN disarmament organization, the Conference on DisarmamentConference on Disarmament
Conference on Disarmament is a forum established by the international community to negotiate multilateral arms control and disarmament agreements...
(CD). The ENCD followed the short-lived Ten Nation Committee on Disarmament (1960), and was succeeded by the CCD (1969-78) until the CD was formed in 1979.
After the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
in 1962 leaders in both Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
found that communicating with each other was plagued with certain delay. In the aftermath of the crisis the ENCD presented a working paper titled "Measures to Reduce the Risk of War Through Accident, Miscalculation, or Failure of Communication". In the paper, the United States proposed a direct link of communication between Washington and Moscow. Though the Soviets had previously rejected such a link outside the framework of a larger disarmament agreement in April 1963 both sides announced a willingness to commit to such an agreement. The agreement, usually known as the "Hot Line Agreement
Moscow-Washington hotline
The Moscow-Washington hotline is a system that allows direct communication between the leaders of the United States and Russia. It was originally designed by Harris Corporation for communication between the United States and the Soviet Union...
" was signed and entered into force on June 20, 1963. Although the ENCD ratified the Hot Line Agreement the negotiations that actually led to its implementation occurred outside the confines of the committee.