Bioterrorism, nuclear safety on agenda for upcoming meeting of UN disarmament body

Bioterrorism, nuclear safety, the weaponization of outer space and rising military expenditures will be discussed this week when an advisory board to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on disarmament matters begins a three-day closed session in Geneva tomorrow.

The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, which meets twice a year, counsels Mr. Annan on issues related to arms limitation and disarmament. It also serves as the Board of Trustees of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and is expected to review the Institute’s activities at its upcoming session.

Arundhati Ghose of India will chair the Board, which has 22 expert members appointed by the Secretary-General.