153. Editorial Note
During 1962, the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee held three sessions in Geneva: March 14-June 15, July 16-September 8, and November 26-December 20. Chairman of the U.S. Delegation was Arthur H. Dean, whom President Kennedy appointed on March 6. Text of the White House press release announcing the appointment is in Department of State, S/P Files: Lot 69 D 121, Atomic Energy-Armaments. For text of the Department of State statement, March 9, naming the principal U.S. advisers to the U.S. Delegation, see Department of State Bulletin, April 2, 1962, page 536.
Secretary Rusk headed the U.S. Delegation to the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee during his March 10-27 visit to Geneva. He participated in preparatory meetings mainly with the British and other NATO delegates but also with Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko and representatives of the other nations on the committee. For a memorandum [Page 379] of conversation of one meeting with Home and Gromyko, see Document 154. In addition to his comments during the plenary sessions of the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee, Secretary Rusk made two formal statements to the committee on March 15 and 27. For texts of these statements, see Documents on Disarmament, 1962, volume I, pages 142-149 and 190-199.
The Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee (and its subcommittees) addressed three major issues during the year: general and complete disarmament, the discontinuance of nuclear testing, and confidence-building measures to decrease international tensions (e.g., cessation of war propaganda, creation of “nuclear-free” zones, measures to prevent nuclear proliferation, prohibition of nuclear explosions in outer space, and measures to reduce the possibility of accidental war).
Major initiatives during the 1962 sessions included a Soviet draft treaty (U.N. doc. ENDC/2), March 15; an eight-nation (Brazil, Burma, Ethiopia, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Sweden, and the United Arab Republic) joint memorandum (U.N. doc. ENDC/28), April 16; a U.S. treaty outline, April 18 (U.N. doc. ENDC/30), and revisions (U.N. doc. ENDC /30/Corr.1, April 25, and U.N. doc. ENDC/30/Add.1, August 6, and Add.2, August 8); and a revised Soviet draft treaty (U.N. doc. ENDC/2/Rev.1 and Corr.1), September 22. Texts are ibid., volume I, pages 103-127, 334-336, and 351-382, and volume II, pages 718, 728-730, and 913-938, respectively.
For text of the first interim report by the Eighteen-Nation Disarmament Committee to the Disarmament Commission, May 31 (U.N. doc. ENDC/42), see ibid., volume I, pages 577-581. A second interim progress report, September 8 (U.N. doc. ENDC/62), is ibid., pages 865-871. A summary of the work and accomplishments of the three sessions is in Yearbook of the United Nations, 1962, pages 5-14.
Documentation on the Geneva committee meetings is in Department of State, Central Files 396.12-GE, 397.5611-GE, 600.0012, and 700.5611. Verbatim transcripts of the committee sessions are in U.N. doc. ENDC/PV.1-95.