Delegates at the Conference on Disarmament's opening session of the year where seating is arranged according to the English alphabet. As one NGO stated 'Except for moving each country's seat one step to the right, not much has changed since the last session ....civil society has heard enough of excuses. This is not multilateralism. This is not diplomacy.'
The Conference on Disarmament, established in 1979, is the only forum for nations to discuss multilateral arms control and disarmament issues. It has a primary focus nuclear weapons control and disarmament. 65 countries, and 38 observer nations, convene annually at the United Nations' Palais des Nations building for three sessions of talks totalling 24 weeks.

Conference on Disarmament. Year 34, 2013 Session 1, Plenary meeting 1273. Presidency of Hungary.