A three-day annual U.N. conference on disarmament and security issues opened here Wednesday with participants weighing the impact of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S.
The meeting brings together government officials, members of nongovernmental organizations and journalists from 12 countries to talk about the impact of last year's terror attacks on security issues. They will also discuss weapons of mass destruction and terrorism in general.
The conference is sponsored by the U.N. Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific.
Thirty-seven people attending in a private capacity are taking part in the event. They come largely from Asia-Pacific countries, including Japan and the U.S.
Japan has hosted the conference annually since 1989.