the Group of 21 has consistently advocated and has continued to attach the highest priority to a nuclear test ban. Despite this commitment of the CD/PV.565 10 (Mr. Chadha. India) international community, and the recent upturn in the world political climate, there has been no let-up in the qualitative improvement in nuclear weapons. It has been recognized that a ban on nuclear tests will contribute effectively to the arresting of the nuclear arms spiral. Since 1984 the Group of 21 has made efforts to establish an ad hoc committee with an appropriate mandate on a nuclear test ban and has repeatedly demonstrated flexibility by advancing various proposals in the search for consensus towards this end. At the beginning of the annual session of the CD this year, the Group had again reiterated that the draft mandate contained in document CD/829 was best suited to accommodate the different positions of all delegations represented in the CD and constituted a sound basis for developing a consensus. This draft mandate had been found acceptable by the Group of Socialist States and the People's Republic of China. In the spirit of further compromise and flexibility, and in order to facilitate the setting up of an ad hoc committee on item 1 in the CD, the Group of 21 had not objected to the taking of document CD/863 as a basis for a mandate for the ad hoc committee. Without prejudice to its continuing preference for a mandate like the one contained in CD/829, the group has decided not to object to the taking of CD/863 as a mandate for the establishment of the Ad hoc Committee this year. The Group of 21 considers it essential that the setting up of the Ad hoc Committee should lead to concrete negotiations towards a comprehensive nuclear test-ban treaty on an urgent basis, and that the committee should not get 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing international diplomacy and disarmament, specifically the efforts of the Group of 21 to establish an ad hoc committee for a nuclear test ban. The language used is formal and technical, indicating a focus on international relations and treaty-making. The text does not mention specific economic, environmental, or social issues, suggesting that it is not related to these categories.

**Category**
International relations, Science and technology