Present Perilous Moment in World History ‘No Less Decisive Than in 1945 When UN Was Founded’, First Committee Hears in General Debate
It is one of the most perilous times in world history — no less decisive than in 1945 when the UN was founded, the representative of Grenada told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today.
Speaking on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), he said the erosion of the arms control and non-proliferation architecture poses a serious concern. Nuclear weapons have no place in our world. His region — a nuclear-weapon-free zone — supports the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). He urged States to intensify efforts to stop the modernization of nuclear arsenals. He added that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) needs prompt entry into force.
Similarly, Pakistan’s speaker said that today the world stands on the “precipice of global catastrophe”, as age-old conflicts remain unresolved and new crises continue to emerge. “In South Asia, the threats to regional and global peace and security can no longer be ignored,” he said, describing the situation in the Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as precarious and could lead to a regional and global disaster. India is engaged in a massive arms build-up with 70 per cent of its military capabilities deployed against Pakistan, he said.
“We live in an age of uncertainty,” said Austria’s delegate, noting a drawback from disarmament and non-proliferation and an acceleration of a new arms race. “This is not the Reagan-Gorbachev world,” he observed, adding that now there are nine nuclear-armed States. The power of multilateralism must be demonstrated. Additionally, new technologies with immense power are getting into the hands of State and non-State actors. He called for a sustainable security paradigm, not marked by nuclear annihilation or autonomous weapons systems.
Australia’s speaker underscored that the world is experiencing more conflict than at any time since the Second World War, noting those in Ukraine and the Middle East, and an “unprecedented military build-up” in her region, the Indo-Pacific. Yet, international rules are being undermined and violated. They must be defended, including, as a top priority, developing and upholding those to control and eliminate nuclear weapons.
Moving on to specific current areas of concern, she drew attention to the Russian Federation’s blocking of the renewal of the Security Council’s mandate for a Panel of Experts on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea this year. “The DPRK continues its unlawful activities with impunity, conducting illegal arms transfers to Russia and posing a threat to global peace and security with its illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons.”
The Republic of Korea’s representative urged the Russian Federation and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to immediately stop their unlawful military cooperation, citing news reports of six “DPRK” military officers killed on the frontline near the Donetsk region. He called on that country to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programme and choose the path of dialogue instead of provocation.
He underscored that, since 1945, nuclear weapons have not been used. Proliferation has been less severe than initially feared, he observed, praising sustained multilateral efforts, including pledges and actions from both nuclear- and non-nuclear-weapon States. “Like tending a beautiful garden, the disarmament and non-proliferation architecture requires constant care and commitment,” he stressed, adding that such efforts begin with abiding by existing norms and realizing long-overdue ones.
Condemning the Russian Federation’s continued aggression against Ukraine, the representative of Czechia said that that country should be a main guarantor of international security and not the main destabilizer, yet it continues to abuse procedural rules to suppress the participation of observers across most non-proliferation and disarmament forums.
“Russia’s reckless nuclear rhetoric, coercion, intimidation and blackmailing represent a threat to global stability and the entire arms control and non-proliferation architecture,” she said. She spotlighted the use by the Russian Federation of chemical agents as a method of warfare on the battlefield in Ukraine and the announced deployment of nuclear weapons to further intimidate its neighbours. “A week doesn’t go by without a Russian official threatening nuclear destruction of some fellow UN Member State.”
The delegate for Latvia also condemned the Russian Federation’s war in Ukraine and criticized its “irresponsible and dangerous nuclear rhetoric”, including its announcement to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, its de-ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), and its unwillingness to comply and engage in dialogue on strategic arms control. These “pose significant threats to global security”.
Overall, she continued, the world is “witnessing unprecedented erosion of the global arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament architecture which raises serious concern.” Ensuring full compliance and enforcement of existing agreements must be non-negotiable, particularly on the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation. She highlighted the actions of Iran and the DPRK regarding this. She also urged China to enhance transparency about its nuclear capabilities and engage in dialogue on strategic stability.
Possible escalation of the conflict in the Middle East was also highlighted. The speaker for Lebanon said Israel’s escalated aggression on his country has led to several massacres and hundreds of civilian deaths in a matter of days. Israel has no regard for international humanitarian law, in particular, proportionality and precaution. Israel’s claims of warning civilians “are nothing more than lip service for media consumption”. It targets agricultural land with white phosphorus, banned against civilians.
On the recent attacks in Lebanon via pagers and other devices, he said, such barbaric and terrorist attacks have led to the deaths of dozens of people, including women and children.” They left hospitals and medics in a state of exhaustion and spread panic throughout Lebanon. Targeting thousands of people without knowing the locations of the targeted devices and who had them is an international law violation.
Concerning Gaza, Kuwait’s representative said everyone can see and hear about the massacres. He is convinced that when divine justice arrives, there will be no impunity. One day “this occupying Power will have to face the justice of the international community,” he said, adding that future generations will be taught that aggressors will be punished. “History will prove as much.”
The delegate for Ireland added that Israel’s response to Hamas’ attacks of 7 October 2023 has been disproportionate. He condemned Iran’s missile attack on Israel but said that the launch of Israeli incursions into Lebanon is a worrying development. “Ireland condemns airstrikes on densely populated areas, causing indiscriminate death and destruction, and is contrary to international humanitarian law.” He called on all to immediately de-escalate.
When discussion turned to the creation of nuclear-weapon-free zones, the representative of Malaysia, calling nuclear weapons “repulsive instruments of war”, said rising nuclear risks underscore the importance of strengthening existing such zones and pursuing the establishment of new ones, including in the Middle East. He regrets that a select group of countries continues to rely on nuclear deterrence, and condemns any and all nuclear threats, whether explicit or implicit.
Paraguay’s representative considers it unacceptable that there is a revival of a model of security based on deterrence and an increased threat of nuclear weapons use, which is contrary to international law. He believes “the existence of these weapons is a latent underlying risk that puts current and future generations at risk.” They need prohibition and elimination. He emphasized that in Latin America, nations have done this through the Treaty of Tlatelolco, rendering the region free of nuclear weapons.
The delegate from Mongolia agreed that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones is an integral instrument for total global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. He drew attention to Mongolia’s self-declared status as a nuclear-weapon-free State. As for nuclear deterrence, he said it is not the solution to lasting peace and stability in the world. Rather, the NPT is the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament regime.
Kyrgyzstan’s representative, as one of the initiators and depositary of the nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia and its Protocol on negative security assurances, said it will continue to work in this direction. She pledged to raise awareness about disarmament and non-proliferation as one of the key tools for ensuring peace and prosperity. Malta’s speaker supports the establishment of such zones and stressed the need to redouble efforts towards the achievement of one in the Middle East.
The delegate for Honduras drew attention to issues of small arms and light weapons, whose control remains as urgent as ever. Their trafficking in his country has broad, real impacts, he said, adding that the international community needs an actionable agenda to counter this. That scourge, said Uruguay’s representative, is caused by the proliferation of those weapons to and from conflict zones, their trafficking and trade to the belligerent parties contribute directly to the suffering and deaths of civilians. This diversion, he said, affects his country and region considerably.
Likewise, the delegate from the Dominican Republic said small arms and light weapons’ trafficking intensifies tensions, undermines stability, and perpetuates violence and conflict. There must be enhanced international and regional cooperation, financing and capacity building to counter it.
At the meeting’s end, time was allocated for rights of reply. Interventions were delivered by representatives of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Israel, State of Palestine, Lebanon, Iran, Republic of Korea, India and Pakistan.