Amid rising terrorist threats and rapid technological advances, the potential “catastrophic” impact of nuclear terrorism required the international community to urgently band together to prevent nuclear and other toxic materials from falling into the wrong hands, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard during a thematic discussion and debate.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its general debate today after hearing an appeal for a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons and a halt to the provision of weapons to parties to armed conflict in violation of international humanitarian law.
Among the gravest threats today, the widespread circulation of conventional weapons, including shipments reaching terrorist groups operating in vulnerable regions, was killing thousands of people and affecting millions more, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it continued its general debate.
Obscene amounts were being spent on military budgets and to maintain and modernize nuclear weapons at the expense of such pressing global issues as sustainable development, climate change and the refugee crisis, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today.
For the sake of humanity and the planet, Member States must ensure that disarmament efforts supported, rather than thwarted, global economic and social development, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as its general debate continued.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea defended its nuclear weapons programme before the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, with its representative saying his Government had no option but to build a nuclear deterrent in response to threats from the United States.
Even amidst a shifting global paradigm, established rules and norms that the world had patiently built over decades continued to play a vital role in disarmament efforts, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it continued its general debate.
Speakers in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) called for more robust efforts to revive stalled disarmament processes, with some discussing whether the General Assembly should launch negotiations that would lead to a worldwide nuclear-weapon ban.
Flexibility and creativity were needed in order to find common ground and move past recent setbacks across the disarmament landscape, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, opening its general debate.
Sabri Boukadoum, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) on 13 June 2016 (see Press Release GA/11791).
