First Committee

Affirming that eliminating nuclear weapons must be achieved by ensuring equal security for all States, Pakistan’s representative today told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) that the efforts of major nuclear-weapon States had focused mainly on areas where their own security would not be compromised, such as by eliminating biological and chemical weapons, or by banning nuclear tests and fissile material.

The combustible mix of the centrality of missiles on the world stage, both for offensive and deterrent purposes, and the proliferation of mass destruction weapons created a complicated setting in which to pursue any far-reaching or globally binding commitments in that area, the First Committee heard today.

The First Committee today opened its thematic debate segment, starting with nuclear weapons, during which national positions converged on the principles of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation while the classic differences over their practical enforcement persisted.

Discussions for a proposed conference on ridding the Middle East region of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction would be difficult and the path would be long, but the “prize” — the security of the region and the world — would be worth the time and effort, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today.

As the First Committee today heard from a high-level panel of experts on the progress and impasses of the international disarmament machinery, delegates were told that the world must “put an end to nuclear testing before nuclear testing puts an end to the world”.

Efforts to bridge the security gap between those who had nuclear weapons and those who did not drew the attention of the Disarmament Committee today, as the non-nuclear-armed States reiterated their longstanding demand for legally binding assurances that those weapons would not be used against them, as a surer path to protection pending fulfilment of the goal of complete nuclear disarmament.

While aspiring to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world, the prospects of new agreements were becoming more and more illusive as the “tectonic shifts” from hasty implementation of unilateral measures were affecting strategic stability, the Russian Federation’s delegate today told the Disarmament Committee.

Unblocking progress towards a fissile material ban was a logical and absolutely necessary next step on the path to global nuclear disarmament, the United States’ delegate told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, warning that her country’s patience on the issue was “not infinite”, vowing to push for what was in the best interest of global security.

Advancing priorities common to all States advanced the interests of each State and had the potential to revitalize faltering global disarmament efforts, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane, told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today during its annual debate.

Absent global consensus on a new security architecture for disarmament, regional groups and individual countries opened debate in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today with statements both affirming the global political stasis and strategic uncertainty while putting forth ideas on how to correct their course.