Citing allegations that illegal toxins had been used in a recent incident in the United Kingdom — and by various parties to Middle East conflicts — delegates today voiced alarm over mounting threats posed by chemical weapons and their nuclear and biological counterparts, as the Disarmament Commission concluded its annual general debate.
As a universal body with a mandate to make every effort to reach consensus, the Disarmament Commission could build on overcoming its 18‑year‑long deadlock to make a unique and constructive contribution to further signs of progress, from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s commitment to denuclearization to the reduction of strategic nuclear forces by the Russian Federation and the United States, delegates heard at the opening of its 2018 session, launching a new 3‑year cycle.
The Disarmament Commission elected the Chair and five Vice-Chairs for its 2018 substantive session today and added two substantive items — focusing on recommendations for achieving nuclear disarmament and preventing an arms race in outer space — to the agenda of its new three-year cycle.
Following three weeks of deliberations, the Disarmament Commission reached consensus today on the draft report it would send to the General Assembly and on the reports of its subsidiary bodies, as it concluded its 2017 substantive session.
The Disarmament Commission elected the final member of its Bureau today, and heard presentations by the Chairs of its two working groups.
Negotiations on a legally binding treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons should breathe new life into the work of the Disarmament Commission, speakers said today as that panel concluded the general debate portion of its annual substantive session.
Shaping a new sustainable security paradigm would hinge on finding common ground on modernizing the concept of general and complete disarmament for the twenty-first century, the Disarmament Commission heard today.
The Disarmament Commission elected the Chair and two Vice-Chairs for its 2017 substantive session today, and took note of the provisional agenda for the third year of its three-year cycle, to be held from 3 to 21 April.
The Disarmament Commission today reached consensus on a draft report to send to the General Assembly, but was unable to agree any recommendations regarding issues on its agenda.
The international community must work together to prevent the catastrophic effects of nuclear weapons use, including in the hands of terrorist groups, speakers stressed today as the Disarmament Commission concluded the general debate portion of its annual substantive session.
