Disarmament

The Secretary-General addressed the Group of 20 virtual summit on the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that transmission of the virus must be suppressed as quickly as possible through a coordinated response mechanism guided by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees airlifted emergency relief items to Chad on 19 March, responding to the humanitarian needs of some 10,000 Sudanese refugees.  Clashes in Sudan’s West Darfur region since late 2019 have forced more than 16,000 people, mostly women and children, to cross the border into Chad.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Disarmament Commission deferred the start of its 2020 organizational session today, for the second time in as many weeks, reflecting a deepening impasse over the Host Country’s non-issuance of visas to some delegates.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium):

The upcoming conference to review the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — which will mark the fiftieth anniversary of its entry into force — will be an opportunity not only to celebrate that instrument’s many achievements, but also to ensure that it remains the lynchpin of the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs told the Security Council today.

The Disarmament Commission deferred the start of its 2020 organizational session meeting for 10 days today to enable the Committee on Relations with the Host Country to address the Russian Federation’s concerns over the non-issuance of delegates’ visas by the United States.

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message to the 2020 session of the Conference on Disarmament, as delivered by Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva, today:

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has made a major push to empower youth, recognizing their role as the ultimate force for change and noting that they have proven their power in support of the cause of disarmament.  The General Assembly also reaffirmed the important and positive contribution that young people can make to the promotion and attainment of sustainable development and peace, unanimously adopting a new resolution titled “Youth, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control”.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres: