Following three weeks of deliberations, the Disarmament Commission concluded its 2018 substantive session — the first of its new three-year cycle — with the approval by consensus of its draft report to the General Assembly as well as the reports of its subsidiary bodies.
Continuing its 2018 substantive session, the Disarmament Commission this afternoon elected René Zelený (Czechia) as Vice-Chair by acclamation, thus filling a remaining Bureau vacancy.
On 23 March 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) on the arms embargo monitoring mandate of MONUSCO. Also present during the meeting were the representatives of MONUSCO’s Joint Mission Analysis Centre (JMAC), United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and the Coordinator of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary‑General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the reception and opening of the exhibition “Mine Action: Advancing Protection, Peace and Development”, in New York today:
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, observed today:
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 following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Conference on Disarmament, in Geneva today:
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.
