As conflicts rage across regions and tensions rise in many corners of the world, it is more important than ever to work together in the pursuit of non-proliferation, disarmament, arms control and sustainable peace, said the Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, as it concluded its work for the session.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) was unable to conclude its session today, as more time is needed to consider remaining drafts concerning nuclear and conventional weapons, and outer space, on which separate provisions and amendments will be considered, however, it completed action on all other scheduled drafts, approving most without a vote.
Mindful of the possible international security implications of artificial intelligence in the military domain, including the risks of an arms race, miscalculation, lowering the threshold for conflict and escalation of conflict, and proliferation to non-State actors, States would be encouraged to pursue efforts at all levels to address related opportunities and challenges, including from humanitarian, legal, security, technological and ethical perspectives, by one of 14 drafts passed today in the First Committee.
The General Assembly would reaffirm that the prevention of an outer space arms race would avert a grave danger for international peace and security and thus welcome deliberations by the open-ended working group on reducing space threats, which constitute an important contribution to outer space security and the prevention of such an arms race, according to one of 15 drafts approved today by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).
The General Assembly would condemn in the strongest possible terms the use of chemical weapons by anyone under any circumstances as unacceptable and an international law violation, and express its strong conviction that those responsible for their use must and should be held accountable, according to one of six drafts on mass destruction weapons approved today by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).
Reflecting an escalating security crisis, described by many delegations in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) as more volatile than during the cold war, and a retrenchment of narrow political interests, a week of action began on 80 proposals today, with 24 texts on nuclear weapons requiring 79 separate recorded votes for passage.
Outer space is facing severe security challenges, with certain countries declaring it a war-fighting domain, accelerating their space military capability build-up and heightening the risk of an arms race, the representative of China told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) in its thematic debate today.
Voicing strong commitment to international cooperation, delegates in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today stressed the importance of sharing space technology for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, while commending the effectiveness and relevance of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.
The disarmament machinery is an essential part of the toolkit for putting good ideas into action, building consensus, bridging divisions and doing the hard work required to achieve and maintain a safer world, Australia’s delegate told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), which today concluded its thematic debate on disarmament machinery and opened its deliberations on outer space.
“It is sad but true that no region around the globe has been spared from crisis or insecurity this year,” the representative of the United States told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today in its thematic debate on regional disarmament and security, which was followed by the start of debate on the United Nations disarmament machinery.
