The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved 21 draft resolutions and 3 draft decisions, many by record vote, related to nuclear disarmament, including ones calling for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
Despite recent progress, the continued impasse in the Conference on Disarmament undercuts its credibility and raises doubt about its continued relevance, delegates stressed today, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) took up its cluster on the disarmament machinery before concluding the thematic portion of its work.
While information and communications technologies can drive social and economic development, malicious use of these innovations could threaten global security, First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) delegates warned today as they exchanged views on ways to shield cyberspace from such threats.
Drawing attention to the daunting challenges and long-term consequences posed by explosive remnants of war, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its debate on conventional weapons as delegates pointed to progress made through multilateral instruments in clearance operations.
Weighing potential risks to international security posed by such new technologies as militarized drones, delegates exchanged views today on ways to control these lethal autonomous weapons, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its work.
The growing humanitarian toll of conventional weapons took centre stage in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today during its thematic debate segment, as delegates highlighted the detrimental effects of such weapons on civilian populations in vulnerable and conflict affected regions.
To prevent outer space from becoming another military battlefield, delegates today explored ways to establish a rules‑based order to securely govern that sphere, which they called “a common asset for humanity”, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its work.
Spotlighting continued violations of bans on chemical and biological weapons, delegates discussed how best to effectively address those threats and ensure the destruction of remaining stockpiles, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its debate on other weapons of mass destruction.
Voicing concerns about the erosion of confidence in nuclear disarmament and international security in the Euro‑Atlantic area, First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) delegates today called attention to a United States decision to pull out of the Intermediate‑Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, as they concluded a thematic discussion on nuclear weapons.
Defending the strategic purposes of their arsenals, First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) delegates representing nuclear‑weapon States pointed at current geopolitical realities, while calling for the type of methodical approach to disarmament that has led to past successes.
