Alarmed by the existence of thousands of atomic bombs installed worldwide, delegates today called for concrete steps to be taken, especially by the largest possessor States, to end arsenal modernization plans and to immediately reduce and eventually eliminate stockpiles, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) began its thematic discussion on nuclear weapons.
Calling for the establishment of a nuclear‑weapon‑free zone in the Middle East, delegates spotlighted the benefits such an area would have in promoting peace in the region, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its general debate today.
Delegates from developing countries put a harsh spotlight today on the human cost of the worldwide proliferation of small arms and light weapons alongside ballooning military budgets, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.
Amid a crumbling foundation of the international disarmament and non‑proliferation architecture, efforts must focus on returning to a multilateral path towards the commonly shared goal of a world without nuclear weapons, delegates said, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.
Speakers today underscored the crucial link between disarmament and sustainable development, alongside a grave concern over the future of the fitful global arms control agenda, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.
Cautioning against the start of a new worldwide arms race, on Earth and in outer space, delegates called for urgent, renewed efforts to move beyond the decades‑long stalemate in the disarmament machinery, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today.
Two nuclear‑weapon States, China and the Russian Federation, today said that a third, the United States, is contributing to global insecurity by failing to fulfil its obligations under existing arms control, disarmament and non‑proliferation instruments, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.
The international disarmament machinery is a barometer of global security, but with the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and the United Nations Disarmament Conference in New York both at a standstill, it is more urgent than ever for the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) to achieve truly meaningful outcomes this year, the United Nations top disarmament official said today as the Committee began its annual general debate.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) adopted the general debate portion of its programme of work today, opening the way for the start of its substantive work amid ongoing concerns over the host country’s non‑issuance of visas for several delegates.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met only briefly today, suspending its work so that its Bureau can conduct further consultations towards resolving differences among delegations over the host country’s issuance of visas.
