Small arms and light weapons resulted in devastating consequences for civilians, particularly women and children, and their lucrative trafficking and unregulated proliferation made them easily obtainable, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today during its general debate.
Armed conflict had caused the world to become fragmented and left it “shaken to the core” as the system of global security became diluted, and international relations turned to “mutual alienation and mistrust”, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today during its general debate.
Despite some gains, the world had been locked in a “cycle of intense frustration” over the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament, as the “flawed step-by-step approach” was not enough to achieve the goal of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, as it continued its general debate.
Amid concerns that the progress made since the cold war had stalled, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) was warned today that there was “no time to lose”, and the international community was urged to “roll up its sleeves” and tackle the world’s disarmament issues.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met today in a brief organizational meeting to adopt its agenda and work programme for the seventieth General Assembly session.
Karel Jan Gustaaf van Oosterom, Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) on 15 June.
As the First Committee’s session drew to a close, its Chair, Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica, commended the positive and constructive tone of discussions despite the persistence of divergent views, with delegations according priority attention to the world’s deadliest weapon of mass destruction and the most lethal and indiscriminate of all, nuclear weapons.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved a draft resolution noting several remaining actions to be taken in the context of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including destruction of chemical weapons removed from Syrian territory and of the 12 remaining declared production facilities, as well as inspections of the remaining declared sites.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) forwarded 28 drafts to the General Assembly today on a broad range of items, from the effects of armaments containing depleted uranium, developments in the field of information and telecommunications, the Hague Code of Conduct against ballistic missile proliferation, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) forwarded 12 draft resolutions to the General Assembly today on weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons and a new one on no first placement of weapons in outer space, which stresses the urgency of preventing an arms race in outer space.
