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.
First Committee
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.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met today in an organizational meeting but refrained from adopting its agenda and programme of work for the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly after the Russian Federation protested the refusal by the United States, the host country, to issue visas to members of its delegation.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) elected Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz (Bolivia) as Chair on 4 June. (See Press Release GA/12149.)
Concluding its programme of work, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved 27 draft resolutions and decisions, including two separate proposals to create working groups within the disarmament machinery to develop rules for States on responsible behaviour in cyberspace.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved eight draft texts, including one calling for the universalization of the Arms Trade Treaty and the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved eight draft texts, including one that would have the Assembly re-emphasize its support for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to continue to establish the facts surrounding allegations of chemical weapon use in Syria and identify, where possible, the perpetrators of such crimes.
Divergent views on how to rid the world of nuclear weapons dominated discussions in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, as it reflected on action taken on several draft resolutions and decisions.