First Committee

24 October 2018

GA/DIS/3609

Raising Alarm over Possible Space Wars, First Committee Delegates Explore Ways to Build New Order for Preventing Celestial Conflict, Confrontation

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.

23 October 2018

GA/DIS/3608

Amid Reports of Continued Chemical Weapon Use, First Committee Delegates Debate How Best to Effectively Eliminate Banned Lethal Agents

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.

22 October 2018

GA/DIS/3607

Fearing New Atomic Arms Race, First Committee Delegates Call for International Law to Settle Missile Treaty Dispute between Nuclear‑Weapon States

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.

19 October 2018

GA/DIS/3606

Possessing Atomic Bomb ‘Shameful as Depending on Chemical, Biological Weapon’, First Committee Hears, while Nuclear-Weapon States Defend Deterrence Policies

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.

18 October 2018

GA/DIS/3605

Calling for Lowering Nuclear Risks, First Committee Delegates Urge Possessor States to Swiftly De-alert Atomic Bombs, Stop Procrastinating on Promises

Exchanging views on ways to break a languishing disarmament impasse, including by assuring all non‑nuclear‑weapon States against the use or threat of atomic bombs, delegates of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today began a thematic discussion on nuclear weapons.

17 October 2018

GA/DIS/3604

Spanning 116 States, World’s Five Nuclear Weapon Free Zones Must Use Political Capital to Advance Common Disarmament Goals, Speakers Tell First Committee

Casting a spotlight on regional efforts to advance common disarmament goals, delegates in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) addressed the current and potential contribution of nuclear‑weapon‑free zones to global peace and security, as the Committee concluded its general debate and began its thematic segment.

16 October 2018

GA/DIS/3603

Amid Rise in Frequency of Chemical Weapon Use, First Committee Delegates Exchange Views on Mechanisms for Swiftly Bringing Perpetrators to Justice

Delegates today condemned the recent use of chemical weapons in Kuala Lumpur, Salisbury and towns in Syria, exchanging views on the establishment of an international mechanism to determine the perpetrators responsible for these crimes and administer justice, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) entered the penultimate day of its general debate.

15 October 2018

GA/DIS/3602

Voicing Concerns at Possible Demise of Iran Nuclear Deal, First Committee Delegates Discuss Ways to Steer Disarmament Efforts Back on Track

Voicing concerns at the possible breakdown of the Iran nuclear deal, delegates discussed ways to get collective disarmament efforts back on track, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.

12 October 2018

GA/DIS/3601

First Committee Delegates Discuss Best Tools for Fighting Illegal Arms Trade, amid Calls to Boost Control of Conventional Weapons

To combat the proliferation of illicitly produced and traded small arms and light weapons that is fuelling conflict within and between countries, delegates in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) explored the tools needed to counter this threat, as its general debate continued.

11 October 2018

GA/DIS/3600

Pointing at Epochal, Positive Shift on Korean Peninsula, First Committee Delegates Say Dialogue Proves Effective in Conquering Decades‑Long Hostilities

Mounting a staunch defence of multilateralism, delegates in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) praised the détente on the Korean Peninsula, urging States to continue the difficult, pragmatic work needed to build durable peace around the world.