First Committee

25 October 2019

GA/DIS/3635

States Call for Enhanced Arms Control Strategies to Regulate ‘Killer Robots’, Stem Rising Tide of Illegal Weapons, Delegates Tell First Committee

Calling for more control of the flow of small arms and light weapons and enhanced regulations on autonomous weapons systems, delegates highlighted the damage done to communities around the world by a range of legal and illegal weaponry, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate on conventional weapons.

24 October 2019

GA/DIS/3634

States Must Galvanize Counter-Trafficking Action, First Committee Delegates Stress, as Small Arms, New Drone Weaponry Continue to Fuel Wars, Hobble Development

The illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons around the world is having humanitarian and socioeconomic consequences that are undermining sustainable development and efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, delegates said today as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its thematic debate on conventional weapons.

23 October 2019

GA/DIS/3633

Concerned about Chemical Weapon Attacks, First Committee Delegates Discuss Best Ways to Identify, Bring Perpetrators to Justice

Raising concerns for the reappearance of the use of chemical weapons in places such as Syria, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, States exchanged the best ways to identify and bring perpetrators to justice, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued thematic discussions on conventional arms and other weapons of mass destruction.

22 October 2019

GA/DIS/3632

First Committee Debates Global Divisions between Nuclear ‘Haves and Have-Nots’, with Some Delegates Calling for Action on Deteriorating Security Landscape

Nuclear‑weapon States disagreed today on who bears responsibility for a deteriorating global security environment, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate on nuclear weapons against the backdrop of an impasse in disarmament and non‑proliferation efforts.

21 October 2019

GA/DIS/3631

Amid Frozen Disarmament Momentum, Nuclear-Weapon States Must Renew Drive to Reduce, Liquidate Stockpiles, Delegates Tell First Committee

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.

18 October 2019

GA/DIS/3630

Delegates Support Swift Creation of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Middle East as First Committee Concludes General Debate

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.

17 October 2019

GA/DIS/3629

Condemning Rampant Spread of Small Arms, First Committee Delegates Highlight Human Costs Stemming from Illicit Trade, $1.8 Trillion Global Military Budget

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.

16 October 2019

GA/DIS/3628

Despite Crumbling Disarmament Machinery, States Must Return to Multilateral Path towards Eliminating All Nuclear Weapons, Delegates Tell First Committee

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.

15 October 2019

GA/DIS/3627

Given Disarmament Development Nexus, First Committee Delegates Call for Shifting Gears to Better Control Arms, Foster Progress on Realizing 2030 Agenda

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.

14 October 2019

GA/DIS/3626

Warning of New Arms Race, First Committee Delegates Call for Galvanized Efforts to Overcome Stalled Disarmament Machinery

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.