Category Archives: UN Bodies/General Assembly/First Committee

Sending 14 Drafts to General Assembly, First Committee Defeats Motion Questioning Its Competence to Approve One Aimed at Tackling Outer Space Threats

6 Nov

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved 14 drafts, among them several aimed at stemming the spread of illicit weapons on Earth and at preventing a celestial arms race, and also defeated a motion questioning its competence to approve a text on reducing threats in outer space.

Approving 5 Drafts, First Committee Remains Divided over Disarmament Approaches, Rejecting Proposal on Investigating Biological, Chemical Weapon Use

4 Nov

Approving five draft resolutions aimed at curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) rejected one that would have had the Security Council consider complaints of incidents involving biological and chemical weapon use, as delegates expressed divergent views on ways to hold perpetrators accountable, with some cautioning against politically driven proposals.

First Committee Approves 22 Drafts, Most by Recorded Votes, Reflecting Growing Divergence on How Best to Create Nuclear-Weapon-Free World

3 Nov

Reflecting a growing divergence on how best to rid the world of atomic arsenals, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) held more than 50 separate recorded votes on multiple provisions of the 22 nuclear‑weapon‑related draft resolutions and decisions Member States approved today.

Directors of Regional Centres Call for More Funding to Advance Disarmament Goals, as First Committee Holds Virtual Dialogue, Highlighting Progress amid Pandemic

30 Oct

Highlighting progress made amid COVID‑19 pandemic-related challenges, directors of United Nations regional centres called for increased funding to further advance arms reduction initiatives, while the heads of related entities presented reports on their activities, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) held the final virtual informal interactive dialogue of its seventy‑fifth session today.

Citing Entry into Force of Treaty Banning Nuclear Bombs, Discussions on Combating Cyberattacks, Briefers Address First Committee Delegates’ Concerns

26 Oct

Addressing threats to the global non‑proliferation regime, from halting a mounting wave of cyberattacks worldwide to totally eliminating atomic bombs, requires collective will, briefers told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today during a virtual informal interactive dialogue that highlighted recent cybersecurity developments alongside the Latin America and Caribbean regions’ contributions to a nuclear‑weapon‑free world.

First Committee Delegates Highlight Urgent Need to Simmer Geopolitical Tensions, End Terrorist Groups’ Foray into Cybercrime, as General Debate Concludes

19 Oct

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its general debate today amid warnings that transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups are driving illicit arms transfers and weaponizing cyberspace while geopolitical tensions increase the risk of nuclear escalation.

Delegates Call for New Control Measures to Halt Rampant Gun Trafficking, Protect Civilians from Urban Warfare, as First Committee General Debate Continues

16 Oct

Highlighting the frighteningly easy availability of illegal guns and bombs, delegates cautioned that the unless tighter controls stemmed their spread, attacks on civilians and violence would flourish, spilling across cities and borders, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.

Alarmed by Crumbling Disarmament Agreements, First Committee Delegates Raise Urgent Concerns about Maintaining Security, from Online to Outer Space

15 Oct

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today amid warnings that disregard for international disarmament agreements is resulting in the use of chemical weapons, imperilling sustainable development efforts and eroding trust on safety, from online to outer space.