The UN General Assembly’s main committee has adopted, by an overwhelming majority, a Pakistan-sponsored resolution under which the 193-member Assembly would reaffirm the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
Entitled: “Conclusion of effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons”, the resolution was voted in the Assembly’s First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security matters.
The resolution mustered a majority of 119 votes in favour to none against, with 60 abstentions.
A large number of states belonging to the Non-aligned Movement as well as China and Japan supported the text, while the US and European States as well as India abstained.
By its terms, the Assembly would reaffirm the urgent need to reach an early agreement on effective international arrangements to assure non-nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
Noting with satisfaction that there is no objection in principle in the Conference on Disarmament to the idea of an international convention on the topic, the resolution would appeal to all States, especially nuclear-weapon States, to work actively towards early agreement on a common approach leading to a legally binding international instrument.
It would come up for formal endorsement of the General Assembly next month, along with the three of Pakistan’s regional disarmament-related resolutions which were adopted by the committee on Tuesday – also with strong support of the member states.
A day earlier, three Pakistani draft resolutions focusing on regional disarmament were adopted with overwhelming support by the UN General Assembly’s main committee that diplomats here said could lead to the strengthening of international peace and security.
The resolutions dealt with regional disarmament, conventional arms control at regional and sub-regional levels as well as Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the regional and sub-regional context.
The draft on conventional arms, which underscores the significance of pursuing arms control in regional and subregional contexts, was adopted by a strong support of 159 votes, with only India casting a negative vote.
The proposals on regional disarmament and confidence-building measures, which encourage efforts for easing regional tensions and to advance disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation measures at the regional and subregional levels, were adopted by the Committee by consensus.
The approval of the resolutions by the 193-member Assembly’s Disarmament Committee was as an acknowledgement of Pakistan’s commitment to promote the objectives of regional and global disarmament as well as strengthening international peace and security, a Pakistani mission press release said. At a time of growing mistrust and rising tensions in various regions of the world, especially in South Asia, it said that regional approaches to disarmament to strengthen peace and security had assumed greater relevance and significance.
Introducing the resolutions, Pakistani delegate Jehanzeb Khan said the General Assembly has long recognized that international peace and security was co-dependent on stability at the regional and sub-regional levels, noting that the UN Charter also acknowledges that relationship.
In the post-Cold War era, he said, most threats to peace and security arise mainly among States located in the same region or sub-region. Therefore, the Pakistani delegate added, International efforts towards disarmament and arms control were reinforced and complemented by regional approaches towards this end.
As the committee completed its programme of work on Tuesday, its Chairman Agustin Santos Maraver of Spain said that despite the problems encountered in conducting in-person meetings amid the coronavirus pandemic, it adopted 72 draft resolutions and decisions to the General Assembly, Maraver, who was making his closing remarks, said amid new arms races and regional tensions, member states must look at the United Nations Charter and its appeal to universal disarmament, emphasizing that: “We need to convey to the victims of weapons of mass destruction that we have fulfilled our mandate to the best of our abilities.”
