MFAT Related resources

• New Zealand's voting record at the 2010 UN General Assembly First Committee

External Links

• UN Disarmament and International Security Committee

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Glossary

Although we have tried to use plain English content on the site, you may come across specialist terms and acronyms. Find out what they mean in our glossary of terms.

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Disarmament and arms control

First Committee of The United Nations General Assembly

Current issues

• The 2009 First Committee was held in New York, 5 October - 6 November 2009.
• Much of the focus at the 2009 First Committee was on the renewed sense of momentum in nuclear disarmament, but there was also agreement on starting negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty.
• The First Committee, like the rest of the General Assembly, needs to tackle institutional reform issues.
  

Recent statements

• UN General Assembly 65: First Committee: Conventional Weapons 19 October 2010 more
• UN General Assembly 65: First Committee: Disarmament Machinery 18 October 2010 more
• UN General Assembly 65: First Committee: Nuclear Weapons 14 October 2010 more
• UN General Assembly 65: First Committee: General Debate 5 October 2010 more

The First Committee discusses issues relating to international security and disarmament as part of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly. All UN members are able to participate. It usually takes place in New York in October each year. The Committee discusses issues in general debate, and negotiates on the text of resolutions reflecting progress – or lack of progress – on key disarmament issues.

New Zealand is an active participant in the work of the First Committee. Each year we join three resolutions as a core lead co-sponsor: the New Agenda Coalition resolution - Towards a nuclear weapon free world: acceleration of the implementation of nuclear disarmament commitments; the Nuclear weapon-free southern hemisphere and adjacent areas text; a resolution on the Comprehensive Nuclear–Test-Ban Treaty.  The fourth resolution on which we are a core lead cos-sponsor is a recent resolution with Chile, Malaysia, Nigeria, Sweden and Switzerland calling for action to lower the operational readiness of nuclear weapon systems.  This resolution is run every two years.

• See New Zealand's voting record at the 2010 UN General Assembly First Committee more

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