The UN General Assembly First Committee – also known as the Disarmament and International Security Committee -meets annually in New York for approximately five weeks during October and November to discuss and address pressing challenges to international peace and security.
For over a decade, PAX has been participating in and influencing First Committee discussions on humanitarian disarmament issues, both through its own initiatives and as part of international civil society coalitions. Through statements, side-events, and direct advocacy with delegations, we have been particularly active on the issues of armed drones, autonomous weapons, anti-personnel landmines, cluster munitions, explosive weapons in populated areas, nuclear weapons, and protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts.
This year, we coordinated two civil society statements that were delivered to the First Committee on October 17. The statement on armed drones called out the unchecked proliferation and misuse of these weapons by States and non-state actors, urging States initiate an inclusive policy process that delivers clear, robust, and binding international standards on armed drones.
Another statement – on protection of the environment in armed conflict (co-authored with CEOBS) – highlighted devastating environmental consequences of armed conflicts and military activities, calling on the First Committee to integrate environmental protection into disarmament and security agendas, uphold accountability, and take decisive action to prevent further harm.
More details about PAX’s advocacy on these two topics, and the other disarmament campaigns that PAX is part of can be found in the Humanitarian Disarmament Briefing Book for delegations, prepared by the Reaching Critical Will coalition.
Alongside its partners, PAX also took part in the Humanitarian Disarmament Forum – an annual two-day gathering of civil society actors from around the world that serves as a platform to strategize, align messages across disarmament campaigns, and coordinate collective action to strengthen international norms and practical harm-reduction efforts.
‘Many international norms today are being challenged, including those on the protection of civilians against anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions,’ says Roos Boer, Project Leader for Humanitarian Disarmament at PAX, emphasizing the importance of this collaboration. ‘The Arms Trade Treaty is not being complied with, and threats of nuclear weapon use are increasingly frequent. It is therefore crucial to remain committed to protecting civilians and upholding international norms – especially amid ongoing armed conflicts and a challenging political landscape for multilateralism.’
During the First Committee, a joint civil society statement, signed by nearly 100 organizations, was delivered, urging States to reaffirm their commitment to protecting both people and the environment from weapon-inflicted harm.
