The United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee has adopted three resolutions sponsored by Pakistan concerning international security, conventional arms control and protections for countries without nuclear weapons.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the developments on November 3, describing the voting results as evidence of international support for initiatives aimed at reducing security risks.
The First Committee is responsible for disarmament and international security issues within the General Assembly.
Regional confidence-building resolution adopted without a vote
The committee adopted a Pakistan-sponsored resolution titled Confidence-building measures in the regional and subregional context without a vote.
The resolution concerns measures intended to strengthen trust and cooperation among countries at the regional level.
Confidence-building measures can include exchanges of information, communication arrangements and other steps designed to reduce misunderstandings between states.
Conventional arms control receives 180 votes
A second resolution, titled Conventional arms control at the regional and subregional levels, was adopted with 180 votes in favour, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The resolution addresses regional approaches to managing conventional weapons and promoting security cooperation.
Pakistan has previously advocated regional arms control arrangements that take account of the security concerns of participating countries.
Security assurances for non-nuclear states
The committee also adopted a third Pakistan-sponsored resolution concerning international arrangements to protect non-nuclear-weapon states against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.
The Foreign Ministry said the resolution received 122 votes in favour, with none against.
The proposal focuses on security assurances for states that do not possess nuclear weapons.
Pakistan highlights multilateral cooperation
In its statement, the Foreign Ministry said Pakistan had pursued initiatives at the United Nations for decades on conventional arms control, regional disarmament and confidence-building.
The ministry argued that such measures could help reduce risks and encourage cooperation at a time of international security tensions.
Adoption by the First Committee represents an important stage in the General Assembly’s consideration of these resolutions. It does not, by itself, create legally binding arms control obligations or establish new international treaties.
The resolutions will form part of continuing UN discussions on disarmament and international security.