Statement by Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas in his capacity of the Chair of the First Committee of UNGA 78th session
Statement by Ambassador Rytis Paulauskas in his capacity of the Chair of the First Committee of UNGA 78th session on Monday, 2 October 2023.
Your Excellency President of the General Assembly, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs,
Dear Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I wish to welcome you to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly in its 78th session. I look forward to our discussions and expect us to be able to make the necessary decisions.
The Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres in his most recent address to the General Assembly during the High-Level Debate outlined the global security situation: “Our world is becoming unhinged. Geopolitical tensions are rising. Global challenges are mounting. And we seem incapable of coming together to respond.’
He continued with a strong emphasis on the implementation of the UN Charter, and I quote: “If every country fulfilled its obligations under the Charter, the right to peace would be guaranteed. When countries break those pledges, they create a world of insecurity for everyone. /…/ Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war, in violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, has unleashed a nexus of horror: lives destroyed; human rights abused; families torn apart; children traumatized; hopes and dreams shattered. Beyond Ukraine, the war has serious implications for us all. Nuclear threats put us all at risk.” End of quote.
Dear Colleagues,
The international security situation, on the one hand, and the state of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, on the other, are intrinsically interconnected and intertwined. Strict observance of the UN Charter, the principles and norms of the rules based international order, fulfilment of treaty obligations and commitments, all of this constitute the most credible answer to many of systematic worries and problems that we are confronted with in the broad domain of arms control. But regrettably we are far from achieving that.
We all are deeply concerned that in recent years and months the global system of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation has been challenged and undermined. We witnessed the suspension of the New START Treaty. The emerging consensus was broken in the NPT 10th Review conference. It remains especially troubling that the UN Security Council resolutions are increasingly disregarded, and the Council itself was made incapable of acting when faced with pressing problems of proliferation. And the most worrying is the unwelcome revival of irresponsible and extremely dangerous nuclear rhetoric, which we once thought belonged to the past. And not only rhetoric but also the intent to station the nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, defying the previous agreements and commitments.
On the issue of nuclear weapons, in my view, we should collectively proceed, firmly and strongly, along the path outlined by the NPT, maintaining the balance of its three underlying pillars: nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Cyber and outer space, and the use of the new and emerging disruptive technologies, including based on Artificial Intelligence, have become pressing themes of security debate. Responsible behavior of states in these domains is being called for, and I welcome the progress already achieved so far.
Dear Colleagues,
In the following days and weeks, we will examine and consider the integrity of our treaties and conventions, the state of fulfilment of our obligations and commitments, and will also discuss what exactly must be done to improve the ‘heath’ of disarmament, non-proliferation and international security. I do count on your active participation, engagement, and cooperation.
Thank you.
