Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC)

Topics

Topic A: Minimizing and Controlling the Role of Private Military Companies (PMCs)

Topic B: Reviewing the NPT

Background

Out of six main committees, DISEC is the First Committee of the General Assembly dealing with disarmament and related international security questions. All 192 member states of the UN can attend the annual session which is usually held from September to December. Each meeting starts with a two weeks general debate followed by the Committee’s work phase. According to the rule of one member-one vote, a majority of 50% + 1 is needed to pass a decision in this deliberative body.

In general, DISEC focuses on all questions related to arms control, determines general measures to enhance international peace and security, and monitors the progress of disarmament programs adopted by the GA. After 1978 the First Committee started specializing on disarmament, nuclear-weapon-related issues, and human activity in outer space.

It offers a forum
·    for governments to reach common understanding and negotiate positions on disarmament-related issues
·    for non-committal proposals, compromises and information exchange
·    for the exertion of moral pressure on law-/agreement breaching member state.

With its work, DISEC establishes customs, standards and guidelines of behavior that comprise the basis for creating new treaties and international legal norms. Thus, DISEC can pass non-legally binding resolutions which are then forwarded to the General Assembly plenary to be discussed and decided upon. Moreover, DISEC may introduce agreements already reached by the international community and support member states lacking the organizational and administrative capacity to implement such agreements.

In addition, DISEC gives advise to the Security Council and the Secretary General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament including studies and research.

Among the core documents passed by DICEC, the following papers are considered most fundamental for any discourse on disarmament:
·    BTWC (Biological Weapons Convention) – 1975
·    CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention) – 1993
·    CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) – 1996
·    NPT (Nuclear Proliferation Treaty) – 1968
·    Treaties on Nuclear weapon free zones (South East Asia, South Pacific, Africa, Latin America)

In the future, DISEC will have to respond to the challenges posed by arms trade, terrorism, militarization and weaponization of outer space, nuclear weapons proliferation and fissile materials. In order to guarantee member states abiding by the agreements, legally binding verification systems need to be developed.