First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly (Disarmament and International Security Committee)
The First Committee of the General Assembly (GA 1st) is one of the main committees of the General Assembly and the primary policy-making organ of the United Nations. It was established along with five other subcommittees at the first session of the General Assembly in 1946. The committee deals with disarmament, global challenges, and threats to peace affecting the international community. Therefore, it is also known as the "Disarmament and Security Committee" or DISEC.
The history of the General Assembly and its main committees dates back to the founding days of the United Nations. The first resolution ever adopted by the General Assembly was recommended by the GA 1st and passed on January 24, 1946, in London. Now, the headquarters of the First Committee of the General Assembly are in New York City.
In the GA 1st, member states exchange their views on disarmament-related issues and seek common agreements. Its decisions are not legally binding but represent a strong self-commitment of the international community. Resolutions passed by the First Committee are forwarded to the plenary sessions of the General Assembly, where they are further discussed and adopted.
Each annual session of the GA 1st is chaired by one chairperson and three vice-chairs. All 193 member states of the United Nations are represented in the GA 1st, and they all have an equal vote. Disarmament, conflict prevention, regulations on weapons from conventional weapons to weapons of mass destruction, as well as stability, are as relevant today as they were when the UN was founded directly after the Second World War. For this reason, the First Committee of the General Assembly is truly important and should not be overlooked.
Topic 2024: Preventing Illicit Financing of Armed Conflict
