UN disarmament committee adopts 70 proposals after final-session dispute

The UN General Assembly’s First Committee has sent 70 draft resolutions and decisions to the Assembly for action, after completing a session marked by sharp divisions over disarmament issues and how the committee should conduct its work.

The committee adopted all 70 proposals during its action phase: 58 by recorded vote and 12 without a vote. Delegations requested 170 separate votes, according to the UN’s account of the meeting.

The final meeting also ended a prolonged dispute over the committee’s programme for its 2027 session. Russia proposed an amendment, arguing for adequate speaking time and greater consideration of the limits faced by smaller missions. The amendment was rejected, with 48 votes in favour, 58 against and 36 abstentions.

The United States then called for a vote on the chair’s programme. It passed by 130 votes to four, with seven abstentions. North Korea, Iran, Nicaragua and Russia voted against it; Algeria, China, Cuba, India, Lebanon, Libya and Mozambique abstained.

The dispute echoes an earlier clash at the start of the session, when disagreement over proposed speaking limits left the committee without an approved work programme. Delegates continued consultations as they discussed agenda items.

Chair Lok Bahadur Thapa of Nepal said the committee had completed its work despite giving up three formal plenary meetings because of budget constraints. He reported that 160 delegations spoke during the general debate and that thematic discussions included 482 interventions, up from 471 in 2025.

The committee’s approval of the 2027 programme provides a framework for further discussions on working methods during intersessional meetings. The UN account said delegates spent much of the final meeting trying to reach consensus on the text before it was put to a vote.