Measures for disarmament, arms control more vital than ever, says UN official

UNITED NATIONS, April 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Deputy High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Thomas Markram said Monday that measures for disarmament and arms control are more vital than ever.

"At a time when global anxieties about nuclear weapons are higher than at any time since the Cold War, measures for disarmament and arms control are more vital than ever," Markram told the opening of the 2018 session of the UN Disarmament Commission, held in New York.

"Since September, there have been no fundamental changes in the interrelated trends that are eroding efficacy in arms control and negatively affecting international peace and security," said Markram while delivering a speech on behalf of High Representative Izumi Nakamitsu.

He stressed, however, that there have been signs of progress that point to where the UN Disarmament Commission can make a unique and constructive contribution.

Positive developments include the successful reduction of strategic nuclear forces by Russia and the United States to the levels required by their New START Treaty, which obliges the United States and Russia to meet their committed limits on strategic arms by Feb. 5, 2018.

Looking to build on this momentum, the commission has also included prevention of an arms race in outer space in its agenda for this session.

"One specific collateral measure for disarmament on which this body should certainly be able to make a contribution is the goal of preserving outer space as a realm free of conflict," Markram said, noting that several recent trends are impacting the security and sustainability of outer space activities.

These include the massive growth in the number and diversity of actors operating in outer space, including governmental ones and ones of the private sector; the proliferation of hazardous space debris; and increasing dependence on outer space in the civilian, government and military sectors.

"As long as some continue to see outer space as a potential realm for war-fighting, we will face increasing risk of weaponization and conflict," he said.

However, the major space-faring nations and other space actors can make progress in a number of areas, including the implementation of transparency and confidence-building measures to mitigate misunderstandings and reduce risk, he said.

The commission was created in 1978 as a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly, composed of all member states, to consider various issues in the field of disarmament and make recommendations. Enditem