Title
Disarmament Commission ‘place where we can think and debate’, say delegations hoping to reframe discussion, find convergence on critical issues (Press Release), DC/3427
Note
The Disarmament Commission continued its meetings at UN Headquarters in New York and wasted no time proving its worthlessness. For one thing, Syria is a major fan. The Syrian delegate took the microphone to "emphasize the Commission's importance as the only deliberative United Nations body for disarmament." Damned with faint praise. Syria also demanded "confidence-building measures for conventional arms." It might start by not using them to kill its own citizens. Lebanon spoke for the Arab Group and said the Commission's forte was as a "source of new ideas." And then went on to demand Israel disarm in a welcoming "nuclear-free Middle East." Iran told the Commission: "Let's be honest" - yes, that's what their representative actually said - attention should not be diverted "from the real threat: the danger of the existence of nuclear arsenals." (Arsenals it hopes to acquire in the near future.) North Korea's diplomat said at this "disarmament" commission: "his country had no other option than to become a nuclear-weapon state." Responding to criticism, he added: "As for living conditions in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, there is no need to worry about it". The grossly malnourished population would disagree.