Slow start and unspecific agreements: ups, downs and perspectives regarding the first DISEC session
The intercept
Though slow at the start, the opening session of the Committee for Disarmament and International Security gave us enough signs to be optimistic. Amid a bit of a hard time while settling up the agenda, delegates eventually found a common ground, deciding to stick with the initial proposal, adding specific topics such as terrorism, and voted for discussing, in a first moment, the issue regarding cluster weapons.
Opening speeches were majority broad, not really adding up to historical and foreseen positions. Norway’s and Ukraine’s delegates were incisive, defending the need to discuss and solve the issues presented. Saudi Arabia assumed a way more conservative point, defending the “need to respect, above all things, sovereignty”. This was the clearer disagreement and will, likely, be constant throughout this meeting.
Even though “fruitful debate” was a commonly mentioned term, few steps forward were taken. Signataries of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) are clearly leading the initial debates and will need to join forces in order to bring along neutral countries.
