The First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly meets annually in New York for five weeks (four in October and one in November) to address issues related to disarmament and international security. It drafts, negotiates, and adopts all resolutions on these topics. The texts are then submitted to the General Assembly in December for final approval. The Conference on Disarmament also reports to the First Committee through an annual report.
Each session of the First Committee consists of three stages: General Debate, Thematic Discussions, and Actions on draft resolutions. Discussions and resolutions are organized into seven clusters: nuclear weapons; other weapons of mass destruction; outer space; conventional weapons; other measures for disarmament and international security; and disarmament machinery. The Committee plays a vital role in advancing disarmament and international security policies. It defines the international agenda, establishes or renews negotiation mandates, and formulates recommendations for concrete actions. Reflecting ongoing divisions within the international community, roughly two-thirds of its resolutions are approved by vote and the remaining ones pass by consensus.
Disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation are central pillars of Italy’s foreign policy. Italy actively participates in the work of the First Committee – both at the national level and through various coordination formats within the European Union, NATO, the Broadly Likeminded Group (comprising non-nuclear members of nuclear alliances), and other ad hoc coalitions.
Main Statements
80th Session 2025
Amb. Leonardo Bencini:
- Cluster VII – Disarmament machinery October 28 video
- Cluster V – Other Disarmament Measures and International Security October 27 video
- Cluster IV – Conventional Weapons October 24 video
- Cluster III – Outer space October 24 video
- Cluster II – Other weapons of mass destruction October 22 video
- Cluster I – Nuclear weapons October 21 video
- General Debate October 15 video
79th Session 2024
Amb. Leonardo Bencini:
- General Debate October 16 video
- Cluster I: Nuclear Weapons October 21 video
- Intervention during the debate on Cluster I exercising the right of reply October 21 video
- Cluster II: Other Weapons of Mass Destruction October 23 video
- Cluster III: Outer Space October 30 video
- Cluster V: Other Disarmament Measures and International Security October 25 video
- Cluster VII: Disarmament Machinery October 29 video
Cons. Eugenio Poti:
- Cluster IV: Conventional Weapons October 24
78th Session 2023
Amb. Leonardo Bencini:
- General Debate October 4 video
- Cluster I: Nuclear Weapons October 16 video
- Briefing on the IX Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) October 17 – video
- Cluster II: Other Weapons of Mass Destruction October 18 video
- Cluster III: Outer Space October 20 video
- Cluster V: Other Disarmament Measures and International Security October 24 video
- Cluster VII: Disarmament Machinery October 25 video
Dr. Elena Gai:
- Cluster IV: Conventional Weapons October 23
77th Session 2022
Amb. Leonardo Bencini:
- General Debate October 4 video
- Nuclear Weapons October 14 video
Cons. Pietro De Martin:
- Other Disarmament Measures October 24
Cons. Tancredi Francese:
- Other Weapons of Mass Destruction October 18
- Conventional Weapons October 20
- Outer Space October 26
- Machinery (on behalf of a group of States) October 27
Documenti e risorse utili
General Assembly of the United Nations
