The General Secretary of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, offered “A New Agenda for Peace”[1] to all UN member states. In this agenda, he sketched out his future vision for achieving security, peace, and stability, embedded in multilateralism and international law, for a world that is living through massive transformations. Taking into account the contemporary global security landscape, Pakistan considers the “Agenda for Peace” both timely and essential. Regarding arms control and disarmament, this agenda made some bold proposals vis-à-vis militarisation of emerging and new technologies while lacking drive in the other vital areas.
Reducing Human Cost of Weapons and Nuclear Disarmament
The New Agenda emphasizes reducing the human cost of weapons by redirecting resources from the development of new kinds of weapons and means of warfare towards achieving sustainable development and gender equality. There is a need for a human-centered approach toward peace and security rather than overly militarized and securitized approaches reinforced by more than ever-increasing military spending and shifting postures, doctrines, and strategies.[2] Recognizing the global trends of the arms race, the eroding arms control regime, and non-proliferation being thrown down the gauntlet, the agenda also calls for compliance with the high standards of nuclear safety and security, accountability for the non-compliance, developing confidence-building measures (CBMs), engaging through dialogue for further reductions and limits on nuclear weapons towards achieving an ultimate objective of total elimination of nuclear weapons.[3]
