A majority of countries on a UN-mandated panel called on the UN General Assembly to consider launching multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament, voting in a process that has been boycotted by the world’s nuclear-armed powers. Thai Ambassador Thani Thongthakdi, who chaired the Open-Ended Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament, hailed a “strong signal” but said many countries would have preferred consensus among voting members on an agreement that will have little impact unless nuclear powers are also on board.
The panel voted 68 to 22, with 13 abstentions, on a broad-ranging text that among other things recommends the General Assembly take up efforts toward launching multilateral negotiations on nuclear disarmament at its next meeting.