Reaching Critical Will

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

Conference on Disarmament

General Assembly First Committee

UN Disarmament Commission

Special Session on Disarmament

UNGA First Committee 2009
Information for NGOs

The General Assembly’s work on disarmament is conducted through one of its main committees, the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. The First Committee provides space for each state to discuss their positions on disarmament-related matters, to build consensus on the issues or highlight divergences, and to table and adopt non-binding resolutions. Of course, the First Committee often fails to make good use of its potential, but it provides one of the best opportunities for outreach, education, and advocacy efforts on disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

There are many opportunities for NGOs to get involved with the First Committee:

First Committee Monitor
Side Events
Away from NYC

First Committee Monitor
Since 2000, Reaching Critical Will has coordinated a group of NGOs sharing the monitoring and reporting responsibilities in an attempt to make the work of the First Committee more transparent and useful for people not directly involved in the small New York disarmament community. We edit a weekly newsletter, the First Committee Monitor, covering the broad range of issues discussed by the First Committee. The Monitor is distributed to all delegates of the First Committee, and is available on our site and through a free email-based subscription service in both PDF and HTML. It has been hailed by diplomats, UN staffers, and activists as one of the most useful resources produced during the General Assembly.

If your group would like to participate in this important collaboration, contact the Project Director today. In the upcoming weeks, we will be holding a meeting to coordinate the various responsibilities required for such an effort.

We also encourage you to use the First Committee Monitor to publicize an important announcement, event, or project hosted by your organization.

1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $180

Run the same ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off. We accept cheques, cash, PayPal, and wire transfers. Ads can be sent in .jpg, .gif, or .pdf format.

We also accept all forms of disarmament-themed artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif, or .pdf file. Cartoons, photographs, paintings, doodles, collage, mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.

Submit your advertisement or artwork by sending the project director (ray[at]reachingcriticalwill.org) the following information:

your organization’s name;
contact person;
email address;
phone number;
type of submission (for ads, please specify the size of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
the submission

Finally, if you are interested in following events at the First Committee, subscribe to receive the First Committee Monitor in your inbox each Monday morning during October.

Side Events
Side events are an excellent way to educate each other, delegations, and members of the Secretariat on a broad range of disarmament and security issues. NGO side events are becoming increasingly popular with both diplomats and civil society. If you are planning a side event, meeting, or strategy session during the First Committee and would like to hold it in the UN, please contact RCW.

Please note: The procedure for scheduling side events this year has changed. Every event must be co-sponsored by either the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs or a member state. If you are seeking sponsorship from UNODA, you must fill out the standardized form (doc) and submit it by 25 September to UNODA by fax (+1-917-367-5369) or by email (kim12[at]un.org).

A calendar of events is available online. Please note that dates, times, and locations are tentative and subject to change. Please check back regularly for updates. If you have already booked your event through other means, please let RCW know so that we can add your event to the calendar, which is the number one resource for all those looking for updates on the First Committee.

What else can civil society do around the First Committee?
Media Outreach: While decisions taken on matters of disarmament and non-proliferation are some of the most critical issues to the world, there remains a lack of adequate coverage of these issues by the mainstream media. Many mainstream media agencies are subsidiaries of military corporations. These agencies are never going to give positive media coverage to groups and messages that challenge their power. Notice the correspondents in the print, radio, and TV media covering nuclear or foreign policy matters. Build a data base of media contacts and keep a select group of journalists, or your entire list, informed of your activities and analysis of events and developments in this field.

Create your own media: newsletters, radio shows, video documentaries, email lists, webpages. To find out how to get involved with local independent media near you, see: www.indymedia.org.

Organize an event at home: With the First Committee in session, it is a prime teachable moment to continue your own education, outreach and advocacy efforts at home. To find out what disarmament NGOs are working in your area, check our NGO contact database.

Reach out to your representatives: Contact your representatives in New York and in your capital. Fax or email them letters urging them to support disarmament-focused resolutions. Offer them resources for more information and demand a response. For more information on writing a letter, see RCW’s action tips. Find out who represents you at our Government Contacts database.

Organize a meeting with your representatives; listen to their opinion on nuclear issues and share yours. Find out who represents you at our Government Contacts database.