Libya, on behalf of the Arab Group, calls for a comprehensive nuclear disarmament agreement.

New York, October 8, 2026 (LANA) – The Arab Group affirmed the imperative of the complete and final elimination of nuclear weapons as the only way to prevent their use or the threat thereof. It emphasized the utmost importance of establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, and the necessity for emerging military practices and technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—to be subject to full human control and international law.

This statement was delivered by Abdullah Al-Atwi, Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Libya to the United Nations, on behalf of the Arab Group, during the general debate of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee) at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The statement expressed deep regret regarding the restrictions that hindered the participation of the State of Palestine’s delegation. It reiterated the Arab Group’s condemnation of the aggression and violations committed by the Israeli occupation in the Gaza Strip, as well as attacks targeting peaceful nuclear facilities.

The statement warned of the dangers posed by the entity's continued refusal to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and its failure to place its facilities under the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) comprehensive safeguards regime, actions that threaten regional and international peace and security.

Furthermore, the statement underscored the inalienable right of states to the peaceful use of atomic energy. It highlighted the Arab Group’s support for UN-led processes aimed at preventing an arms race in outer space, enhancing information security through a future cybersecurity mechanism, and regulating conventional weapons in accordance with relevant UN resolutions. The Arab Group concluded its statement by calling for the provision of urgent, legally binding security assurances against the use of nuclear weapons on non-nuclear states, and for the mobilization of the political will to reactivate the Conference on Disarmament, thereby harnessing human potential for development and the preservation of global peace.