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Delegation from Federal Republic of Germany Position Paper for General Assembly First Committee The topics being discussed by the General Assembly First Committee (GA1) are Confidence Building Measures in the Field of Conventional Arms and Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction. The Federal Republic of Germany believes that international cooperation is crucial to increase confidence among Member States and looks forward to doing so at the conference. I. Confidence Building Measures in the Field of Conventional Arms The Federal Republic of Germany recognizes the need to provide methods of conflict prevention between nations prone to engaging in high-intensity conflict. In accordance with the commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ( 2015), Germany also recognizes the need to reduce armed violence between states and non-state actors. According to the 2018 Small Arms Survey , 85% of existing firearms are owned by civilians, while only 2% are in the possession of law enforcement agencies The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) reports that approximately 500,000 people die every year from wounds caused by small arms. Of those 500,000 deaths, approximately 300,000 deaths are attributed to armed conflict in economically deprived areas of the world. Likewise, IPPNW reports that in conflict situations, civilians are estimated to be 35-80% of casualties. Germany works in close coordination with the United Nations Disarmament Commission and the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament to increase security on conventional arms. Germany supports the previous agreements voted on and adopted by the Member States including but not limited to the Arms Trade Treaty (2013), t he Convention on Cluster Munitions ( 2008), and the Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms ( 2001). Germany condemns the actions of non-state actors who circumvent current arms export regulations and standards in order to supply state actors pursuing military action against other Member States. Since 1971, Germany has had a general ban on supplying weapons of war to non-NATO or EU-states, illustrating Germany’s staunch support in confidence building measures (CBMs) in the field of conventional arms. Germany is in full support of multilateralism in the drive to expand CBMs in the field of conventional arms. Germany recommends Member States to further the initiative of CBMs by enhancing regional partnerships such as the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (1990), as well as on an international scale by cooperation under the frameworks of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs. Additionally, Germany encourages Member States to make use of existing civil societies and non-governmental organizations, along with UN mechanisms such as the UN Register of Conventional Arms in order to enhance transparency and increase exchange of information in the field of conventional arms. II. Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction The Federal Republic of Germany recognizes the need to establish measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The General Assembly defines terrorist acts as any criminal behaviour that intends to instill terror in the general public of a group of individuals or persons for political purposes. WMDs, if in the hands of those trying to spread fear in the masses, can prove to be absolutely destructive. According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, almost 56 million people have lost their life to terrorism between 1990-2018. This number will keep increasing until Member States enforce strict punishment for violation of international frameworks. The need to prevent terrorists from acquiring WMDs is essential to the global security apparatus due to the nature of the said groups motivation and the devastating effects of those weapons. Germany also recognizes that the destructive power of nuclear warheads have increased significantly since the inception of the first atomic weapons, making WMDs a threat to international stability and security. Germany has been in full support of previous agreements voted on and adopted by the Member States which include but are not limited to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (1968), the

1972 Convention on the Prohibition of Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on the Destruction , and the Convention on the Prohibition of Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and their Destruction (1993) and the UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) . These measures have been effective in the prevention of terrorists groups from acquiring weapons of mass destruction to a strong degree. In 1998, Germany ratified the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans all nuclear weapon test explosions. Germany believes that a stricter control on nuclear weapons would help reduce terrorist access to weapons of mass destruction. Germany proposes the implementation of economic incentives to Member States who reduce and prohibit nuclear weapons in their jurisdiction. Germany also emphasizes the need for future frameworks which address implementing security and accountability measures on new nuclear technologies. Likewise, Germany urges Member States to strengthen current national measures aimed at limiting the spread of and access to WMDs. Furthermore, Germany recommends Member States to work towards international frameworks under intergovernmental organizations such a International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. Additionally, Member States should ratify the CTBT to further ensure that the international community is abiding by the recommendations of the UN....