Izumi Nakamitsu was in India to address the 5th Annual Disarmament and International Security Affairs Fellowship Program organized by the Diplomatic Institute, Government of India.
The chief on disarmament said in an exclusive conversation with UN News that India, part of the Conference on Disarmament and many other parties, plays an important role in disarmament and security issues at the regional level.
He said that issues such as increased cooperation in space, nuclear weapons and disarmament were among the main topics of discussion with the country’s officials during his visit to India.
This interview with Izumi Nakamitsu has been edited for clarity and brevity…
UN News: According to a recent UNICEF report on Syria, explosive debris and landmines scattered during the country’s civil war have claimed the lives of 100 children in the past month alone. It is clear that the threat of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons is still very much alive. What can be done to address this? And what kind of challenges arise in this work?
Izumi Nakamitsu: There are different types of challenges. One challenge is the growing tension between the major military powers and nuclear powers in particular. It is a geopolitical situation that reflects the erosion of trust between the major military powers and the lack of dialogue and diplomatic engagement.
Another area of concern is the weakness of existing international agreements and norms. Compliance with rules against weapons of mass destruction is declining. Some countries are making statements about nuclear threats. We have unfortunately seen the use of chemical weapons in Syria. We hope that through Syria’s transition we will be able to put an end to this problem and ensure that Syria fulfills all its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and treaty rules.
Another challenge is new and emerging technologies. While these technologies offer great benefits, they also pose increasing potential risks and unforeseen dangers. We need to ensure that these risk factors are reduced. This requires a strong governance structure. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ Technology Envoy, Ambassador Amandeep Singh Gill, is working on the Global Digital Compact and ensuring the positive aspects of technology are harnessed.
My responsibility covers the military sector, where the main task is to deal with risk factors. It discusses the need for regulations, restrictions and rule making. I believe we need to adopt new approaches, while ensuring that what we already have is protected. Existing norms and international agreements must be fully protected.
The challenges are many, and that is why I think it is very important to engage with countries like India. India has strong military capabilities and plays an active role in various international forums including UN, BRICS, G-20 and at the regional level.
UN News: Today we are witnessing conflict and war situations in many parts of the world. What role has the UN Office for Disarmament played in the wars between Ukraine and Russia and between Israel and Palestine?
Izumi Nakamitsu: We are not an operational unit, but I regularly brief the Security Council on disarmament, military and security issues, particularly in the context of Ukraine. Our role, our contribution, is to ensure that accurate and independently verified information is available to international policy-makers at the Security Council and UN levels.
Our role is mainly at policy-making, strategic and ideological levels. And, of course, we provide support to various operating units. We work with other organizations inside and outside the UN system to ensure that their mandates are properly fulfilled.
UN News: United Nations With the development of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and cyber warfare, what kind of measures is it taking to meet these new challenges?
Izumi Nakamitsu: In 2024, the UN General Assembly passed two important resolutions. One was introduced by the United States and the other by China. Both of these proposals were related to the management of artificial intelligence. For example, increasing benefits from AI implementation in the military security sector.
Also in my area, last year we were given a new order from Secretary General Antonio Guterres that we now have to prepare a report on issues related to the use of artificial intelligence in the military sector. This report will form the basis for discussions in the General Assembly to set standards for this.
Apart from this, the agreement for the future is also agreed upon. In this comprehensive agreement on peace, security and disarmament, all member states recognize that the nature of war and conflict is changing. In such a situation, we need to ensure that we unite on the platform of the United Nations and address all new technological threats, including AI. Also, issues such as addressing bio-threats and global digital contracts should also be given collective attention and action.
UN News: India has a huge youth population. How do you think the UN can engage the youth of India in promoting peace and disarmament?
Izumi Nakamitsu: One thing we really need to understand is that we are talking about the future of the youth. So, it is not enough to just formally involve them, I think we should actually encourage them to take the lead in policy discussions and ensure that they are included in the decision-making process.
One of our main activities is the youth-led disarmament campaign. Under this, we ensure that their creative and innovative approaches are mainstreamed into policy discussions by organizing various educational and empowerment programmes. Perhaps we of the older generation are not always able to understand this.
UN News: What will be your message to India and the whole world?
Izumi Nakamitsu: My main message has always been this – disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation. This field of work is often thought of as an idealistic dream that can only be achieved if the world is more peaceful. But this is not actually correct.
Indeed, the concept of disarmament was developed as a security instrument, and history shows that during the Cold War, some important disarmament instruments were agreed upon because of the security benefits they achieved.
So, I think we need to re-establish that understanding that diplomacy, engagement, arms control and disarmament, actually help reduce tensions and help in peaceful resolution of tensions and problems. We must ensure that all member states understand this historical fact and that disarmament is an instrument of security.
But today the world is in a very dangerous and risky situation. In a recent speech to the General Assembly on his priorities, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the 2025 nuclear threat is at its highest level in decades.
And we, the human race, should not be forced to face this existential threat. We must strive to reduce this risk and ultimately eliminate it by eliminating nuclear weapons altogether.