Upholding the United Nations charter and general and complete disarmament: The Costa Rican perspective

In 1945, “we the peoples” of the United Nations pledged “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. Integral to this commitment was the premise that disarmament, including the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction and the regulation and reduction of armaments and armed forces, was a necessary step towards achieving the ambitious international peace and security goals of the United Nations. This article critically examines the statutory basis, as well as the past, present and future roles, of the primary United Nations institutions responsible for disarmament—namely, the General Assembly and the Security Council. Finally, it considers how they can be better utilized in the name of this ambitious goal and in fulfilment of the United Nations Charter.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament

Countries: Costa Rica