Disarmament in Review
On 21 September 2024, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) held an event on ‘Imagining Peace in a Digital World’ as part of the Summit of the Future ‘Action Days’.
The Action Days, held on 20 and 21 September 2024, were convened by the Secretary-General to mobilize Member States, civil society, youth and the private sector to foster innovative solutions and opportunities for collaboration on three priority themes from the Summit of the Future: peace and security; digital technology; and sustainable development and financing.
‘Imagining Peace in a Digital World’ explored future scenarios for international peace and security in 2045, the year that the United Nations will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The event focused on the future of conflict, the role of new and emerging technologies, the impact of climate change and the state of multilateralism, with a particular focus on how digital technologies can be harnessed for peace.
The event opened with remarks by Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, who underscored the importance of cooperation between Member States, civil society, the private sector, academia, local and regional authorities and youth to close gaps in governance and to strengthen the commitment to multilateral solutions for pressing global challenges, including preventing the weaponization of new domains and technologies and avoiding a digital divide. Mr. Michael Douglas, UN Messenger of Peace, delivered a video message emphasizing the importance of collaboration on disarmament issues to address present and evolving threats to peace and security.
The event featured a video presentation of three possible future scenarios for international peace and security based on UNIDIR’s report International Security in 2045 Exploring Futures for Peace, Security and Disarmament. Through these scenarios, the audience was invited to consider the role that disarmament can play in supporting a balance between technological innovation and regulating the mis- or malicious use of digital tools, including their weaponization. In a video message, Ms. Rose Gottemoeller, former Deputy Secretary-General of NATO and member of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board for Disarmament, set out pathways for action to address challenges posed by new technologies illustrated in the video.
The session showcased multi-stakeholder perspectives and opportunities for collaboration in an interactive dialogue moderated by Mr. Joon Baek, an alumnus of ODA’s Youth 4 Disarmament initiative, with speakers Her Excellency Maritza Chan-Valverde (Permanent Representative of Costa Rica to the United Nations), Mr. Benjamin Prud’homme (Vice President, Policy, Safety and Global Affairs at Mila – Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute) and Mr. Jaan Tallinn (Founding engineer of Skype and Kazaa, co-founder of the Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk and the Future of Life Institute). Rich discussions emerged during the dialogue, with speakers reflecting on the continued importance of disarmament in a world confronted by new risks to global peace and security and where military expenditures are on the rise. Speakers emphasized the importance of States acting through the UN to develop collaborative frameworks to effectively respond to both digital threats and opportunities, and agreed on the need to prioritize ethical development of AI and emerging technologies to ensure they strengthen peace and security outcomes.
His Excellency Omran Sharaf (Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology for the United Arab Emirates) closed the event with words of optimism and hope that humanity will be able to prioritize collaborative frameworks to effectively respond to both digital threats and opportunities.
A recording of the event is available to view on UN WebTV here, beginning at 01:08:10.
