Observed on 5 March, the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness (IDDNPA) seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues, especially among young people. Through resolution A/RES/77/51, adopted in December 2022, the United Nations General Assembly invited all Member States, the organizations of the United Nations system, civil society, academia, the media, and individuals to commemorate this annual International Day, including through all means of educational and public awareness-raising activities.
To celebrate this year’s IDDNPA, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) launched various awareness-raising campaigns, in line with the selected theme for 2024, of “reducing the human cost of weapons”. The Vienna Office contributed to the global programme by implementing a range of initiatives, which also marked International Women’s Day, celebrated on 8 March, by adopting a gender lens in its activities.
The campaign kicked off with an exhibition booth displayed in the Vienna International Center, home to many Vienna-based international organizations, from 28 February until 8 March. The booth featured educational materials and postcards on the human cost of weapons, an interactive game on disarmament-related facts and figures, and short videos on disarmament and the work of UNODA and the Vienna Office. Those successfully completing the interactive game even had the opportunity to enter a draw to win a disarmament poster.
