Displaying 11 - 20 of 45
Pathways to Banning Fully Autonomous Weapons
On 16 October 2017, the Permanent Mission to the United Nations of Mexico partnered with the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, Human Rights Watch, Seguridad Humana en Latinoamérica y el Caribe and the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots to host a panel discussion entitled “Pathways to Banning Fully Autonomous Weapons” as part of the First Committee side event series for the 72nd Session General Assembly. Ambassador Juan Sandoval Mendiolea, Deputy Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations, introduced the discussion by noting that Mexico has joined other states in…
South-East Asian Workshop on Global Challenges to Successful Implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004), and Regional Efforts to Address Them
27-28 September 2017 Bangkok, Thailand More than 45 participants from Southeast Asian States and Timor-Leste met in Bangkok on 27 and 28 September 2017 to discuss progress in, and challenges to, the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), on the non-proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery to non-State actors. The workshop was jointly organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD)…
Nuclear Disarmament Verification
On 13 October 2017, the Permanent Missions of Chile, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom held a side event on nuclear disarmament verification as the General Assembly’s First Committee entered its thematic discussion on nuclear weapons. Mr. Knut Langeland, Norway’s Special Representative for Disarmament Affairs and moderator of the panel, stressed in opening remarks that verification is not an end in itself, but rather a means for building trust and advancing disarmament objectives. Although the field of nuclear…
Verified Declarations of Fissile Material Stocks
On 9 October 2017, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) hosted a 72nd First Committee Side Event entitled, “Verified Declarations of Fissile Material Stocks.” The panel discussion was moderated by Jarmo Sareva, Director of UNIDIR, and panelists included Pavel Podvig, Senior Research Fellow at UNIDIR; Alexander Glaser, Assistant Professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International affairs and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University; and Joseph Rodgers, Visiting Researcher at UNIDIR from the Center for…
From Vision to Measurable Change on the Ground: Mine Action and Sustainable Development Goals:
On 12 October 2017, the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of¬¬ Italy, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) and Switzerland partnered with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to host a panel discussion entitled “From Vision to Measurable Change on the Ground: Mine Action and Sustainable Development Goals” as part of the First Committee side event series for the 72nd Session General Assembly. Mr. Olivier Zehnder, Deputy Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and moderator…
“Disarmament in Geneva” spotlighted on UN Open Day
The United Nations Office at Geneva opened its doors on 7 October to the general public to inform them of its work and engage with them on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs actively participated in the Open Day to showcase that the SDGs make it clear there cannot be development without peace and security. Efforts were made to emphasize the role of Geneva as the birthplace of many modern-day disarmament treaties …
Autonomous Weapon Systems: Understanding Learning Algorithms and Bias
On 5 October 2017, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) hosted a side event, “Autonomous Weapons Systems: Learning Algorithms and Bias” at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event welcomed a panel of four experts to participate in a high-level thematic discussion on the existence of data bias in machine learning and its potential effects on every-day technology as well as in militarized weapons systems. Moderated by Kerstin Vignard, Chief of Operations and Deputy to the Director at UNIDIR, the panel discussion opened with Vignard commenting on…
A Draft Treaty for a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East: Time to Envisage the Practical
On 6 October 2017, the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations, in conjunction with the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), hosted a panel discussion entitled, “A Draft Treaty for a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East: Time to Envisage the Practical.” The speakers included Jackie O’Halloran, Disarmament Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland, Sharon Dolev of BASIC in Israel and founder/director of the Israeli Disarmament Movement (IDM); Emad Kiyaei, policy advisor to and former Executive Director of the American Iranian Council;…
Negative Security Assurances as Practical Steps towards a World Without Nuclear Weapons
<!-- wp:columns --><div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column {"width":"66.66%","lock":{"move":true,"remove":true}} --><div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:66.66%"><p> </p> <p>On October 5, 2017, the Permanent Mission of Germany, in conjunction with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) hosted a panel discussion entitled “Negative Security Assurances as Practical Steps towards the Final Goal of Global Zero/A World Without Nuclear Weapons” as…
The Effect of New Technologies on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament: Artificial Intelligence, Hypersonic Technology and Outer Space
<!-- wp:columns --><div class="wp-block-columns"><!-- wp:column {"width":"66.66%","lock":{"move":true,"remove":true}} --><div class="wp-block-column" style="flex-basis:66.66%"><p> </p> <p class="indented">As the First Committee of the 72<sup>nd</sup> Session of the United Nations General Assembly entered its first week, the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations, in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disarmament…