Displaying 1 - 10 of 63
UNODA and the Kyrgyz Republic prepare for peer review exercise on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention
On 12 – 14 October 2021, the UNODA Geneva Branch, the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Biological Weapons Convention(BWC) and a delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic held a three-day preparatory meeting in Geneva to discuss a forthcoming peer review exercise, which will be conducted in the framework of European Union Council Decision 2019/97 in support of the BWC. Participants prepared a draft programme and timeline for the exercise, while also discussing the Kyrgyz Republic’s draft Law on Biosafety which is currently being reviewed at the national level. Representatives…
Government officials, parliamentarians, civil society and UN agencies meet to advance Nepal’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
In collaboration with the Women for Peace and Democracy in Nepal (WPDN) and the Government of Nepal, the United Nation Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) conducted a national workshop “To Promote the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and Support Nepal’s Accession to the Treaty” in Nagarkot, Nepal on 24 and 25 November 2021. 32 participants from governmental departments, the federal parliament, civil society, UN agencies and the European Union attended the workshop in Nagarkot, Nepal. Thirty-two representatives from the…
UNODA and UNCCT hold a virtual training on biological preparedness and response for Nigeria
On 14-16 December 2021, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) Geneva Branch/Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) Implementation Support Unit and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT) co-organized a virtual training on Biological Preparedness and Response for Nigeria. The training, which gathered 85 participants from 28 entities, was organized in close collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the National Authority on Chemical and Biological Weapons Conventions of…
Disarmament4Educators in Asia project concludes with global live webinar
Over the past eighteen months, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) has been building regional academic networks and enhancing institutional knowledge of disarmament educators in Asia and the Pacific on developing and implementing disarmament education programs. As part of its “Strengthening Academic Infrastructures for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education in Asia – Educating the Educators” project, UNODA provided a series of tailored trainings, aimed at strengthening the educators’ substantive knowledge about disarmament and non-proliferation and…
Niger launches 2021 edition of Africa Amnesty Month
On 10 November, the Republic of Niger officially launched its Africa Amnesty Month project. Since 2017, the African Union (AU) has declared the month of September of each year as Africa Amnesty Month for the surrender and collection of illegally owned small arms and light weapons (SALW). In 2021, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) supports the implementation of the Africa Amnesty Month initiative in three countries, namely Madagascar, Niger and Uganda. The project is funded by the Federal Republic of Germany, while its implementation is facilitated by the Regional…
Seoul stage for student discussions on disarmament
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), in cooperation with the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and Hanyang University School of International Studies (HYSIS), conducted a student-focused hybrid webinar event on disarmament and non-proliferation education. Hundred students and educators from universities worldwide joined theevent, which was held at Hanyang University in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, on the 13 November. Thirty university students joined the…
Regional meeting for Middle Eastern States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)
On 13-14 November, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan hosted a regional meeting for Middle Eastern States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Representatives of 17 States Parties, expert presenters and the President-designate of the Tenth NPT Review Conference came together in Amman, Jordan, to examine the Treaty. Topics discussed include each of the NPT’s three pillars – disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy – as well as the procedural…
UNODA holds briefing for Member States on the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM)
On 22 November, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) organized a briefing for Member States on the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM). Representatives from the missions in New York were invited to listen to remarks by the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, and a presentation by the UNODA team in support of the UNSGM, followed by a segment for questions from participants. Briefing for Member States on the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism…
UNODA holds online workshop on BWC Confidence-Building Measures for CARICOM Member States
On 26 October 2021, the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) held an online workshop focused on Confidence-Building Measures (CBMs) for CARICOM Member States. The workshop was part of a project funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office aimed at strengthening national implementation of the BWC in the region. Confidence Building Measures under the Biological Weapons Convention were introduced in 1987 following a decision by the Second…
First Committee Side Event on “Exploring prospects for missile verification”
On 19 October 2021, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) hosted a side event entitled “Exploring prospects for missile verification” in the margins of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security of the 76th United Nations General Assembly. This event focused on exploring the potential for effective missile verification measures against the backdrop of advances in missile-related technologies, their proliferation and the impact…