Displaying 51 - 60 of 63
UNODA, Kenya discuss confidence-building measures under Biological Weapons Convention
On 1 April 2021, the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and Kenya’s National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) co-hosted an online workshop on confidence-building measures under the BWC. Confidence-building measures (CBMs) are designed to prevent or reduce the occurrence of ambiguities, doubts and suspicions and to improve international cooperation in the field of peaceful biological activities. The workshop’s aim was to highlight practical ways to prepare and submit CBMs and explore how such measures…
UN SaferGuard Quick Response Mechanism provides ammunition technical support to Equatorial Guinea after explosions
On 7 March 2021, a series of explosions occurred at a military camp located in Bata, the largest city of Equatorial Guinea. More than 100 people died and over 600 people were injured, according to the most recent media reports. Following these tragic events, the UN Secretary-General expressed his deep condolences to the people and Government of Equatorial Guinea. Shortly after the incident, the Government requested the assistance of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC). The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), which oversees the…
UNODA launches “Disarmament4Educators” online training course
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) kicked off an online “Disarmament4Educators” training course on 8 March, bringing together academic professors and educators from Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines and Sri Lanka to participate in eight weeks of online training sessions on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. The aim of the Disarmament4Educators project is to strengthen education on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control across the Asia-Pacific region. The educational materials also address cross-cutting…
Young Scientists from the Global South Join the Second Edition of the Youth for Biosecurity Workshop
As the world grapples with COVID-19 for a second year, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit (ISU) are also pushing to bolster global capacities against the misuse of biological agents . Informing young scientists about their critical role in biosafety and biosecurity was the chief aim of the second Biosecurity Diplomacy Workshop for Young Scientists from the Global South, an interactive training programme launched in January by UNODA and the Biological Weapons Convention ISU.…
UNODA convenes a regional workshop on achieving universalization of the Biological Weapons Convention in Africa
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning an entire category of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). It has reached almost universal adherence with only 14 States, mostly in Africa and the Pacific, remaining outside of the Convention. To encourage these States to join the Convention, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) convened a virtual regional workshop for African States, in cooperation with the BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU) and the Permanent Mission of Kenya in Geneva on 4 March 2021. …
On International Women’s Day, parliamentarians and civil society take stock of progress to curb gun violence and illicit small arms trafficking
On 8 March, parliamentarians and civil society actors across Asia and the Pacific marked International Women’s Day with a workshop on the results, challenges and opportunities of a multi-year project tackling how illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) impact people differently based on their gender. The virtual meeting followed on from a series of workshops held in Asia and the Pacific between 2018 and 2020. The virtual event on “Gun Violence and Illicit Small-Arms Trafficking from a Gender Perspective” brought together small arms and light weapons control experts to…
Students discuss how to innovate responsibly with artificial intelligence
As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more sophisticated and versatile, the pioneers of this technology hold considerable power to shape its social impacts. That is why the University of Tokyo joined the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) in February to hold two days of virtual workshops on AI governance. By posing ethically complex questions on AI use to students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), among other fields, the workshop series challenged participants to examine how their future innovations could affect peace, security and…
Young people weigh what makes women crucial to disarmament
How do our ideas about gender shape the impact of weapons, both in our communities and on each of us as individuals? This question was recently put to university students in India by representatives of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD). They were participating in a webinar on “gender and peace”, the fourth lecture in a series organized by the Prajnya Trust and Sansristi, two India-based civil society organizations. A slide presented by Ms. Ida Scarpino on armed violence as a factor that exacerbates gender…
ODA launches nuclear-weapon-free zones web-portal
In his Agenda for Disarmament, the Secretary-General called Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones “landmark instruments that represent an excellent example of the synergy between regional and global efforts towards a world free of nuclear weapons”. The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs today launched a dedicated web-portal to strengthen cooperation between nuclear-weapon-free zones (in Africa, Central Asia, Latin American and the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the South Pacific) and Mongolia and further enable their contributions to the pursuit of a world free of…
UNODA honoured for ‘vital’ contribution to international peace
An association of legal professionals honoured the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) with an award on Wednesday for its contributions to the global development of international law and the rule of law. International Section of the New York State Bar Association honoured the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) with an award on Wednesday for its contributions to the global development of international law and the rule of law. The annual award, from the International Section of the New York State Bar Association, recognizes a major…