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Disarmament Week kicks off with meeting between High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and civil society members to discuss mobilizing action for the elimination of nuclear weapons
On 24 October 2022, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu met for an informal consultation with civil society organizations at the United Nations Headquarters. The discussion focused on nuclear disarmament, particularly with respect to heightened tensions and dangerous rhetoric around nuclear weapons in the context of the war in Ukraine. Including within the frameworks of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the past year saw broad and active participation by civil society…
#Leaders4Tomorrow present their ideas to advance disarmament education in First Committee side event
On 19 October 2022, a group of young leaders presented their projects to engage youth on topics related to disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control in a side event of the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee. Ms. Soo Hyun Kim, #Youth4Disarmament lead with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), moderated the event. The side event provided a platform for young people to share their perspectives and ideas for the future of disarmament, and sparked intergenerational dialogue on ways to advance our shared disarmament objectives.The cohort of young…
UNIDIR and UNODA introduce delegates to responsible AI for peace and security
At the margins of the First Committee of the General Assembly, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) co-hosted a side-event titled Introduction to Responsible AI for Peace and Security. While the global AI policy landscape is still at a nascent stage, many stakeholders share the goal that AI be designed, developed, deployed, and used in a responsible manner, in accordance with legal and ethical values and for the benefit of society. To ensure this, governments, international organizations, private…
Burundi officials strategize on integrating gender approaches in fight against illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons
From July 11 to 14 2022, 45 experts gathered in Bujumbura, Republic of Burundi, to discuss how to integrate gender dimensions into the fight against the proliferation, trafficking and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW). Over the course of two workshops, organised by the National Permanent Commission for the Fight against the Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (CNAP), in collaboration with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA), the participants…
Member States join UNODA briefing on the UN Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM) on the margins of the First Committee
On 18 October 2022, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) hosted a side event on the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM) for Member State representatives participating in the UNGA First Committee meetings. About 60 people attended the event, which aimed to provide Member States with information about the mandate and relevance of the UNSGM, activities related to strengthening the mechanism, and the role of Member States in supporting the UNSGM, in particular, through…
ASEAN States meet to strengthen implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in collaboration with the Government of Thailand, hosted the ‘UNSCR 1540 (2004) Workshop for ASEAN states’ at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok from 21- 22 September 2022. The two-day workshop enhanced understanding of the main provisions of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004) aimed at preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery to non-state actors, and to strengthen collaboration on its implementation throughout the sub-region. Over 30…
Capstone Exercise for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for the Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM)
From 19-28 September 2022, a Capstone Exercise for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM) was organized in Berlin. The ten-day field exercise was hosted by the Robert Koch Institute, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. The exercise aimed at simulating a possible UNSGM investigation of alleged use of a biological weapon to: (1) to give experts on the UNSGM roster an opportunity to test their skills should they…
Discussing the way forward and new directions for Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Education
As part of the Vienna Conversation Series, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) Vienna Office hosted an event on 9 September 2022, entitled “New directions for Disarmament & Non-Proliferation Education”. The roundtable discussion aimed to bring together the Vienna-based diplomatic community, and the 2022 cohort of United Nations Disarmament Fellows, along with one of ODA’s key partners on disarmament education, the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP). The United Nations Disarmament Fellowship is a three-month programme, created…
The African Union Peace and Security Council and UNODA commemorate the Africa Amnesty Month in Togo
In an effort to continue the “Silencing the Guns” initiative, the African Union Peace and Security Council, in partnership with UNODA, its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and the government of Togo commemorated the 2022 Africa Amnesty Month for the surrender and collection of illicit small arms and light weapons in Lomé, Togo on 5-6 September 2022. This commemoration held for the first time outside of the AU’s headquarters in Addis Ababa was an opportunity to highlight the ongoing challenges pertaining to illegal gun ownership, and further promote initiatives to…
College students from the Republic of Korea discuss promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies at the United Nations
On 16 August, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) engaged a group of 49 college students from the Republic of Korea on the topic of “Disarmament and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” The workshop was part of UNODA’s Disarmament and Non-proliferation Education efforts that aim to raise awareness on, and promote measures for, disarmament and non-proliferation education through engaging diverse audiences, including practitioners, educators, civil society organization and students. The session was also part of the World Federation of United Nations Associations’…