Displaying 11 - 20 of 67
Peace in progress: High Representative Nakamitsu’s podcast on humanitarian disarmament and mine action
The latest episode of the Silent Killers podcast, hosted by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), brings a deeply human and timely perspective from Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Drawing on more than three decades of work across humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping missions, development and multilateral diplomacy, she offers a candid assessment of the global disarmament landscape, and a reminder of why strengthened efforts in this field are crucial. Ms. Nakamitsu’s early postings within the…
Building Africa’s Next Generation of SALW Practitioners: Nineteen Fellows Complete First UNODA Fellowship for Africa
13 October – 7 November 2025 Nineteen practitioners from sixteen African countries completed the inaugural UNODA African Fellowship on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Control programme established following the United Nations General Assembly’s decision in resolution 77/71 (2022) to create a dedicated fellowship training initiative to support the implementation of the UN Programme of Action (UN PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI). Responding to Member States’ calls for more sustained, practical, and context-specific capacity-building, the Fellowship was…
3rd training course on ‘Biological Crime Scene Management’ held for UNSGM experts
From 3-7 November 2025, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), in cooperation with INTERPOL’s Bioterrorism Prevention Unit and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s National Microbiology Laboratory, organized a training course on biological crime scene management for the United Nations Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigations of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM) at the United Nations Global Service Centre – Conference and Learning Centre (UNGSC-CLC) in Brindisi, Italy. This was the…
Botswana and South Africa Deepen Cooperation on Resolution 1540 Export and Border Controls through Peer-to-Peer Exercise
The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) supported Botswana and South Africa in organizing a peer-to-peer assistance exercise aimed at strengthening export and border control measures under United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). Held from 4 to 6 November 2025 at the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation in Pretoria, the three-day event convened twenty-nine representatives from policy, regulatory, and law enforcement authorities of both countries, alongside two UNODA officials and a member of the 1540 Committee Group of…
First Committee side event: “Secretary-General’s Campaign on Humanitarian Disarmament and Mine Action”
On 22 October, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Department of Peace Operations (DPO)/UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) co-hosted a side event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee and Fourth Committee to amplify the Secretary-General’s campaign on Humanitarian Disarmament and Mine Action. The event brought together representatives from 46 Member States and key stakeholders from across the United Nations system and civil society. The side event emphasized the strategic convergence of insights from the Secretary-General’s reports on Mine…
100 Young Leaders Complete the YLF Online Training to Advance Nuclear Disarmament
On 6 November 2025, the second cohort of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF) gathered to celebrate the completion of their online training. Through the programme, funded by the Government of Japan, 100 selected participants from 62 countries learned about nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, UN disarmament machinery, and the unique impacts of nuclear weapons on diverse populations - building leadership skills to advance disarmament efforts. During the closing event, participants heard from senior UNODA officials. The…
Responsible by Design: A Conversation with the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain
Event date: October 16, 2025 The Global Commission on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM) published its report, Responsible by Design Strategic Guidance Report on the Risks, Opportunities and Governance of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain on 24 September 2025. During the side-event in the margins of the First Committee, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Global Commission (GC) on Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (REAIM) members and its Secretariat (the…
Side Event on “Silencing the Guns by 2030: Lessons and Perspectives from Africa Amnesty Month Implementation”
On 23 October, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union (AU) to the UN co-hosted a side event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee to showcase key experiences and discuss lessons learned from five years of implementing the joint AU–UNODA Africa Amnesty Month (AAM) project. This first-ever New York side event on Africa Amnesty Month was convened in a hybrid format, with panelists and attendees participating both in person at UN Headquarters and virtually from across regions. The…
Doing Innovation Responsibly – How Responsible AI Practices Can Address Risks to International Peace and Security
Saturday 27 September & Monday 13 October While advances in civilian AI can offer remarkable positive potential, misuse of civilian AI presents significant risks for international peace and security. Critically, the technical community in the civilian AI space is often unaware of these challenges, under-engaged, or unsure of the role they can play in addressing them. As part of the Promoting Responsible Innovation in Artificial Intelligence for Peace and Security project, made possible thanks to the generous support of the European Union, the United Nations Office for Disarmament…
United Nations Youth4Disarmament Forum Hosts Side Event: The Future Won’t Wait – Youth Policy Pathways on Nuclear Weapons and Emerging Technology
On 17 October, the United Nations Youth4Disarmament Forum concluded with a youth-led Side Event titled “The Future Won’t Wait: Youth Policy Pathways on Nuclear Weapons and Emerging Technology.” The event brought together youth participants, experts, and diplomats to mark the culmination of the first-ever United Nations Youth4Disarmament Forum, made possible by the strong political and generous financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea. This side event gave an opportunity for the youth participants to present a draft of their outcome document, an outline of…