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States convened at the United Nations in New York for the Fourth Conference to Review the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons and made strides towards gender-responsive small arms control
From 18 to 28 June 2024, States convened at the United Nations in New York for the Fourth Conference to Review the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its Aspects and its International Tracing Instrument. These are the universal frameworks dedicated to countering threats of the illicit manufacture, transfer and circulation of these weapons. The Review Conference, which takes place every six years, provides a critical opportunity for States to renew their commitments and develop an action plan for the following six…
From Diplomacy to Disarmament: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Growing Through UNODA's Youth Leader Fund Programme
By Elisa Shafiqah binti Shahrilnizam (Malaysia), participant of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF) “The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded.” I remember coming across this quote by the former UN Secretary -General Ban Ki Moon when I first discovered my passion for promoting and maintaining peace. Let me share how, through YLF, I found my voice to do so. As a participant in the Youth Leader Fund programme, I embarked on a journey that was both daunting and enlightening. Initially, I struggled with feelings of imposter syndrome,…
Weaving a Future of Peace: How the YLF Programme Empowered My Community Initiative
By Nduku Louis Tebi (Cameroon), participant of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF) My name is Nduku Louis Tebi and I am the founder of Xhuma Africa, a youth-led organization in Cameroon dedicated to empowering young people to become agents of peace and environmental stewards. The growing threat of nuclear weapons has always troubled me, and the opportunity to participate in the Youth Leader Fund programme for a World Without Nuclear Weapons was a crucial step towards preparing me to make a difference in my community. The YLF program…
Training Course for UNSCR 1540 Points of contact in the Asia-Pacific Region
From 25-28 June 2024, the Government of China and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) hosted a ‘Training Course for UNSCR 1540 Points of Contact (PoC) in the Asia-Pacific Region’ in Beijing, China. The training course was supported by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and co-funded by the Government of China and the European Union. The PoC training course was the fourth of its kind in the region, with the first training taking place in Qingdao, China, in 2015: in Xi’An, China, in 2017; and in Xiamen, China, in 2019.…
Vienna Conversation Series event on different ways to promote progress in disarmament through education, youth participation, diplomacy and artistic engagement
Vienna Conversation Series event organized by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) Vienna Office, in cooperation with the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). In June, the 2024 UN Disarmament Fellows undertook their first study visits of this year’s iteration of the programme. Vienna, home to UNODA’s education hub, was one of the destinations, along with Geneva and Brussels. On the occasion of the Fellows’ visit, which coincided with that of the winners of CTBTO’s 2024 Global Art Campaign, UNODA’s Vienna Office, together with CTBTO,…
Putting lessons learned into practice: My Experience with the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons
By Johannes Nordin (Sweden), participant of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF) I have greatly enjoyed partaking in the remote component of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons(YLF) these past six months. Aware of the challenges in adapting an educational programme to such a large, truly global cohort of participants – with varying degrees of availability, educational and professional backgrounds – I have been very satisfied with the overall balance of content, networking opportunities, as well as space for self-reflection.…
Workshop to strengthen the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 in Ecuador
From 12 to 13 June, the Government of Ecuador, in partnership with the Organization of American States Inter American Committee against Terrorism (CICTE/ OAS) and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), hosted a workshop to strengthen the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540 in Quito, Ecuador. The event brought together over 55 representatives and senior officials from ministries and agencies of Ecuador, partner states, and international and regional organizations to develop Ecuador’s first voluntary National Implementation Action…
Reality Check: Role of Youth in Advocating Against Weapons of ‘Widespread Destruction’
During the Fourth Review Conference of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RevCon4), the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs and its UN Youth Disarmament Programme organized a side event with prominent youth advocates for disarmament. The meeting, which took place on 20 June in Conference Room B at UN headquarters, centred on the youth engagement in efforts related to small arms and light weapons (SALW) disarmament and non-proliferation. Youth involvement is a crucial point in finding solutions against SALW misuse, as the younger generation is globally and deeply…
The Governments of the Philippines and Singapore held a peer review aiming to enhance the implementation of UNSCR 1540
28-29 May 2024 (Manila) With a view to strengthening implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004), the Governments of the Philippines and Singapore began a peer review to share information, experiences, and challenges and to identify areas for improvement related to the implementation of the resolution with a particular focus on export controls. With financial support from Japan, the United Nations Office for Disarmament (UNODA) Affairs provided administrative and substantive assistance to the exercise. The specific items usually discussed as part of the Peer Review include: (1) legal and…
National workshop on the Biological Weapons Convention and its Confidence Building Measures in Bolivia
From 28 to 29 May 2024, in La Paz, Plurinational State of Bolivia, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) organized a national workshop on the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the preparation of Confidence Building Measures (CBM) reports. The workshop was organized with the support of the European Union and in cooperation with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Bolivia. The workshop was attended by around 50 national participants from several national entities. Opening remarks were provided by Mr. Augusto Antonio Garcia Lara…