New disarmament publications available

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The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) has produced some new publications.  The Institute generates ideas and promotes action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR is centrally positioned to assist the international community in developing the practical, innovative thinking needed to find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

New publications can be found on their publications website, and include “The Private Sector, Peacebuilding and the International Anti-Corruption Agenda”, “A New START Model for Transparency in Nuclear Disarmament: Individual Country Reports”, “The Role of Norms of Behaviour in African Outer Space Activities”, and Building Peace and Stability through Economic Reconstruction”.

Audio files of most of their seminars are also available, including Practical Steps towards Transparency in Nuclear Disarmament (23 April 2013, Geneva), Space Security Conference 2013: Enhancing confidence, securing space stability (2-3 April 2013, Geneva) and The Role of Norms of Behaviour in African Outer Space Activities (7–8 March 2013, Addis Ababa).

UN Resources

Non-UN Resources

Report of the Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament Conference Opens 2012 Session

The Report of the Conference on Disarmament to the General Assembly of the United Nations has been released.  The Conference on Disarmament has submitted to the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly its annual report on its 2012 session.

The Conference was in session from 23 January to 30 March, 14 May to 29 June and 30 July to 14 September 2012. During this period, the Conference held thirty formal plenary meetings, at which member States as well as non-member States invited to participate in the discussions outlined their views and recommendations on the various issues before the Conference, such as nuclear disarmament, weapons of mass destruction, and prevention of an arms race in outer space.

UN Resources:

Earlier reports of the Conference on Disarmament

Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly from the Conference on Disarmament

Website of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs

Photo:  UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré, Disarmament Conference Opens 2012 Session.

UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty

Arms Trade

The Arms Trade Treaty Conference begun at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on July 2nd, and will take place until 27 July 2012. Negotiations will be carried out by the 193 Member States of the UN. In addition, hundreds of representatives from non-governmental organizations, public interest groups, the arms industry, media and inter-governmental organizations will attend.

Concerned by the misuse of weaponry around the world, civil society organizations have successfully mobilized governments and parliamentarians to call for the global regulation of the conventional arms trade. Countries have discussed the matter within the UN since 2006, and are set to negotiate an Arms Trade Treaty during this year’s Conference.

Arms Trade Treaty Conference Documents (available in the six official UN languages)

Provisional Rules of Procedure

Compilation of views on the elements of an arms trade treaty

Report of the Preparatory Committee

More Conference documents can be found here

Conference on Security Council Resolution 1540

Wiesbaden The First Industry Conference of International, Regional and Sub-Regional Industry Associations on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) was held from 23 to 25 April, in Wiesbaden, Germany.  Hosted by the Government of Germany, the conference is co-organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with financial support from the Governments of Norway, the United States and the European Union.

Consistent with the objectives of Security Council resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1977 (2011), the Conference aimed to enhance ways to work with industries on promoting progress in achieving the objectives of resolution 1540 (2004) and to draw on relevant expertise from various industry associations and sectors.

UN Resources:

Non UN Resources:

60th Anniversary of the Disarmament Commission

In January 1952, by its resolution 502 (VI), the General Assembly established the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) under the Security Council with a general mandate on disarmament questions.  However, it met only occasionally after 1959.  

In 1978, The first special session of the General Assembly devoted to disarmament established a successor Disarmament Commission as a subsidiary organ of the Assembly, composed of all Member States of the United Nations.  It was created as a deliberative body, with the function of considering and making recommendations on various issues in the field of disarmament and following up on the relevant decisions and recommendations of the special session.  It reports annually to the General Assembly.

UN Resources

*Photo:  Disarmament Commission Holds Twenty-Second Meeting.  22 August 1952.  UN Photo/AF.

Reports of the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee)

The General Assembly met this morning, 2 December, to discuss 22 reports of the the Disarmament and International Security Committee (First Committee).  The First Committee discusses all disarmament and international security agenda items before the General Assembly (A/C.1/66/1). 

Reports to the General Assembly Plenary, 66th Session

UN Resources

Photo: General Assembly Discusses First Committee Reports. 2 December 2009. UN Photo/Sophie Paris


General Assembly - First Committee

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) will meet today to begin its general debate.  They will discuss all disarmament and international security agenda items before the General Assembly (A/C.1/66/1).

UN Resources

*Photo: General Assembly Discusses First Committee Reports, 2 December 2009.  UN Photo/Sophie Paris.

High-level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security

UN Secretary General will convene a high-level meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security on Thursday, 22 September. For the meeting, he has issued a report on the UN System-wide study on the implications of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (SG/HLM/2011/1)

Additional Resources:

International Day Against Nuclear Tests (29 August)

Monday (29 August) marks the UN’s International Day Against Nuclear Tests. Established by the General Assembly in December 2009 (A/RES/64/35) the day is intended to galvanize support for information, education and advocacy efforts concerning the necessity of banning nuclear tests.

The UN Secretary-General will convene a High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security on 22 September 2011.

UN Resources on Nuclear Tests

  • United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation website
  • United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs website
  • International Atomic Energy Agency website

Photo: A view of Semipalatinsk Test Site’s ground zero in Kurchatov, Kazakhstan. Remote Semipalatinsk was once the Soviet Union’s primary testing venue for nuclear weapons (April 2010) - UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe