Office for Disarmament Affairs

Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament

in Asia and the Pacific

Spotlights

See the top, latest stories and events coming from UNODA.

Prime Minister of Nepal emphasized the importance of regional processes at the UN General Assembly

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal emphasized the importance of collective action in tackling global challenges through peaceful means and diplomatic dialogue.

21 September 2023
International Day of Peace 2023: Nurturing the tomorrow’s leaders in The British School, Kathmandu

Marking the International Day of Peace, UNRCPD visited The British School, Kathmandu, to deliver a special talk to students on the importance of sustainable peace through disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

21 September 2023
Disarmament Toolkit 2023 Edition Concluded

The second edition of the Disarmament Toolkit, jointly organized by the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) and the India-based Non- Governmental Organization (NGO) the Prajnya Trust, took place virtually from 21 to 30 June 2023, for a total of six sessions. The course reached out to a diverse group of participants including students, esteemed professors, representatives of international organizations, civil society organizations and practitioners.

30 June 2023
Secretary-General Introduces Core Elements of the New Agenda for Peace

Humanity Must Act Urgently to Avert Total Global Catastrophe, Secretary-General Warns General Assembly, Outlining 2023 Priorities for United Nations

6 February 2023
Solomon Islands ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

On 20 January, Solomon Islands ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

20 January 2023
Briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) on the elimination of the chemical weapons programme of the Syrian Arab Republic

Statement by Mr. Adedeji Ebo, Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Officer-in-Charge

5 January 2023
High Representative for Disarmament Affairs visits Okinawa, discusses how greater gender equality enables more secure and sustainable societies (In Japanese)

High Representative for Disarmament Affairs visits Okinawa, discusses how greater gender equality enables more secure and sustainable societies (In Japanese) A pdf copy can be found here: HRs-keynote-speeach-at-the-Symposium-of-Okianawa-Womens-Empowerment

21 December 2022
General Assembly Adopts over 100 Texts of First, Sixth Committees Tackling Threats from Nuclear Weapons, International Security, Global Law, Transitional Justice

Acting on the recommendations of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and Sixth Committee (Legal), the General Assembly today adopted a total of 86 resolutions and 17 decisions on items ranging from the threat posed by nuclear weapons in a deteriorating international security environment to the restoration of confidence in the rule of law as a key element of multilateral and transitional justice.

7 December 2022
UNODA’s Youth4Disarmament initiative has launched the Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge

Our Common Future, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs is launching the Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge, inviting young people to express their passion for peace through music. This initiative invites young people, aged 13-29, to share what disarmament means to them and their communities by creating their own music.

24 May 2022

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Updates

See the top, latest stories and events coming from UNODA.

Winners of the Youth Multimedia Arts Competition: “Envisioning a World Free from Nuclear Weapons” Announced

To mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok), the Government of Thailand and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), through its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), launched the Youth Multimedia Arts Competition 2025: “Envisioning a World Free from Nuclear Weapons”. The initiative is also organized through the support from the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons (YLF), as a regional component of that programme, funded by the…

Southeast Asian States Advance Biosafety, Biosecurity and BWC Implementation at Regional Workshop in Guangzhou

Guangzhou, China — 20 November 2025.

From 18 to 20 November, government officials and technical experts from across Southeast Asia convened in Guangzhou for the Second Regional Workshop on Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and Promoting Biosafety and Biosecurity in Southeast Asia. The workshop was co-hosted by the Governments of China and Malaysia, with support from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) through the BWC Implementation Support Unit (BWC-ISU) and the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (…

Regional Briefings on Information and Communications Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies is fundamentally reshaping global security, and the Asia-Pacific region finds itself at the heart of this transformation. Home to some of the world’s most dynamic hubs of innovation, the region is driving breakthroughs with enormous potential for sustainable development. Yet these rapid advances also bring critical security challenges that demand urgent attention. This combination of innovation and vulnerability positions Asia-Pacific States as both stakeholders and potential norms setters in shaping…

From Nepal to Timor-Leste, Fiji to South Africa, more than 1,600 people joined the Disarmament Toolkit 2025

Disarmament is not just about eliminating weapons; it’s about shifting narratives of power, peace, and people,” wrote one participant from India. For another participant from South Africa, the key lesson was that “it’s not weapons that have brought about peace in the world, but the actions of people moving conversations forward.” From Nepal to Timor-Leste, from Fiji to South Africa, voices from the Disarmament Toolkit 2025 echoed the same truth: young people are not just the future of disarmament—they are already shaping its present, bringing urgency,…

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UNRCPD at a glance

UNRCPD assists countries in the region to achieve their peace, security, and disarmament goals

About

UNRCPD assists countries in the region to achieve their peace, security, and disarmament goals, through provision of substantive support; coordination of activities at the sub-regional, regional and international levels; and information sharing on global and regional activities.

Mandate

The Centre is mandated to provide, on request, substantive support for initiatives and other activities, mutually agreed upon by the Member States of the Asia-Pacific region, for the implementation of measures for peace and disarmament, and to coordinate the implementation of regional activities in Asia and the Pacific.

UNRCPD works to

Assist States in strengthening their capacity to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1540. Promote Peace and Disarmament Education to generate public awareness and support for global and regional disarmament efforts. Support states in ratification of and accession to the Arms Trade Treaty.

Areas of Focus

The Centre focuses its activities in three main areas: providing capacity building and technical assistance, creating and participating in dialogue fora, and engaging in outreach and advocacy on disarmament issues

Office for Disarmament Affairs

Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament

in Asia and the Pacific

Spotlights

Prime Minister of Nepal emphasized the importance of regional processes at the UN General Assembly

International Day of Peace 2023: Nurturing the tomorrow’s leaders in The British School, Kathmandu

Disarmament Toolkit 2023 Edition Concluded

Secretary-General Introduces Core Elements of the New Agenda for Peace

Solomon Islands ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

Briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) on the elimination of the chemical weapons programme of the Syrian Arab Republic

High Representative for Disarmament Affairs visits Okinawa, discusses how greater gender equality enables more secure and sustainable societies (In Japanese)

General Assembly Adopts over 100 Texts of First, Sixth Committees Tackling Threats from Nuclear Weapons, International Security, Global Law, Transitional Justice

UNODA’s Youth4Disarmament initiative has launched the Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge