On 27 and 28 July 2017 Fiji hosted a regional workshop on universalization of the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). With five States in the Pacific region not yet party to the BWC (Kiribati, Micronesia, Niue, Samoa and Tuvalu)
The Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is scheduled to hold its first session from 2 to 12 May 2017 at the Vienna International Centre.
The Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, also known as the SEANWFZ Treaty or Bangkok Treaty, was signed on 15 December 1995 by ten Southeast Asian States.
On 7 February 2017, UNRCPD resumed its operations from Kathmandu, Nepal. After strong earthquakes damaged the UNRCPD office premises in Nepal, and in order to ensure the continuity of its planned programmes and services to the countries in Asia and the Pacific, the Regional Centre was temporarily relocated to Bangkok in May 2015. Since the temporary relocation, the UNODA has been working closely with the Government of Nepal to make the necessary arrangements for the Regional Centre to resume its operations from Kathmandu at the earliest possible date. UNODA is very grateful to the Government of Nepal for its cooperation and support, including financial commitments to make the relocation possible. It also greatly appreciates the support by Member States from the region.
The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific has launched a project to assist the Philippines in strengthening its national capacity to control transfers of small arms and light weapons, with a view to preventing their illicit trade and diversion.
The UNODA High Representative, Mr. Kim Won-soo, gave remarks to High level Open Debate of the Security Council on Stopping the Proliferation of WMDs by Non-State Actors.
United Nations Messenger of Peace, Michael Douglas, delivered a message on putting an end to landmines, cluster munitions and other indiscriminate weapons.
The “International Conference in Nagasaki — Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons” will take place in Nagasaki, Japan, from 11 to 14 December. View more about the Conference here.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, delivered remarks to the Security Council on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Read the remarks here.
On 21 November, the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat, and the Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Mr. Kim Won-soo, unveiled a plaque commemorating the resumption of operations of the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, delivered a message to the Fifteenth Meeting of the States Parties of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention in Santiago, Chile.
The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, delivered a message to the Twentieth Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Read more about the message here.
It is a great pleasure and honour for me to have this opportunity to share some thoughts on my hope and what the United Nations has been doing on arms control and disarmament with distinguished professors and students here today. You have helped to prepare future generations to address global challenges through multilateral cooperation. Your outstanding teaching and research have deepened the public’s understanding of the work of the United Nations. And I salute you all for all of this and much more – what you have been doing and continue to do. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to focus on the future of multilateral disarmament. Quite simply, disarmament is facing a crisis. This afternoon, I want to outline a number of steps to help put the process back on track.
The UNODA High Representative, Mr. Kim Won-soo, gave remarks to the 15th Republic of Korea-UN Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues.
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Joint Investigative Mechanism, the body mandated to determine responsibility for the use of chemical weapons in Syria, for an additional year.
