Spotlight

Adopting Work Programme, Disarmament Commission Begins General Debate on Nuclear, Conventional Weapons, Affirming Polarity of Positions, Benefits to Bridging Them
The United Nations Disarmament Commission’s significance as a platform for dialogue and cooperation had only been heightened in light of current rising global tensions and mistrust, the 193-member subsidiary body heard today during its general debate, moving into the second day of its 2015 session. With a view to advancing discussions despite its 15-year impasse on adopting concrete guidelines, the Disarmament Commission succeeded today, after two days of intense negotiations, in approving a provisional agenda for the current three-year cycle. It thereby agreed to include items on recommendations for achieving the objective of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and on practical confidence-building measures in the field of conventional weapons.
Biological Weapons Convention: High Representative’s video message to 40th anniversary event
Angela Kane, the UNODA High Representative for Disarmament Affairs is giving a short speech to commemorate the 40th anniversary oft the entry into force of the Biological Weapons Convention
2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference Website launched in multiple UN official languages
The UN has launched a new website for the 2015 NPT Review Conference. For updates, information and resources related to the conference view the website here
Conference on Disarmament: High-level week in the CD
From 2-9 March the Conference on Disarmament (CD) held its annual high-level segment, during which dignitaries from the Russian Federation, Algeria, Sweden, the Netherlands, Argentina, Ukraine, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Turkey, Democratic People’s Republic (DPRK), Germany, Austria, Spain, United Kingdom, Cuba, Japan, Georgia, Myanmar, Mexico, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Ireland, Italy, Chile, Mongolia, Iraq, Colombia, and Finland addressed the conference. The President of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Ambassador Bertrand De Crombrugghe of Belgium, addressed the CD to mark the sixteenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention.
International Peace Bureau: IPB Nominates Hibakusha for 2015 Nobel Peace Prize
A total ban and the elimination of nuclear weapons was the task set out by the very first resolution of the first General Assembly of the United Nations (January 1946), a task that remains unfulfilled. Yet, as seen in the success of the international conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, held in Oslo in 2013 and in Nayarit and Vienna in 2014, momentum is building up once more, and promises to turn this 70th anniversary of the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki into a milestone on the path to a world free of nuclear weapons.
Workshop held to strengthen Peace and Disarmament Education in Nepal’s schools
Twenty five newly selected text book writers were invited by the Curriculum Development Center (CDC) to a 3-day Peace and Disarmament Education workshop supported by UNRCPD and UNESCO Nepal.
Can Japan jumpstart action on nuclear disarmament?
Nuclear weapons continue to pose global dangers. Their elimination is a global enterprise that requires renewed leadership, dialogue, and action on the part of all the world's nations. Unfortunately, 70 years after the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Volunteering for disarmement process in Africa: From our sister Centre in Togo
Based in Togo, I have been an International United Nations at the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) for the past 2 and a half years.
Through my position, I have been able to conduct an assessment of the national small arms control authority of the Sudan, oversaw a trainings of trainers for the Togolese security services on maintaining law and order during electoral periods, facilitated the training of ammunition technical specialists on ammunition support to UN field operations, assisted in the organization and facilitation of numerous subregional and regional events notably on the Arms Trade Treaty and International Tracing Instrument, and took part in numerous workshops and seminars concerning monitoring and enforcing United Nations arms embargos and methods of streamlining United Nations arms control operations. So far, my time at the Regional Centre has been rewarding. Working in a highly sensitive sector such as disarmament and arms control means I have the opportunity to work with very motivated professionals in many countries; these individuals are trying to address ever growing arms race and proliferation and its adverse outcomes.
High Representative talks to the Chilean newspaper “El Mercurio” about the challenges for nuclear disarmament
Transcript of High Representative Angela Kane's interview on nuclear disarmament.
Nuclear disarmament: Ban Ki-Moon asks India to a play key role
Recognising its growing stature, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today asked India to play a major role in ensuring nuclear disarmament in South Asia, bringing back peace and stability in Afghanistan and combatting key global challenges like terrorism, climate change and poverty. Expressing deep concern over rise in violent extremism and radicalisation in the region, Ban said India must shoulder the responsibility” to help South Asia stop developing nuclear arsenals and urged it to sign the CTBT which provides for banning all nuclear tests.
UN Decoded: Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (NWFZ)
The establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ) is a regional approach to strengthen global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament norms and consolidate international efforts towards peace and security. All nuclear-weapon-free zones prohibit the development, stationing or testing of nuclear weapons in their respective territories
High Representative Angela Kane speaks on Syria Chemical Weapons at the Security Council Media Stakeout
Informal comments tio the media by Ms. Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) on the progress in the elimination of the chemical weapons programme of Syria (OPCW).
Chemical weapons left in Wuhan to be destroyed
Japan this week will begin destroying stockpiles of chemical weapons abandoned by the Japanese military in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province at the end of World War II, the Cabinet Office said Tuesday
Secretary-General Says Arms Trade Treaty’s Entry into Force Is Testimony of International Commitment to Stop Irresponsible Arms Transfers
This marks the opening of a new chapter in our collective efforts to bring responsibility, accountability and transparency to the global arms trade. From now on, the States parties to this important Treaty will have a legal obligation to apply the highest common standards to their international transfers of weapons and ammunition.
OSCE, Kyrgyz Defence Ministry sign five agreements on management and control of small arms and light weapons in Kyrgyzstan
The OSCE Centre in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz Defence Ministry signed five agreements on practical implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and stockpiles of conventional ammunition (SCA) programme that was signed on 2 August 2013 and ratified in May 2014.
Video: Weapons of Mass Destruction: Threats and Global Responses
To commemorate the anniversary and to support the UN's outreach efforts, UNODA and DPI have co-produced a feature story on the dangers of weapons of mass destruction
'Virtual stampede' of states rush to join Arms Trade Treaty
A flurry of activity by UN member states to sign and ratify the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) before it enters into force next week is another clear sign of the overwhelming support for this historic move to rein in the irresponsible international arms trade, Amnesty International said.
Declaration of 2014 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates pushes for disarmament
There are over 16,000 nuclear weapons in the world today. As the recent 3rd International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons concluded: the impact of the use of just one is unacceptable. A mere 100 would lower the earth’s temperature by over 1 degree Celsius for at least ten years, causing massive disruption of global food production and putting 2 billion people at risk of starvation. If we fail to prevent nuclear war, all of our other efforts to secure peace and justice will be for naught. We need to stigmatize, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons.
UNSCAR: Major German Contribution to UN Arms Control
At the end of 2014, Germany will contribute another 1.2 million Euro (around 1.5 million USD) to the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation (UNSCAR). UNSCAR is currently the only UN funding mechanism to help finance new projects with regard to the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UN PoA) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). Both multilateral agreements are important instruments concerning the international trade in conventional arms. The Programme of Action is a politically binding agreement addressing the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons (SALW). The ATT, entering into force on December 24, 2014, is a legally binding treaty that will regulate the international arms trade by establishing universal criteria for the export and import of arms. (Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations)
UN High Representative Angela Kane interviewed by Sputnik (Russia) about nuclear disarmament
The world's five confirmed nuclear powers do not seem to be keen to start negotiating nuclear disarmament, and want to keep nuclear weapons in their military doctrines, Angela Kane, UN High Representative for Disarmament said Monday. "We must state very clearly that the nuclear powers continue to say that nuclear weapons are part of their military doctrines, there has been no claim that this has changed and that means that they are maintaining their nuclear weapons," Kane told the press on the sidelines of the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.
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