Updates

On 7-8 November 2022, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) conducted a practical training webinar on supporting the establishment and maintenance of gun-free zones (GFZs) in Asia-Pacific. The event was a follow-up to activities conducted earlier in the year, which had introduced delegates from regional countries and organisations to the main concepts behind GFZ initiatives, based on frameworks outlined in the 2014 United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs publication Guidelines – How to establish and maintain gun-…

The Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), in cooperation with the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA), conducted a student-focused hybrid webinar event on disarmament and non-proliferation education. More than 50 students from the Republic of Korea joined the event, which was held at UNESCO in Seoul, on 5 November.

Key speakers included Mr. Aaron Junhoung Yoo, Officer-in-Charge and Mr. Steven Humphries, Project Manager at UNRCPD. They delivered presentations introducing the core concepts of disarmament and the key…

NEW YORK, 2 November (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The twenty-first iteration of the Republic of Korea–United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues will take place in Seoul on 3 and 4 November.

The event is organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and focuses on exploring contemporary disarmament-related topics through candid discussions on issues of importance to regional and international security.  The Conference brings together a variety of national and…

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 23 June 2022 – The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD) organized the in-country training programme (ICTP) on gender mainstreaming small arms control from 21 to 23 May in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.

The training was composed of two parts. The first two days focused on gender mainstreaming small arms control, and the third day concluded with a session on National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) and National Action Plan (NAP) on Small Arms and Light Weapons…

KATHMANDU, 8 June. The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), with generous financial support from the Government of Sweden, will be hosting the first of a series of webinars as part of a larger regional project to establish and maintain Gun-Free-Zones in Asia Pacific from  8 to9 June 2022.

In 2014, Office for Disarmament Affairs published the “Guidelines – How to establish and maintain gun-free zones (GFZs)”[1], aimed at assisting national governments, local authorities as well as civil society and peacebuilding…

Kathmandu, Nepal, 20 May 2022 – The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) conducted its second online training on national reporting on the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons (UN PoA) for government officials in Asia and the Pacific, in preparation for the Eight Biennial Meeting of States (BMS8).

In the context of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and its corresponding International Tracing…

Dili, Timor-Leste, 16 May 2022 – In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Timor-Leste, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD) organized the in-country training programme (ICTP) on gender mainstreaming small arms control from 10 to 16 May in Dili, Timor-Leste. The ICTP, which is part of the EU-funded global project on gender mainstreaming small arms control, consisted of a three-day training on gender and small arms control (10-12 May) and a one-day workshop on National Coordination Mechanism (NCM) and…

Kathmandu, Nepal, 08 April 2022 – In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD) hosted a three-day training on Gender Mainstreaming Small Arms Control and contribution to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda. The training, held at the Club Himalaya Hotel in Nagarkot from 6 to 8 April 2022, followed on the recommendations of the National workshop to promote the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and support Nepal’s accession to the Treaty, which took place from 25 to 25 November 2021…

Vangvieng, Lao PDR, 11 March 2022 – In collaboration with the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR hosted a national consultation workshop with the aim of reviewing the country’s National Action Plans relevant to gender-responsive small arms control.

The event, held in Vangvieng, gathered key institutions and governmental agencies dealing with security and defence affairs, justice and law, gender equality, youth, and education, as well as national forces and parliamentarians.…

Kathmandu, Nepal, 23 November 2021 – In collaboration with the Women for Peace and Democracy in Nepal (WPDN), the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and Pacific (UNRCPD) hosted a national workshop to promote the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and support Nepal’s accession to the Treaty. The workshop, which took place at the Club Himalaya Hotel in Nagarkot on the 24 and 25 November 2021, was first in-person event since the outbreak of Covid-19.

The workshop aimed to gathered a diverse group of participants and stakeholders whose coordination is key to…

Seoul stage for student discussions on disarmament

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and its Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), in cooperation with the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) and Hanyang University School of International Studies (HYSIS), conducted a student-focused hybrid webinar event on disarmament and non-proliferation education. Hundred students and educators from universities worldwide joined theevent, which was held at Hanyang University in Seoul, the Republic of Korea,…

NEW YORK, 11 November (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The Republic of Korea–United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non‑Proliferation Issues took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 11 to 12 November.

This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the annual meeting, which was organized by the Government of the Republic of Korea and United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

“Since 2002, the so-called “Jeju Process” has provided a platform for dynamic and frank discussions on various issues on disarmament and non-proliferation,” said Under-…

Over the period 23 September to 1 October 2021, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) in partnership with the Office of Prime Minister and National Executive Council (NEC) of Papua New Guinea, conducted a webinar series on gender and small arms control targeting government officials. The series comprised four sessions, held respectively on 23, 24, 30 September and 1 October 2021.

The webinar series was organized in the framework of the In-Country Training Programme (ICTP) on Gender mainstreaming small arms control,…

UNRCPD attended in the capacity as a panelist the virtual event in the margin of the Seventh Conference of States Parties (CSP 7) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), organized by the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PFSALW). The virtual event aimed to highlight parliamentary actions for enhanced universalization and implementation of the ATT and the efforts to eradicate the uncontrolled proliferation of SALW. UNRCPD provided recommendations on actions and perspectives to be undertaken by parliamentarians and civil society to ensure the universalization of the ATT and…

The importance of youth participation in the policy decision-making process has been affirmed time and time again within the UN body and national governments. However, youth participation is much easier said than done. Indeed, constraints in forms of limited resources, training, and opportunities impede youth from making meaningful contributions to the global discourse on peace and security.

Throughout last year, the University of Pennsylvania Policy Consulting Group (PPC) was tasked with overcoming such barriers and creating breakthroughs in youth participation in South Korea…

Vientiane, the Lao PDR, 16 July 2021 – As part of a global project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, with funding from the European Union, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) conducted a training on “Gender mainstreaming small arms control” targeting government officials from Lao PDR. The event was held in a hybrid format from 14 to 16 July 2021. Participants gathered in…

As part of a global project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, in line with the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, with funding from the European Union, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organized the “Webinar Series on Gender and Small Arms Control” targeting government officials from Cambodia. The event was held as a series of webinars hosted digitally on 8, 9, 19 and 20 July 2021, respectively.

The Webinar Series…

Kathmandu, Nepal, 29 May 2021 – As part of a global project in support of gender mainstreamed policies, programmes and actions in the fight against small arms trafficking and misuse, funded by the European Union, which supports, inter-alia, the implementation of the outcomes of the Third Review Conference on the UN Programme of Action (UN PoA) and the preparation for the Seventh Biennial Meeting of States (BMS7), the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organized a regional training on national reporting to the UN Programme of Action. The…

Marking one year since the conclusion of the workshop series on “Gun Violence and Illicit Small-Arms Trafficking from a Gender Perspective” conducted in Asia-Pacific over the period of July 2018 – March 2020,  the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organized a stocktaking webinar gathering the members of parliament and representatives of the civil society who participated in the different workshops, to reflect on the progress made in promoting a gender-responsive framework in small arms control and complementary agendas, at…

KATHMANDU, 1 December 2020 (UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific) – As part of its region-wide initiative to support States with the implementation of UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1540 (2004), the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) organized the “Webinar Series to Support the Implementation of UNSCR 1540 in South Asia and Mongolia”. The event will was held as a series of webinars hosted digitally on 1, 8, and 15 December, respectively.

The Webinar Series convened national…