Updates

The 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) will take place from 20-23 February under the theme: “Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: The effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions in Asia and the Pacific” at the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand, and online.

In alignment with the focus of the 2024 High-Level Political Forum (HLPF), the APFSD will assess progress on the SDGs under review: Goal 1 (No poverty); Goal 2 (Zero hunger);…

The Online Regional Briefing on “Fostering Gender-Responsive Arms Control: Perspectives from the Asia-Pacific Region on the UN PoA and the ATT” seeks to promote dialogue on a gender responsive small arms control and amplify the efforts initiated by the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) and the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) over the past years.

Recognition of the mutually beneficial relationship between small arms control and gender equality is growing conceptually. This acknowledgment is embedded in key frameworks…

From 23 to 25 January 2024, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, organized a preparatory meeting in Kathmandu for Asia-Pacific States in anticipation of the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4) on the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in All Its Aspects (PoA) and its International Tracing Instrument (ITI). The meeting was held as part of a global project by the United Nations…

KATHMANDU, 4 October. The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) convened its online regional seminar targeting the National Point of Contact (NPC) on the UN Programme of Action (UN PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) from the Asia Pacific Region.

The online regional seminar is the first of a series of meetings that UNRCPD is  convening in preparation for the Fourth Review Conference (RevCon4), scheduled to take place in June 2024 in New York.

These efforts are part of a global project that…

KATHMANDU, 21 September 2023 — The British School in Kathmandu marked the International Day of Peace 2023 with a special assembly featuring the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD). The event was aimed at fostering an understanding of “Peace and Disarmament” among students, elucidating the importance of disarmament, and encouraging active participation in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Over three hundred participants, comprising students from both junior and high school divisions as well as the teachers…

A diverse group of 49 representatives from various backgrounds and organizations convened in a spirit of regional cooperation to strengthen national implementation of the BWC in the South Asia region from 28-30 August, 2023. The event was co-organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) of Nepal and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) through its BWC Implementation Support Unit (ISU) and the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), with the support from the Government of the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU…

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.

Day 1 was commenced by Mr. Aaron Junhoung Yoo, Deputy Director…

On 19 and 20 January 2023, the (UNRCPD) convened a workshop for high school and university educators in Nepal on “Strengthening Education in Nepal for Disarmament”, in cooperation with the  , a civil society organization in Nepal, with financial support from the Republic of Korea.

The purpose of this event was to assess the level of disarmament education currently being delivered to students in secondary and tertiary education in Nepal; to raise awareness on the meaning and importance of disarmament education while also introducing the available tools and…

On the 6-8 December 2022, the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) supported the organization of a National Roundtable on Prioritizing Items found in Mongolia’s 1540 National Action Plan, in collaboration with UNODA’s 1540 Support Unit, the Government of Mongolia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The aim of the event, held in Ulaanbaatar, was to conduct a review of Mongolia’s 1540 National Action Plan (NAP) and identify ways of strengthening Mongolia’s implementation of UNSCR 1540 (2004). This event followed…

Through the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), UNODA supported the Royal Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia in organizing a national workshop to raise awareness amongst policymakers and senior Government officials on the importance of resolution 1540 (2004), the aim of which is the prevention of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons to non-State actors.  This workshop was part of an on-going program to support States’ efforts towards fully implementing their obligations under this resolution.

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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…