Disarmament
Information and outreach
In 2024, the General Assembly adopted its biennial resolutions on the “United Nations Disarmament Information Programme” (79/69) and the “United Nations study on disarmament and non-proliferation education” (79/28). These mandates, alongside the Assembly’s recurring resolution on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation (78/31), continued to guide the information and outreach activities of the Office for Disarmament Affairs and relevant efforts by other United Nations entities.
Biological and chemical weapons
In 2024, the Secretary-General continued to emphasize that the use of chemical weapons anywhere by anyone and under any circumstances is intolerable and that impunity for their use is equally unacceptable.
Disarmament machinery
The year 2024 saw modest progress across the disarmament machinery. In particular, the Conference on Disarmament adopted a decision in June on the work of its 2024 session, a positive signal for the body’s future work that importantly also introduced the concept of continuity between annual sessions.
Foreword
I am pleased to present the 2024 United Nations Disarmament Yearbook. For nearly five decades, this publication has provided an objective record of developments in multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. Now in its forty-ninth volume, the Yearbook continues its vital mission to document efforts by the United Nations, Member States and other stakeholders to advance international peace and security through disarmament initiatives and arms control measures. Its enhanced preview edition, issued earlier in the year, equips policymakers and the public with a timely and authoritative overview of the most salient developments in this field.
Regional disarmament
In 2024, despite protracted crises in the Middle East, Haiti, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel and Ukraine, regional activities to sustain peace and support disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control goals demonstrated effectiveness and resilience.
Gender and disarmament
In adopting the Pact for the Future in September (General Assembly resolution 79/1), Member States agreed to a set of actions to advance their commitments on women, peace and security, while advancing implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Acknowledgements
Volume 49 of the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, like previous editions, was a collaboration to which the staff of the Office for Disarmament Affairs devoted considerable time and effort.
Conventional weapons
In 2024, both rising military expenditure and the ongoing flow of weapons and ammunition into armed conflicts, including through illicit trade, continued to stoke deep concerns about potential escalations in violence and risks of diversion to unauthorized recipients.
United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2024: Preview Edition
The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook Preview is a concise reference tool on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues. It includes developments and trends, a convenient issue-oriented timeline and explanatory graphics and charts. Its annex on resolutions, status of treaties and other resources offers a one-stop shop to access recommended 2022 information materials, including publications and key databases. The present edition is an advance and condensed version that provides an easy-to-read overview of the publication earlier in the year.
Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
Following the pattern of recent years, 2024 continued to see acutely elevated nuclear risk, with geopolitical tensions further dividing States, and progress on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation appearing ever more elusive.
Emerging, cross-cutting and other issues
In 2024, the international community continued to make progress in addressing several emerging challenges related to developments in science and technology and their implications for international peace and security.
Conclusion
This handbook has explored how advances in AI, particularly those developed in and for the civilian domain, can impact international peace and security.
UNODA Occasional Papers No. 45
Handbook on Responsible Innovation in AI for International Peace and Security
The objective of this handbook is to compile basic knowledge and means for artificial intelligence (AI) practitioners to understand, evaluate and mitigate, in the research and innovation process, the risks of the diversion and misuse of civilian AI technology by irresponsible actors. The handbook shows why and how decisions around the development and diffusion of research and innovation can impact risks of misuse, and in turn generate risks or even opportunities for international peace and security.