Disarmament

The Conference on Disarmament submits to the Seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly its annual report on its 2015 session, together with the pertinent documents and records.

This paper offers a preliminary analysis of the effects of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on the ammunition management sector in the spring of 2020. It raises key issues related to the risks associated with conventional ammunition through the implementation of relevant control and management measures. It argues that shifts in national priorities and reduced resources may affect overall international disarmament efforts by undermining the management of conventional ammunition, and potentially enhance the risks of accidental explosions and diversion. Ammunition management needs to remain a priority during and after COVID-19.

The COVID-19 outbreak posed an unprecedented challenge to intergovernmental disarmament institutions and processes. This publication offers an extensive review of relevant developments at the United Nations, particularly in the General Assembly and the Security Council, as well as in the disarmament machinery and other disarmament bodies and processes. After comparing the varying responses to the pandemic, the author considers whether the outbreak should serve as a catalyst for rethinking and changing multilateral working methods or rules of procedure.

International peace and security - and therefore disarmament - stand at the core of the UN mandate. This publication is designed to inform, educate and generate public understanding of the importance of multilateral action, and to rally support for it, in the field of arms limitation and disarmament. Intended primarily for the general reader, this basic guide may also be useful for the disarmament educator or trainer. It is published by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in collaboration with the NGO (non-governmental organizations) Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security pursuant to the purposes of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme.

Conceived as a comprehensive introduction to a field central to the work of the United Nations, Disarmament: A Basic Guide aims to provide a useful overview of the nuanced challenges of building a more peaceful world in the twenty-first century. It was written with the general reader in mind and it strives to be accessible without downplaying the complexity of the issues it explores. This fourth edition includes updated figures, tables and treaty statuses; new analysis of the key developments since 2012; discussion of two recently agreed legal instruments, the Arms Trade Treaty and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; and a new chapter on emerging threats from cyber weaponry, unmanned combat aerial vehicles and lethal autonomous weapons systems.

Conçu comme une introduction complète à un domaine essentiel à l’action des Nations Unies, Désarmement : Guide de base vise à fournir un aperçu utile des défis nuancés de la construction d’un monde plus pacifique au XXIe siècle. Rédigé à l’intention du grand public, il se veut accessible sans minimiser la complexité des questions qu’il explore. Cette quatrième édition comprend des chiffres, des tableaux et des statuts de traités mis à jour ; une nouvelle analyse des principaux développements depuis 2012 ; une discussion sur deux instruments juridiques récemment adoptés, le Traité sur le commerce des armes et le Traité sur l’interdiction des armes nucléaires ; et un nouveau chapitre sur les menaces émergentes liées aux cyberarmes, aux drones de combat et aux systèmes d’armes létaux autonomes.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into military applications, such as weapon systems, decision-support tools, and various other tasks, poses opportunities and challenges to international peace and security. Military applications of AI can exacerbate and amplify existing risks and could also lead to new unintended consequences. Rapid developments in this technological domain have outpaced the development of guardrails to mitigate such risks. This publication aims to enhance the international community’s understanding of the governance of AI in the military domain. It outlines the opportunities and risks associated with military applications of AI, highlights areas of contention within the expert and diplomatic communities, and offers policy recommendations and options for its multilateral governance.

International peace and security - and therefore disarmament - stand at the core of the UN mandate. This publication is designed to inform, educate and generate public understanding of the importance of multilateral action, and to rally support for it, in the field of arms limitation and disarmament. Intended primarily for the general reader, this basic guide may also be useful for the disarmament educator or trainer. It is published by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in collaboration with the NGO (non-governmental organizations) Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security pursuant to the purposes of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme.

In 2023, United Nations Member States adopted a new international instrument containing political commitments to prevent diversion, illicit trafficking, and misuse of ammunition; mitigate and prevent unplanned explosions at munition sites; ensure the safety and security of conventional ammunition throughout its life-cycle from the point of manufacture; and contribute to lasting peace, security and sustainable development. The Global Framework covers all types of ammunition: from small-calibre to the largest conventional ammunition. It contains 15 objectives and 85 concrete measures to promote the safety, security and sustainability of through-life conventional ammunition management.

The Conference on Disarmament submits to the United Nations General Assembly its annual report on its 2023 session together with the pertinent documents and records.

The Conference on Disarmament submits to the United Nations General Assembly its annual report on its 2021 session together with the pertinent documents and records.

The Guide to Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention has been developed by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with the support of the European Union and Norway and the contributions of a wide range of BWC experts, to assist States Parties in their efforts to implement the Convention at the national level. The Guide is primarily intended to provide an overview of the national implementation process and obligations stemming from the BWC. Its primary audience is States Parties initiating or already engaged in the BWC implementation process or States Parties interested in assessing their implementing framework. The Guide outlines the types of legislative, regulatory and other measures that States Parties may consider developing and adopting in order to effectively implement the BWC.

The Guide to Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention has been developed by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with the support of the European Union and Norway and the contributions of a wide range of BWC experts, to assist States Parties in their efforts to implement the Convention at the national level. The Guide is primarily intended to provide an overview of the national implementation process and obligations stemming from the BWC. Its primary audience is States Parties initiating or already engaged in the BWC implementation process or States Parties interested in assessing their implementing framework. The Guide outlines the types of legislative, regulatory and other measures that States Parties may consider developing and adopting in order to effectively implement the BWC.

This publication has been issued in implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme as a handy, convenient and attractive reference tool containing the report of the Secretary-General on verification in all its aspects, including the role of the UN in the field of verification. It also contains additional material related to the publication of the report. The publication continues the Disarmament Study Series and should serve as a valuable addition to the reference section of public and university libraries, permanent missions, research institutes and specialized non-governmental organizations.

The Guide to Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention has been developed by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with the support of the European Union and Norway and the contributions of a wide range of BWC experts, to assist States Parties in their efforts to implement the Convention at the national level. The Guide is primarily intended to provide an overview of the national implementation process and obligations stemming from the BWC. Its primary audience is States Parties initiating or already engaged in the BWC implementation process or States Parties interested in assessing their implementing framework. The Guide outlines the types of legislative, regulatory and other measures that States Parties may consider developing and adopting in order to effectively implement the BWC.

Focusing on the military dimension, this study explores whether defensive security concepts and policies might be one way in which to address existing and emerging threats and risks while at the same time, strengthening the positive developments of recent years.

O Guia para a Implementação da Convenção sobre Armas Biológicas foi desenvolvido pelo Escritório das Nações Unidas para Assuntos de Desarmamento (UNODA), com o apoio da União Europeia e da Noruega, e com as contribuições de uma ampla gama de especialistas da Convenção sobre Armas Biológicas (BWC), para auxiliar os Estados Partes em seus esforços para implementar a Convenção em nível nacional. O Guia tem como objetivo principal fornecer uma visão geral do processo nacional de implementação e das obrigações decorrentes da BWC. Seu público principal são os Estados Partes que estão iniciando ou já estão engajados no processo de implementação da BWC, ou os Estados Partes interessados ​​em avaliar sua estrutura de implementação. O Guia descreve os tipos de medidas legislativas, regulatórias e outras que os Estados Partes podem considerar desenvolver e adotar para implementar a BWC de forma eficaz.

The Disarmament Study Series highlights United Nations General Assembly studies in the field of disarmament undertaken by groups of governmental experts. This report is in pursuance of resolution 37/95 of 13 December 1982.

Pursuant to resolution 1814 (XVII) of 18 December 1962, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to publish a juridical yearbook which would include certain documentary materials of a legal character concerning the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations as presented in an outline annexed to the resolution. The United Nations Juridical Yearbook has since been published on an annual basis reviewing legal developments starting from 1963. In 1972, the General Assembly further refined the publication’s outline, which since then has been made up of three substantive parts, divided into eight chapters covering different legal themes together with a fourth part containing an extensive bibliography.

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.

This is the annual report submitted to the General Assembly by the Disarmament Commission for 2022.

This is the annual report submitted to the General Assembly by the Disarmament Commission for 2023.