Developments and trends, 2024

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. The aims of this work included providing Member States, the diplomatic community, non-governmental organizations and the public with unbiased, up-to-date and relevant information on multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, as well as promoting young people’s meaningful and inclusive participation in the field.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs engaged a record number of young people globally in its educational and empowerment programmes during the year, with participants taking part online and at in-person events held in Japan, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the United States and beyond. The second edition of the Youth Champions for Disarmament Training Programme brought together a diverse cohort of 15 selected young people who developed community projects and participated in key United Nations forums, delivering statements and leading side events at the General Assembly, First Committee, and the fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The Office also launched the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge, engaging youth aged 13 to 29 in exploring the risks of AI in military operations, and supported youth-led discussions at the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues. Through its fourth annual #StepUp4Disarmament campaign, the Office encouraged young people to advocate against nuclear weapons by completing a distance of 8.29 km in observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests (29 August). The year also featured notable regional initiatives such as the GenerAcción Paz programme, which engaged 10 Spanish-speaking youth leaders in Latin America.

The Office successfully concluded its largest youth-focused initiative to date, the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons, which provided 100 scholarships to young people from 63 countries to participate in online coursework on nuclear disarmament. From this cohort, 50 participants were selected to join a week-long, in-person study visit to Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Tokyo. The programme culminated in the Youth Leader Conference, where participants officially adopted the DeclarACTION — a document outlining their commitments and planned actions for nuclear disarmament advocacy.

In 2024, the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to strengthen the sustainability and impact of its educational offerings in line with its 2022 Disarmament Education Strategy. The Vienna Office maintained its role as the Office’s education hub, supporting the strategic prioritization, development and execution of educational initiatives throughout the year. A significant milestone was the launch of a new disarmament education website that consolidated resources, tools and learning opportunities for diverse audiences. The Office’s other activities in this area included recurring events in the Vienna Conversation Series and in the Disarmament Conversation Series of its Geneva Branch, as well as programming delivered to hundreds of learners by the Office’s regional centres in Lomé, Lima and Kathmandu. Meanwhile, the Disarmament Education Dashboard continued to grow, attracting over 4,000 new users and offering specialized e-learning courses for diplomats, youth leaders and other stakeholders. A course focused on youth and disarmament gained particular attention, furthering the Office’s commitment to engaging young people in disarmament efforts.

Meanwhile, fellowship and training programmes retained their vital role in developing new expertise within the disarmament field. The United Nations Disarmament Fellowship, Training and Advisory Services Programme — established in 1978 to promote greater disarmament knowledge among Member States, particularly developing countries — trained diplomats and other officials from 25 States. From March to August, the second iteration of the Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship engaged 20 young leaders in life sciences from 17 States in the global South, attracting over 2,400 applications from more than 100 countries — a 200 per cent increase from the previous year — and offering participants online learning sessions with experts, a collaborative research project, and a 10-day immersive study visit to Geneva during the fourth session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention. Additionally, the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore co-organized two sessions of the United Nations-Singapore Cyber Fellowship.

In partnership with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the European Union, the Office concluded the second year of its initiative “Promoting responsible innovation in artificial intelligence for peace and security”. The programme delivered a series of events — including in- person workshops held in Estonia, Portugal and Belgium — aimed at supporting greater engagement from the civilian AI community in mitigating the risks that the misuse of civilian AI technology could pose to international peace and security.

The Office attracted over 600,000 visitors to its main website (https://disarmament.unoda.org), which regularly featured updates, speeches and press releases in all six United Nations languages, even as the website underwent a significant upgrade to improve content management, security and performance. The Meetings Place website (https://meetings.unoda.org) also improved, offering faster data entry, better metadata and new features for document generation.

In 2024, the Office continued its comprehensive database integration initiative aimed at creating a unified portal for disarmament-related data. Major milestones included an upgrade of the Military Expenditures Database with enhanced reporting tools and analytics capabilities, and the launch of the new Gender database, providing sex-disaggregated data on delegate participation in multilateral disarmament forums. Meanwhile, the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms began a two- phase upgrade scheduled for completion in 2025, intended to improve data accessibility and transparency.

For the forty-eighth consecutive year since 1976, the Office published the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, providing a comprehensive account of the previous year’s developments in the field of disarmament. The 2023 Yearbook was the second to feature a graphically enhanced preview edition issued in advance of the comprehensive text, which was published online later in the year.

Throughout 2024, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs participated in numerous interviews with international media outlets, including the Sankei Shimbun in Japan and Jibek Joly Television in Kazakhstan. The High Representative also briefed the press on the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors. Media coverage of the Office’s initiatives expanded significantly, with the Youth Leader Fund study visit to Japan garnering attention from news outlets in Australia, Japan and Somalia. To further enhance its reach, the Office issued 10 press releases during the year and strengthened its digital presence by distributing its podcasts on major platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, while maintaining active engagement on its Flickr, Instagram and X social media channels.

Disarmament Information Programme

The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook remained the flagship publication of the Office for Disarmament Affairs. In June 2024, the Office published a graphically enhanced preview edition of the 2023 Yearbook, developed with a collection of explanatory graphics and charts to share key findings from the previous year in a concise and accessible format. The comprehensive edition of the Yearbook was launched in October as a website (https://yearbook.unoda.org), providing seamless access to this annual guide to the previous year’s developments and trends related to multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

The Office also issued the 2023–2024 edition of Programmes Financed from Voluntary Contributions, showcasing concrete outcomes of its donor partnerships to highlight the crucial role of extrabudgetary support in advancing key disarmament goals. The online publication featured activities such as the launch of the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons, as well as a public conversation series in Geneva and Vienna exploring the practical applications of human-centred disarmament.

For the 2024 edition of the Civil Society and Disarmament series, the Office published The Impacts of the Availability of Firearms in Central America. In the book, analysts from the Instituto de Enseñanza para el Desarrollo Sostenible, in Guatemala, examined the wide-ranging peace and security and development impacts of small arms and light weapons across Central America, where firearms are involved in 70–90 per cent of all violent deaths. In addition to assessing the differing impacts of armed violence on various populations in this subregion, including women and youth, the authors considered how issues such as transnational organized crime, corruption among domestic authorities, and lax border enforcement practices affect efforts by Governments to restrain violence and control firearms availability.

In June, the Office for Disarmament Affairs launched its first Occasional Paper for the year, Governance of Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (No. 42). In this publication, experts from the Office reviewed various opportunities and challenges posed to international peace and security by the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in applications such as military weapon systems and decision-support tools. Arguing that rapid developments in the AI field have outpaced the development of guardrails to mitigate such risks, the authors highlighted various expert and diplomatic debates in this field while offering policy recommendations and options for multilateral governance.

In December, the Office issued Occasional Paper No. 43, Youth and Peace in the Age of AI: Stories by the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge Winners. The book is centred around the winning entries from a contest hosted by the Office and the Republic of Korea, which invited young people aged 13 to 29 to submit written or comic-style stories envisioning potential risks and positive scenarios in a fictional future in which AI is deeply integrated into militaries around the world. (For more information, see “Youth and disarmament” below.)

In addition, the Office for Disarmament Affairs released four stand-alone publications in 2024. These included a graphically enhanced edition of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, as well as an explanatory brochure, in all six official languages of the United Nations. Issued as a parliamentary text following its adoption in 2023 (A/78/111, annex), the new international instrument contains 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, with 15 objectives and 85 concrete measures to promote the safety, security and sustainability of through-life conventional ammunition management.

Additionally, the Office issued the background paper The Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management and its Application in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the document, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean examined synergies between the Global Framework and other international and regional arms control instruments. Following a review of key opportunities and potential challenges for Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Regional Centre outlined several recommendations in support of the Global Framework’s implementation in the region.

In 2024, the Office also published two issues of the newsletter for nominated experts and analytical laboratories for the Secretary-General’s Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons: No. 7 (January 2024) and No. 8 (June 2024). The biannual newsletter contained updates for the nominated experts and laboratories relating to recent or planned activities and provided an informal forum for sharing experiences and knowledge related to the Mechanism.

Throughout the year, the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to produce the UNODA Updates, listing events and activities of the Office and various disarmament forums. In 2024, the Office posted 92 updates, collated by quarter.

For a list of the Office’s 2024 publications, including those of its regional centres, see the annex to the present Yearbook.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs maintained its use of websites as key platforms for communication with diverse audiences, including delegates, civil society organizations, staff members and the public. Its main website (https://disarmament.unoda.org) attracted 600,000 visitors during the year, as the central hub for sharing timely updates, high-level speeches, official remarks and breaking news on multilateral disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. To ensure maximum accessibility and engagement, the Office maintained fresh, regularly updated content across multiple sections of the website, including dynamic banner updates and dedicated areas for “Spotlight” features, “Updates” and “Statements and press releases”. As in previous years, the Office worked to offer content in all six official languages of the United Nations.

In parallel with its content efforts, the Office made substantial progress towards a comprehensive upgrade of the main website’s technical infrastructure. The platform modernization initiative focused on implementing a more advanced content management system with a seamless translation workflow, while ensuring content alignment with the Secretariat’s current organizational standards. The Office also continued to enhance the website’s security compliance and responsiveness.

Building on the successful 2022 launch of its new Meetings Place website (https://meetings.unoda.org), in 2024 the Office delivered further improvements to the platform’s functionality and user experience. Featuring a simplified interface and more structured metadata, the revamped database-driven system streamlines stakeholder access to meeting documents and statements, while allowing more convenient data entry by meeting organizers. Notable features introduced during the year include an automated documents and statements page generation feature with customizable templates, allowing for greater flexibility in content presentation; an easy-to-use form for uploading documents and statements; and the ability to revise existing materials with changes reflected online seamlessly. The system now also offers analytics and visualization tools, providing insights into meeting trends and document engagement patterns.

The Office added a substantial number of e-learning courses to its Disarmament Education Dashboard, a global online platform providing free training on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control topics. The content became available through a new website (www.disarmamenteducation.org) launched in 2024 to provide one-stop access to all publicly available disarmament education resources. (For more information, see “Education and outreach activities” below.)

For the second consecutive year, the Office published the complete United Nations Disarmament Yearbook as a website (https://yearbook.unoda.org). This second release marked the first time the Yearbook was built using a comprehensive content management system, establishing a robust foundation for future editions. The reconfigured website maximizes the publication’s interactive potential by leveraging browser-native tools, while maintaining the visual appeal that distinguished its inaugural digital release. The intuitive design allows effortless navigation between chapters and features an engaging visual timeline complemented by interactive graphics that enhance the user experience.

In 2024, the Office for Disarmament Affairs achieved significant progress in its multi-year database modernization initiative, completing several key systems while advancing others towards deployment as part of a comprehensive disarmament data repository.

• The Office completed an extensive two-phase upgrade of the Military Expenditures Database, which catalogues national military expenditure reports received from Member States. The first phase introduced a streamlined reporting tool enabling Member States to transmit their military expenditure information more efficiently. Following this new tool’s successful implementation, the second phase culminated in the launch of a revamped database frontend featuring advanced analytics capabilities. This new interface allows Member States to access and analyse submitted military expenditure data through interactive charts and visualization tools, providing insights into global defence spending patterns.
• The Office launched its new gender portal, designed to support women’s equal, full and effective participation in discussions and decision-making related to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control. The portal provides access to sex-disaggregated data on delegates, heads of delegations and speaking roles across multilateral disarmament forums. Using analytics charts, users can now track and analyse gender participation trends in disarmament meetings and events, supporting evidence-based efforts to promote inclusivity in the field.
• Development commenced on upgrading the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, an interactive platform presenting data provided by Member States on their arms transfers across multiple weapon categories. The Office initiated the planning phase of this two-phase upgrade in 2024, with the development and deployment phase scheduled for completion in 2025.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs marked the second International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness (5 March)^[1] in two awareness-raising initiatives of its Vienna Office. At a public exhibition organized in the Vienna International Centre, from 28 February to 8 March, visitors could access educational materials and postcards on the theme of the 2024 day (“human cost of weapons”). The exhibition also included an interactive quiz game, as well as short videos on the work of multilateral disarmament and the contributions of the United Nations to that field.

The Vienna Office also hosted a panel discussion, entitled “Reducing the human cost of weapons: human-centred disarmament through a gender lens”, in cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic, the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and the Austrian Research Association. Expert participants considered challenges to women’s full and equal participation and leadership in small arms control, global and regional trends in the use of firearms in domestic and gender-based violence, and gendered perceptions of the use of firearms.

The International Day against Nuclear Tests^[2] on 29 August was observed at a high-level plenary session of the General Assembly, held on 4 September at United Nations Headquarters, in New York. The commemorative event included statements from 23 Member States, six of which were delivered on behalf of regional organizations or groups of States.^[3] The meeting also included statements from two observer entities, one youth advocate and one civil society representative. (For more information, see chap. 1.)

In an opening statement, the President of the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), voiced deep concern that a nuclear-armed State had revoked its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and about the return of dangerous, irresponsible and reckless rhetoric suggesting that the real risk of resort to nuclear arms may, once again, not be a far-fetched reality. He said, “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that we do not turn back the clock and allow the same mistakes to occur once more — with even graver consequences. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) remains our best safety net to ensure that nuclear testing stays where it belongs — in the past”.

Speaking for the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, the Director and Deputy to the High Representative welcomed the signature of the CTBT by Somalia and its ratification by Papua New Guinea since the 2023 International Day: “Yet, we cannot ignore the troubling signs that continue to threaten efforts to end nuclear testing and the disarmament and non-proliferation regime as a whole … The increasing reliance on nuclear weapons as instruments of coercion in geopolitical conflicts is deeply concerning … The very notion of nuclear tests being used as a tool of influence is abhorrent and must be condemned unequivocally … The threat of nuclear weapons use, in any form, is a grave danger that we must resist with all our might.”

The meeting also heard remarks by the Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Robert Floyd, who highlighted that the International Monitoring System was more than 90 per cent complete. He said, “Seismic and hydroacoustic data, infrasound and radionuclide data, streaming non-stop into Vienna from those 300 facilities around the whole planet. States know that we’ll detect any test really fast, and we’ll know where it’s happened with precision well exceeding the original targets of the Treaty … Still, without entry into force we don’t have the Treaty’s full set of verification tools”.

Speaking on behalf of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Director of the IAEA Liaison Office in New York noted ongoing efforts to assess the potential for safe use of various areas affected by nuclear weapons tests: “The work will continue in the years to come and serves as a strong reminder of the long-term hazardous effects of nuclear weapons testing.”

In a separate written message, the Secretary-General reaffirmed his call for the nine Annex 2 States that had not ratified the CTBT to do so, establishing the conditions for its entry into force: “Recent calls for the resumption of nuclear testing demonstrate that the terrible lessons of the past are being forgotten — or ignored. On the International Day against Nuclear Tests, the world must speak with one voice to end this practice once and for all.”

The Office for Disarmament Affairs invited young people to mark the International Day by completing a distance of 8.29 km as part of the #StepUp4Disarmament youth challenge. The effort was part of the Office’s broader Not One Nuclear Explosion (NONE) awareness-raising campaign, which encouraged participants to post photos of themselves with the word “none” written on their hands to signal opposition to any nuclear explosion. The Office also promoted the International Day across its social media platforms using the #IDANT hashtag. (For more information, see “Youth and disarmament” below.)

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons^[4] was marked on 26 September at a high-level plenary meeting convened by the President of the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang (Cameroon). The commemorative event included statements^[5] from 89 Member States, four observers^[6] and two civil society organizations.^[7]

In his opening statement to the meeting, the President of the General Assembly lamented the growing risk of a nuclear weapon being used and observed that “States are actively advancing their weapons technology, while concerning reports suggest that some may soon seek to increase their nuclear stockpiles and military resources”. He added, “In the Pact for the Future, which was just adopted, we recommitted to the goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons. This is a global undertaking, but nuclear-weapon States must take the lead. I call on these States to resume dialogue with each other and to fully commit to preventing any use of a nuclear weapon. While awaiting their total elimination on the face of the Earth, I also appeal to these States to agree that none will be the first to use nuclear weapons. There is no scenario in which the use of nuclear weapons does not end in catastrophe for us all”.

The Secretary-General delivered the following remarks, warning that “the norms painstakingly established over decades against the use, spread and testing of nuclear weapons are being eroded”, and calling on nuclear-weapon States to “stop gambling with humanity’s future”. He continued, “This starts with nuclear-weapon States honouring their commitments, and meeting their disarmament obligations. Until nuclear weapons are eliminated, these States should commit to never use them under any circumstances. And they must demonstrate the utmost transparency in all matters related to nuclear weapons”.

To raise further awareness about the International Day, the Office for Disarmament Affairs promoted the observance through its social media channels using the #IDTENW and #NuclearWeaponsFreeWorld hashtags, as part of its NONE campaign.

On 6 and 9 August 2024, the world marked the seventy-ninth anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In statements for the Hiroshima Peace Memorial and the Nagasaki Peace Memorial, the Secretary-General honoured the victims of the attacks and the bravery of the hibakusha, survivors of the atomic bombings, who devoted a lifetime of service as advocates for peace and disarmament.

“We must never allow such devastation again”, he said in his remarks for the Nagasaki Peace Memorial, which the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs delivered on his behalf. “And yet, I worry the lessons of nearly eight decades ago have not been learned. The world is seeing greater and greater division and mistrust. We are seeing nuclear weapons — and the threat of their use — re-emerging as tools of coercion. We are seeing their return to the centre of national security strategies, putting us all at the risk of annihilation. In the face of these threats, we must share the hibakusha’s courage and speak with one clear and united voice to rid the world of these apocalyptic weapons, once and for all. The only way to eliminate the nuclear risk is to eliminate nuclear weapons.”

In 2024, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs advanced disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control initiatives through various international media platforms by engaging in interviews and taking part in press conferences and media briefings.

In February, the High Representative was interviewed by Sankei Shimbun, a leading newspaper in Japan. During the discussion, she emphasized the critical need for international cooperation in nuclear disarmament, particularly in the context of rising geopolitical tensions. She highlighted the importance of transparency and dialogue among nuclear-armed States to build trust and reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation. She also discussed the role of emerging technologies in modern warfare, underscoring the necessity for establishing global norms and regulations to prevent their misuse.

In May, the High Representative appeared on News23 in Japan, where she addressed the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, emphasizing the commitment of the United Nations to facilitating peaceful resolutions. She highlighted the importance of diplomatic efforts and international cooperation in mitigating those crises, as well as the role of the United Nations in providing humanitarian aid and supporting disarmament initiatives in conflict zones.

In a June interview with Yomiuri Shimbun, a prominent Japanese newspaper, the High Representative emphasized the critical importance of nuclear disarmament in the current global security environment; highlighted the need for renewed international dialogue and cooperation to address the escalating risks associated with nuclear weapons; and underscored the role of the United Nations in both facilitating such discussions and advocating for transparency among nuclear-armed States.

Ahead of the fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, the High Representative gave a press briefing to highlight the urgency of tackling the illicit arms trade. Appearing with the President-designate of the Conference, Maritza Chan Valverde (Costa Rica), the High Representative underscored the devastating human cost of small arms proliferation and called for strengthened international cooperation to fully implement the Programme of Action.

During her media-focused August, the High Representative made a notable appearance on Jibek Joly TV in Kazakhstan, where she highlighted Kazakhstan’s important contributions to nuclear disarmament efforts, emphasizing its work in establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones, especially across Central Asia, as well as its support for global initiatives such as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The High Representative’s engagement with Japanese media outlets in August included appearing on NHK Academia for a two-part interview series that aired in September and October.^[8] During the segments, she discussed various dimensions of nuclear disarmament, emphasizing the need for renewed international dialogue amid escalating global tensions. She also addressed the challenges posed by emerging technologies in warfare, while reiterating the role of the United Nations in fostering collaboration for peace and security among Member States.

In an interview with Komei Shimbun, a Japanese daily newspaper, in September, the High Representative expressed concern over the deteriorating international security environment, again citing the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, as well as the heightened risk of nuclear-weapon use. She also discussed the challenges posed by emerging technologies, including the unpredictable risks that could result from the integration of AI into nuclear command systems.

In October, she spoke to the Japanese magazine Ushio as part of an interview series on “women breaking the glass ceiling”. Reflecting on her career, the High Representative shared her experiences working in conflict zones and the unique challenges and opportunities she faced as a woman in those environments. In an interview with Envoy magazine in October, the High Representative discussed the integration of AI into military systems and reiterated the Secretary-General’s call for a legally binding prohibition of lethal autonomous weapons systems. She highlighted the importance of multilateral discussions, such as those within the framework of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, to advance concrete negotiations on autonomous weapons.

In addition, the High Representative held a press conference in October to discuss the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), commending its unwavering dedication to nuclear disarmament and highlighting its significant role in advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons. She further underscored the organization’s significance in a November interview with Jiji Press, noting its critical role in the 2017 adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

Beyond the High Representative’s media engagements, the Office’s youth initiatives also garnered substantial international attention. The Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons study visit to Japan attracted significant media coverage, demonstrating broad global interest in youth-led nuclear disarmament advocacy. Multiple media outlets across different regions and languages covered the study visit and its associated Youth Leader Conference, including Japan’s NHK and Hiroshima Television, SBS Australia (broadcasting in both Japanese and English), and Somalia’s Weriye Axmed-seeko.

Additionally, staff of the Office for Disarmament Affairs participated in a briefing on disarmament-related matters for young international media representatives and journalists participating in the Reham Al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship.

In 2024, the Office also issued 10 press releases to communicate on key issues and activities.

To commemorate Disarmament Week (24–30 October), the Office for Disarmament Affairs showcased the history and impact of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control through an interactive photo exhibition housed in the rotunda of the Vienna International Centre, home to various international organizations relevant to the Office’s work. Using a visual display accompanied by powerful messages to highlight the field’s successes, the Office underscored the importance and historical relevance of disarmament in times of crisis and tension.

Its Vienna Office partnered with Austria to organize a launch event for the exhibition on United Nations Day (24 October). The commemoration featured youth voices throughout its programme, including remarks by a participant in the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons and presentations of the winning entries from the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge.

Youth and disarmament

Throughout 2024, the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to empower young people in the disarmament and non-proliferation field through its #Youth4Disarmament outreach programme.

It launched the second iteration of the United Nations Youth Champions for Disarmament Training Programme, aimed at empowering youth to work for disarmament in their communities. An open call for applications in October 2023 prompted a substantial response, generating nearly 1,000 applications from 128 countries. Through a competitive selection process, 15 outstanding young leaders from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific were chosen to participate. As part of the immersive learning programme, the Youth Champions developed community engagement projects with dedicated support from mentors and project coordinators in the Office for Disarmament Affairs. These initiatives were designed to expand disarmament awareness, understanding and advocacy within their local contexts.

In parallel, the first and second Youth Champions cohorts each made strategically timed visits to United Nations Headquarters in New York. In June, members of the inaugural cohort participated in the fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, where they organized a side event entitled “Reality check: role of youth in advocating against weapons of ‘widespread destruction’”. During Disarmament Week in October, the second group of Youth Champions visited New York to participate in the First Committee proceedings. The event included high-level interactive meetings with key officials: the President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang; the Chair of the First Committee, Maritza Chan Valverde; and the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Felipe Paullier. The Youth Champions also hosted their own side event, “What you(th) can do for disarmament”, emphasizing youth agency and concrete actions for advancing disarmament goals.

Building on this foundation of direct engagement and advocacy training, the Office for Disarmament Affairs conducted numerous #Youth4Disarmament activities to engage young people with diverse interests and backgrounds in contributing to disarmament and international peace and security. In collaboration with the Republic of Korea, it launched the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge, a creative science-fiction storytelling contest that engaged young people in exploring the risks and opportunities of AI and its implications for peace and security. Applicants aged 13 to 29 were invited to submit written or comic-style stories set in the year 2145, imagining a fictional world where militaries have integrated AI into their operations. Through their narratives, participants explored how AI could influence armed conflicts, interact with other emerging technologies, and potentially be leveraged positively in the military domain.

Young people around the world joined the 2024 #StepUp4Disarmament youth challenge, completing a distance of 8.29 km, a symbolic number corresponding to the date of the International Day against Nuclear Tests, on 29 August. The effort took place as part of the broader NONE campaign, which provided multigenerational activities for participants to voice their perspectives against the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons. A notable social media component encouraged participants to pose in photos with “none” written on the palms of their hands, signalling “no” to any nuclear explosion.

Throughout the year, the Office raised the #Youth4Disarmament public profile through participation in a range of international forums. Its members featured prominently in the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues, in Seoul, which included its first plenary session dedicated to youth perspectives. In New York, young speakers and #Youth4Disarmament alumni delivered statements at the Economic and Social Council youth forum, as well as high-level meetings of the General Assembly to mark the International Day against Nuclear Tests and the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

The Office’s youth outreach in 2024 also included the following activities:

• Young alumni from past programmes of the Office participated in the One Young World Nagasaki Summit in May to explore the role of young people as “peace-preneurs” — a coined word combining “peace” and “entrepreneur”.
• To mark World Youth Skills Day on 15 July, the Youth Champions for Disarmament led an interactive virtual forum where they engaged with young participants on ways of addressing challenges in their respective regions. Participants networked with peers from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific to discuss and exchange ideas to advance disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.
• In the #YouthInAction for Disarmament Campaign 2024, 12 young advocates shared their individual projects and work in the field of disarmament to mark the fourth anniversary of the General Assembly’s biennial resolution on youth, disarmament and non-proliferation (74/64).
• In the first edition of GenerAcción Paz, 10 selected Latin American youth trained and pursued community projects to help free their region of armed violence. (For more information, see “Education and outreach activities” below.)

In August, the Office for Disarmament Affairs, supported by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Hiroshima Office, led the inaugural study visit to Japan under the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons, a programme to empower young leaders as advocates for a nuclear-weapon-free world. The week-long study visit to Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Tokyo brought together 50 diverse young leaders selected from an initial cohort of 100 participants who had completed four months of online training the previous year.

Those joining the study visit heard first-hand perspectives on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons during meaningful interactions with the hibakusha, who shared their experiences as atomic bomb survivors and lifelong nuclear disarmament advocates. The programme also facilitated interactions with local youth, fostering cross-cultural understanding and building networks for future collaboration.

The study visit culminated in an international, youth-led hybrid conference where the participants presented and officially adopted their Declaration for a World Without Nuclear Weapons (DeclarACTION). This landmark document, developed collaboratively by the participants throughout their learning journey, is structured around three foundational pillars: hibakusha and community engagement; youth participation in political and intergovernmental processes; and research and academia. The authors emphasized the urgent need for political will, diplomacy, international cooperation and unity of nations for advancing nuclear disarmament efforts globally, and they presented commitments and recommendations for advancing the cause of a nuclear-weapon-free world. These included calls to integrate the hibakusha narratives into nuclear weapons dialogues, ensure meaningful youth participation in diplomatic processes related to nuclear disarmament, and promote partnerships with educational and research institutions to integrate peace and disarmament education into their teaching.

The programme’s next phase was scheduled to begin in 2025, building on the success of the inaugural programme cycle.

Strategic priorities and Vienna Office education hub

Throughout 2024, the Office for Disarmament Affairs continued to implement its 2022 Disarmament Education Strategy through expanded initiatives targeting diverse global audiences. In a significant milestone, the General Assembly noted the Strategy in its recurring resolution on the United Nations study on disarmament and non-proliferation education (79/28).

In addition to fulfilling its liaison responsibilities, the Vienna Office maintained its “education hub” role, providing support for strategic prioritization, development and execution of educational efforts across all activities of the Office for Disarmament Affairs. In 2024, the Vienna Office launched a new website (www.disarmamenteducation.org) as a dynamic, one-stop platform for public access to all disarmament education resources.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs conducted extensive worldwide outreach and awareness-raising activities in 2024 to enhance understanding of its work, promote broad and active engagement in disarmament efforts, and bolster recognition of the ways those efforts support other global priorities related to peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Member States also continued to strengthen their focus on disarmament and non-proliferation education, with a record 13 of them contributing to the Secretary-General’s biennial report on the topic.

The ongoing Vienna Conversation Series provided a platform for productive discussions on timely issues among diverse stakeholders. In preparation for the landmark Summit of the Future, the Vienna Office convened senior policymakers to discuss the Vienna community’s crucial contributions to the milestone process. Following the Summit, it organized a dedicated event in partnership with the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna to examine how the outcome Pact for the Future could affect future disarmament efforts.

The series explored other pressing topics throughout the year, including reducing the human cost of weapons through a gender lens and examining artistic and creative means for advancing disarmament. Each event brought together intergenerational speakers and audiences representing governments, international organizations, civil society and academia.

The Vienna Office provided more than 25 briefings to visitor groups from all United Nations regional groups, including students and Member State representatives. These sessions introduced participants to the Office’s mandate and activities, while highlighting pathways for engagement in disarmament issues. Additionally, the Vienna Office took part in local and regional outreach initiatives, including Ciné-ONU film screenings and the Long Night of Research.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs continued its Geneva Disarmament Conversation Series, facilitating informal discussions on key topics relevant to the Geneva-based disarmament community. Throughout 2024, the Office’s Geneva Branch organized six events in this series on diverse challenges: weapons and their environmental impact; disarmament and human rights within the framework of the New Agenda for Peace; military expenditures and arms control; environmental protection in armed conflict under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons; explosive weapons in populated areas and human-centred disarmament; and countering improvised explosive device threats.

The Geneva Branch briefed student groups from 13 universities and institutions visiting the Palais des Nations, covering Geneva-based disarmament instruments including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and the Convention on Cluster Munitions. These briefings also touched on the work of the Conference on Disarmament and the Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs pursued educational initiatives targeted to various geographical contexts through its three regional centres.

In June and July, the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific delivered the third edition of its flagship Disarmament Toolkit online course. Conducted in partnership with the Prajnya Trust, an India-based non-governmental organization, the six-day comprehensive programme attracted more than 600 participants from 80 countries, representing a diverse mix of students, professors, civil society representatives and practitioners. The course explored international disarmament efforts and their interconnections with the women, peace and security agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals in a manner accessible to audiences across different sectors and experience levels.

In August, the Regional Centre for Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean launched the first edition of GenerAcción Paz, an innovative, Spanish-language educational programme empowering Latin American youth to act for a future free of armed violence in their region. Ten selected youth leaders participated in four months of online training focused on the impacts of armed violence on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Throughout the training sessions, the young participants addressed how small arms and light weapons proliferation impacts various priorities under the Sustainable Development Goals, such as ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, achieving gender equality, and promoting peaceful and inclusive societies. In December, participants travelled to Lima for a study visit where they presented projects they had developed to promote peace and violence reduction in their communities over the coming months. The programme was implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme office in Peru and supported by the United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation.

In December, the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, in collaboration with the Institute for Strategic Studies of the University of Lomé, convened a hybrid conference on youth and women’s participation in disarmament and arms control initiatives. The event brought together 100 young people for briefings on the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The programme emphasized the importance of meaningful engagement by women and young people, with participants exploring strategies to integrate youth and gender perspectives into national action plans on small arms control, while aligning them with the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Disarmament Education Dashboard, a global online learning platform managed by the Office for Disarmament Affairs, provides free courses on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues. In 2024, the platform continued its growth trajectory, attracting over 4,000 new registrations and bringing the total number of registered users close to 30,000 worldwide.

The Office undertook significant improvements to the Dashboard in 2024 to enhance user experience and maintain alignment with technological advancements. These upgrades were focused on optimizing user-friendliness, accessibility and interactivity, while strengthening collaboration across the Office’s branches and regional centres for more efficient course creation and management.

The Dashboard’s course offerings expanded substantially in 2024, with the addition of five new self-paced e-learning courses covering diverse weapon systems, legal instruments and cross-cutting issues. These additions brought the total catalogue to 29 public courses available to learners globally. The new programmes addressed topics such as youth and disarmament, emerging technologies, and humanitarian approaches to arms control.

User engagement with the new content proved robust, with over 500 learners completing the newly launched courses during the year. The course on youth and disarmament generated particular interest, attracting more than 200 completions and demonstrating the high demand for educational content bridging generational perspectives on the subject.

Beyond public offerings, the Office leveraged the Dashboard to deliver specialized training programmes. The platform supported participants in the United Nations Disarmament Fellowship, Training and Advisory Services Programme, providing government officials with important background and capacity-building knowledge through courses that complemented a wider array of available training offerings. The platform also supported curated learning pathways for youth leadership initiatives, including participants in the Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons and the second edition of the United Nations Youth Champions for Disarmament.

United Nations Disarmament Fellowship, Training and Advisory Services Programme

In 2024, diplomats and other officials from 25 States^[9] participated in the United Nations Disarmament Fellowship, Training and Advisory Services Programme, a capacity-building initiative established by the General Assembly at its tenth special session in 1978.^[10] The programme is intended to promote greater expertise and train officials from Member States, in particular developing countries, to participate more effectively in international disarmament deliberations and negotiations. The Office for Disarmament Affairs implements the programme each year, selecting up to 25 fellows nominated by their Governments. By the end of 2024, over 1,125 public officials — mostly diplomats or military experts — from 172 States had completed the programme.

The 2024 programme was organized into distinct segments. The various components consisted of mandatory self-paced e-learning courses in April and May, study visits in June and October, and a research period from July to September, allowing fellows to deepen their understanding of chosen disarmament topics.

The introductory e-learning segment, which offered free courses from a list comprising all major international organizations, enhanced the fellows’ understanding of the multilateral disarmament architecture, intergovernmental disarmament forums and existing international regulations. This initial phase also introduced participants to key substantive themes related to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, including a focus on new and emerging technologies that are reshaping the security landscape.

The first of two month-long study visit segments took place from 30 May to 30 June, exposing the fellows to the work of international organizations and various treaty regimes through study visits to Geneva, Vienna and Brussels, complemented by country-specific study visits to Algeria and Germany.

In Geneva, the fellows began with an alumni networking session where Geneva-based former participants shared insights on how the fellowship programme had influenced their professional trajectories. The formal in-person instruction then commenced with discussions on the New Agenda for Peace and the Summit of the Future. The curriculum went on to address human-centred disarmament through coverage of key conventional weapons issues, including the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas. Practical exercises included drafting a working characterization of lethal autonomous weapons systems. Subsequent briefings addressed cross-cutting themes such as gender and ammunition management, protection of the environment under international humanitarian law, and the environmental impact of weapons. In learning about humanitarian demining operations, the fellows explored the International Mine Action Standards, including recently updated guidelines on environmental management. Their study of the multilateral disarmament machinery included attending a plenary meeting of the Conference on Disarmament on the thematic topic of disarmament education.

Emerging technologies and the outer space domain received significant attention in specialized briefings by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Office for Disarmament Affairs, followed by a quantum diplomacy simulation where fellows could explore the intersection of cutting-edge science and diplomacy.

Nuclear weapons issues were addressed through briefings and presentations covering various dimensions, including the role of AI in the nuclear realm and the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. The fellows participated in an exercise focused on negotiating the main provisions of a treaty on negative security assurances.

The implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention received detailed examination at both technical and policy levels. Lectures and interactions with Member States covered national-level implementation, the ongoing activities of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, and the implications of scientific and technological advances for the treaty regime.

High-level diplomatic perspectives enriched the programme through briefings by senior officials. Ambassador Omar Zniber (Morocco), President of the Human Rights Council, addressed the interlinkages between disarmament and human rights. Ambassador Camille Petit (France) provided insights into French strategies across the spectrum of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

In a visit to Berne, the fellows travelled to the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs at the invitation of the Swiss Government. The day in Berne included an exploration of the Swiss Drone and Robotics Centre of Armasuisse. In Vienna, the fellows benefited from broad exposure to key organizations and verification regimes. At the Vienna International Centre, the fellows were introduced to the role of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization through lectures and a practical table-top exercise. They further enhanced their understanding through visits to components of the CTBT’s International Monitoring System, including a seismic and acoustic site, as well as the Preparatory Commission’s international data and operations centres. Meetings with Ambassador Chiru Ochoa (Panama) and Ambassador Susan Eckey (Norway), as well as the Preparatory Commission’s Executive Secretary, Robert Floyd, provided a range of perspectives on the organization’s work and challenges.

At the IAEA, the fellows received detailed briefings on the international legal frameworks for nuclear safeguards and nuclear safety and security, with particular attention paid to the Agency’s ongoing activities in Ukraine. Field visits to the IAEA’s Seibersdorf laboratories, Incident and Emergency Centre, and safeguards equipment laboratory provided a first-hand understanding of verification technologies and procedures. In one highlight, the fellows met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi — also a former fellow — to discuss the Agency’s current work.

Additional Vienna briefings expanded the fellows’ understanding of related international issues. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs addressed the peaceful uses of outer space, while the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime covered cybercrime, firearms trafficking and counter-terrorism. The fellows also learned about the activities of the Vienna Office of the Office for Disarmament Affairs and participated in a Vienna Conversation Series event exploring diplomacy, youth participation, education and artistic engagement as tools to advance disarmament and non-proliferation.

The Vienna study visit included exposure to multilateral export regimes through a briefing at the Wassenaar Arrangement headquarters, where fellows met with its Head Ambassador, György Molnár (Hungary). The study visit concluded with sessions at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, which provided additional analytical perspectives on regional and global security challenges. The fellows also visited European Union institutions in Brussels, where they gained insights into European approaches to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control policies.^[11]

In The Hague, the fellows visited the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, where they received briefings on its mandate, inspections and verification regime, participated in a practical chemical forensics exercise, and visited the organization’s Situation Centre.

The first study visit segment concluded with a historic milestone when, for the first time since the establishment of the fellowship programme, the fellows travelled to Africa. This groundbreaking visit took place at the invitation of the Government of Algeria, which also became the first Arab country to host the programme.

The second month-long travel segment took place from 8 October to 6 November. The fellows took country-specific study visits to Brazil, where they engaged with the Brazilian-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials, as well as study visits to China, Japan, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea, all at the invitation of their respective Governments. These engagements provided fellows with insights into different national approaches to disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control.

At United Nations Headquarters in New York, the fellows immersed themselves in the work of the General Assembly, First Committee, monitoring real-time developments related to key issues in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control during the Committee’s annual session. Their New York visit also featured an ambassadorial-level panel discussion on nuclear disarmament and enabled fellows to present the individual research projects they had developed during the summer study period.

The second travel segment offered in-depth substantive coverage of key topics in disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, gender perspectives in disarmament, and emerging technologies, including outer space security. Disarmament education received special attention through a meeting with the winner of the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge, as well as briefings on youth engagement in disarmament and youth inclusion in the responsible AI agenda.

Throughout both study visit segments, the fellows learned about the work of the regional centres of the Office for Disarmament Affairs through dedicated virtual meetings with their Directors.

The fellowship programme concluded in the Republic of Korea, where the fellows participated in the twenty-third Republic of Korea-United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues. This event — focused on “The Biological Weapons Convention at fifty: strengthening global biological security in a rapidly evolving technological landscape” — provided an opportunity for fellows to engage with international experts on cutting-edge biosecurity challenges. Upon completion of the programme in Seoul, the fellows received certificates of participation from the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, marking the successful conclusion of their comprehensive training experience.

Education and empowerment initiatives

The Office for Disarmament Affairs, in the second year of its “Promoting responsible innovation in AI for peace and security” initiative, continued acting to address the risks posed to international peace and security by the misuse of civilian AI, including by supporting greater civilian AI community engagement in efforts to mitigate those risks. The effort works with AI governance policymakers, educators, civil society and industry representatives, students and young AI practitioners, including stakeholders not traditionally engaged in disarmament and non-proliferation issues.

Working in partnership with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute and alongside technical experts, leading universities, private sector actors and non-governmental organizations, the Office delivered a series of four multi-stakeholder dialogues, three in-person capacity-building workshops for AI practitioners around the world, three educator-focused round-table discussions, four expert blogs, six educational podcasts and a side event of the General Assembly, First Committee. The in-person workshops took place in Estonia in February, Portugal in May and Belgium in November, raising awareness among participants about practical approaches to responsible AI development and deployment.

The second iteration of the Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship programme ran from March to August, connecting 20 young leaders in life sciences from the global South to address pressing global biosecurity issues. Fellows from 17 States took part in online learning sessions with leading experts, collaborated on a research project, and undertook a 10-day immersive study trip to Geneva that coincided with the fourth session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention, in August. The Fellowship experienced a dramatic surge in interest, with over 2,400 applications received from more than 100 countries, reflecting a 200 per cent increase since 2023.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore co-organized two sessions of the United Nations-Singapore Cyber Fellowship in 2024, the first from 22 to 27 April and the second from 12 to 17 August.

Hosted at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Singapore Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence, the sessions brought together senior government officials representing diverse policy, technical and diplomatic backgrounds. Participants engaged in a week-long series of training panel discussions, workshops, round-table exchanges and visits to national critical infrastructure sites, research laboratories and academic institutions. Each session culminated in an interactive crisis communications exercise, allowing attendees to test their responses to a simulated information and communications technology (ICT) incident. The combined sessions welcomed 47 participants, achieving gender balance with 24 women delegates (51 per cent).

Campaigns

From 25 November to 10 December, the Office for Disarmament Affairs participated in the Secretary-General’s annual campaign to end violence against women, held in connection with 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence. Under the theme “Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed. UNiTE to end violence against women”, the Office and its regional centres conducted a sustained social media campaign across their Instagram, LinkedIn and X platforms, posting near-daily messages to highlight the connections between disarmament and preventing gender-based violence.

Throughout the campaign period, the Office amplified messaging from partner United Nations entities, including the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, while also promoting relevant events and initiatives focused on women’s empowerment and security.

In a video message on the campaign’s opening day, which coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs called for a fundamental reset to international security approaches. Such approaches, she said, should recognize disarmament and arms control as critical tools for preventing gender-based violence and advancing gender equality worldwide.

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research

UNIDIR is an autonomous institution within the United Nations that conducts independent research on pressing global challenges related to disarmament, arms control and international security. UNIDIR continually works towards building a more secure world in which States and their peoples are freed from the debilitating threats and impacts of arms-related violence.

With complex global security dilemmas converging at an unprecedented pace in 2024, UNIDIR expanded its work to address the growing demand for evidence-based research in support of multilateral initiatives and international security frameworks. Its efforts generate significant benefits for the international community, Member States and ultimately their populations.

Under its strategic research framework for 2022–2025, UNIDIR conducts research and provides advice across an expanding portfolio of security challenges. Its work encompasses increasingly salient innovations in AI and cybersecurity, enabling technologies including quantum computing and 6G networks, biological risks and space security threats. UNIDIR also addresses foundational issues such as gender and inclusion in disarmament processes, conflict prevention, micro-disarmament, and weapons and ammunition management. It prioritizes capacity-building and developing strategic foresight on the future direction of global security.

UNIDIR is organized around five multi-year programmes — on conventional arms and ammunition, weapons of mass destruction, security and technology, space security and gender and disarmament — as well as two special projects on managing exits from armed conflict and the proposed Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction.

In 2024, UNIDIR continued to build on over four decades of expertise on long-standing threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, as well as from conventional arms and ammunition behind 40 per cent of violent deaths in today’s world. The Institute also redoubled its focus on frontier technologies and emerging issues expected to shape peace and security over the coming decades.

During the year, UNIDIR achieved the following:

• Experienced the strongest-ever demand for its independent, innovative, evidence-based research, with an all-time high of 46 regionally diverse donors, including all five permanent members of the Security Council.
• Redoubled its capacity-building efforts, launching the Women in AI Fellowship; providing four cohorts of officials from around the globe with training on norms, international law and cyberspace; and offering a new biological weapons advanced education course to help build a stronger, more effective Biological Weapons Convention. The annual disarmament orientation course for Geneva-based disarmament diplomats, delivered jointly with the Office for Disarmament Affairs, continued to play its vital role in developing arms control expertise.
• Directed the UNIDIR Futures Lab towards key emerging issues, contributing findings from the international security in 2045 foresight study to the Summit of the Future: Action Days; generating innovative projects on maritime security and air, land and sea drones; and launching a round table for AI, security and ethics as a vital platform for inclusive, interdisciplinary dialogue on AI in the military and security domains.
• Briefed the Security Council on two occasions, providing expert advice both on cybersecurity’s impacts on international security and on the use of foresight in adapting to new threats and opportunities from developments in science and technology.
• Produced 132 publications and conducted research on a variety of crucial issues.
• Pursued its bridge-building function by engaging in and facilitating dialogue between disarmament stakeholders through 187 conferences, workshops and other activities that attracted over 10,000 participants. These included flagship events such as the innovations dialogue on quantum technologies, the Cyber Stability Conference on cyber threats to international security and the Outer Space Security Conference, as well as an innovative, data-driven conference on how arms flow data can reinforce conflict early-warning systems.
• Reaffirmed its commitment to global outreach by holding events in Bahrain, Liberia, Pakistan and Togo, among other locations. UNIDIR briefed the five United Nations regional groups on military AI, gender-responsive arms control, space security and explosive weapons in populated areas. It also held hybrid French-language seminars on a wide range of international security issues and expanded participatory action-research projects for conflict-affected young people across Colombia, Iraq and Nigeria.
• Offered policy and technical advice to States, regional organizations and intergovernmental forums on a wide range of disarmament issues, including universalization and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty and data collection relating to use of explosive weapons in populated areas.
• Reinvigorated its fellowship programme to bring in knowledge, ideas and good counsel at every level, from specialists in vital niche technologies to seasoned former leaders of Nobel Peace Prize-winning organizations.
• Expanded its offering of digital confidence-building tools by developing, through its work on managing exits from armed conflict, a suite of data dashboards that provide real-time, dynamic access to local insights into ongoing conflicts around the world. It also launched the Middle East WMD-Free Zone Compass to map the statements, proposals and postures of stakeholders in the weapons of mass destruction-free zone initiative, as well as creating a fully interactive version of the groundbreaking Lexicon for Outer Space Security, scheduled for launch in 2025.
• Expanded its sizeable digital footprint, with a total social media audience growing to over 60,000 followers and more than 700,000 visits to its website and policy portals by users from all Member States.

The following subsections include 2024 highlights from UNIDIR research programmes.^[12]

Under its programme on weapons of mass destruction, UNIDIR undertook research in three main areas: nuclear risk reduction; transparency and verification in nuclear disarmament; and strengthening the norm against chemical and biological weapons.

In 2024, UNIDIR produced 20 publications in these areas on a range of specific topics, including the fissile material cut-off treaty and verification under the Biological Weapons Convention. The Biological Weapons Convention national implementation measures database was also completed, with profiles now available for each of the Convention’s 187 States parties.

UNIDIR also organized or co-organized 22 workshops and events on weapons of mass destruction to facilitate discussion around arms control and disarmament-related issues, often bringing parties together across borders amid considerable geostrategic tension. These events included discussions on naval nuclear propulsion and nuclear risk reduction, as well as a webinar series co-organized with the Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Friends of the Chair of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention. UNIDIR also launched the Biological Weapons Convention advanced education course for key stakeholders.

Throughout the year, the Institute’s research supported work in various multilateral forums, including through expert input to the Conference on Disarmament, the First Committee of the General Assembly, the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention. Programme experts also delivered presentations at 71 external events worldwide and undertook more than 130 media engagements.

UNIDIR research on conventional arms and ammunition in 2024 focused on three priority areas: strengthening weapons and ammunition management; preventing armed conflict and armed violence; and addressing global development and security challenges. It also supported the further development and implementation of multilateral instruments.

The Institute released 32 publications on a wide range of issues in conventional arms and ammunition, including volunteer security outfits in Nigeria and the use of uncrewed aerial systems by non-State armed groups in Africa.^[13]

During 2024, the Institute organized 38 events to support efforts to prevent and address the illicit proliferation and misuse of conventional arms. In March, UNIDIR and the Liberia National Commission on Arms jointly organized the first pan-African exchange of national experiences, lessons learned and effective measures for overcoming challenges in the universalization and implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty. In November, the Institute partnered with Conflict Armament Research, the Peace Research Institute Oslo and the Violence & Impacts Early-Warning System to convene experts for an exploration of how arms flow data could improve conflict early-warning systems.

UNIDIR also continued to support national efforts to strengthen weapons and ammunition management, as well as monitoring progress. In 2024, UNIDIR and the Economic Community of West African States jointly supported the Gambia’s national weapons and ammunition management baseline assessment.

The Institute provided technical advisory support to the presidency of the tenth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty. A UNIDIR-Explosive Weapons Monitor working paper on the reverberating effects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas was reflected in the outcome statement of the Oslo conference on the political declaration on explosive weapons in populated areas. UNIDIR’s report Inputs for Action on Small Arms informed the fourth Review Conference on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, with the outcome document reflecting the Institute’s research on: (a) the role of baseline assessments for strengthening national controls; (b) the use of technology for countering diversion; (c) the means of addressing the craft production of small arms; and (d) the promotion of prevention-oriented approaches to tackle the illicit small arms trade and armed violence.

Programme experts also delivered presentations and contributions related to their research on conventional arms and ammunition for 81 other events and capacity-building activities around the world.

Throughout 2024, UNIDIR’s work on security and technology helped to advance the multilateral agenda on new and emerging technologies, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and AI. Its activities were aimed at supporting policy and decision-making; reducing the knowledge gap on issues about new technologies and international security; and bridging communities.

UNIDIR focused on the two broad priority areas of cyberstability and AI, the latter including autonomous systems and their weaponization. Within each area, the Institute sought to build knowledge, advance multilateral discourse and convene stakeholders that could develop new thinking on addressing international security implications and risks. Through its workstreams on key enabling technologies and strategic foresight, UNIDIR continued to monitor emerging developments to provide early insights into trends that will shape global security.

In the field of cybersecurity, UNIDIR significantly ramped up its capacity- and knowledge-building activities. These included delivering four training courses on international law and norms of responsible behaviour in cyberspace that empowered 90 officials from nearly 60 countries across the globe. The Institute also provided in-country assistance to support the development of national positions on the application of international law in cyberspace and to better identify what types of capacity-building activities could boost cyberresilience.

UNIDIR continued to produce research reports and events on key technical, legal and policy issues, tackling issues such as best practices for developing national positions on international law, the risks and opportunities of cloud computing, and the AI-ICT nexus. Additionally, UNIDIR prioritized analysis of the evolving cyber threat landscape, addressing it as the theme of both its 2024 Cyber Stability Conference and a briefing to the Security Council.

In the field of AI and autonomy, UNIDIR’s work continued to advance on parallel tracks: the first supporting the work of the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, and the second dedicated to the wider impact of AI on international peace and security. Highlights in this area included the launch of a new platform for dialogue among stakeholders (the round table for AI, security and ethics), the publication of a report on confidence-building measures for AI, and the release of draft guidelines for the development of national AI strategies in the defence and security domain.

In 2024, UNIDIR’s work on space security continued to generate considerable interest, producing 13 publications, including a report on Outer Space and Use of Force, and organizing 19 events, including a side event on the future of space security and the importance of complementarity and cooperation. Other events covered topics ranging from the characterization and verification of weapons in space to regional perspectives on nuclear risk reduction in outer space. Programme experts also delivered presentations on space security at over 30 events around the world.

UNIDIR supported the 2024 meetings of the Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space, providing presentations and working papers to the process ahead of its successful conclusion in August.

In September, the annual UNIDIR Outer Space Security Conference provided an important space for cross-sectoral dialogue and exchange, including a number of next-generation experts who contributed to UNIDIR’s inaugural space security youth video competition. Building on various regional outreach activities carried out in recent years, UNIDIR also organized a series of regional workshops on space security, including an in-person regional space security workshop for small island nations.

In 2024, UNIDIR collaborated with States and stakeholders to promote greater understanding of the linkages between gender considerations and weapons-related concerns.

One important area of work was explosive weapons, landmines and cluster munitions, in recognition of the fact that women, girls, boys and men injured by explosive ordnance can have very different needs, even from similar injuries. To increase awareness and understanding of these issues, UNIDIR organized related events and launched a fact sheet on gendered impacts of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas and a short explainer on how gender and diversity relate to mine action.

UNIDIR also collaborated with the gender focal points of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention and organized a side event at the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World in Cambodia. UNIDIR’s recommendations were reflected in the new Action Plan agreed at the Summit, thereby advancing gender and diversity mainstreaming in mine action and promoting further integration with the women, peace and security agenda.

As part of the International Gender Champions Disarmament Impact Group, UNIDIR co-hosted a side event on the margins of the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT to discuss gendered approaches to nuclear policies and their relevance to the NPT regime. To help to raise awareness on this subject, the Institute published the edited volume From the Margins to the Mainstream: Advancing Intersectional Gender Analysis in Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, with new research on demographic diversity among policy communities, justice claims of nuclear survivors, gender gaps in public opinion on nuclear weapons, feminist foreign policies in Latin America and the Caribbean, and synergies between nuclear treaties and gender equality frameworks. UNIDIR also launched a report entitled Gender and Ionizing Radiation: Towards a New Research Agenda Addressing Disproportionate Harm, providing an overview of recent research on gendered aspects of harm from ionizing radiation and posing questions for future research on gender, radiation impacts and radiological protection standards.

With a view to enabling greater and more meaningful engagement by women in disarmament, UNIDIR also launched an annual Women in AI Fellowship, which provides a week-long, in-person training programme for women diplomats covering AI and international peace and security. The first edition of the Fellowship took place in May and brought together more than 30 fellows from every United Nations regional group. To mark the occasion of the Fellowship, the Institute’s Director published a commentary on the importance of closing the gender gap in AI.

The UNIDIR project on managing exits from armed conflict is a multi-year collaboration to examine how and why individuals exit armed conflict, while also assessing the efficacy of programmes designed to support their transition away from the battlefield. This work contributes to the Institute’s wider insights into “micro-disarmament”. It is run in partnership with the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the Department of Peace Operations, the World Bank, the Lake Chad Basin Commission’s Regional Stabilization Strategy Secretariat, and the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research.

In 2024, UNIDIR conducted multi-method research across six countries: Cameroon, Chad, Colombia, Iraq, the Niger and Nigeria. This effort included 11 surveys with over 9,300 respondents, complementary focus groups and key informant interviews, and participatory research with marginalized populations, such as children and indigenous communities.^[14]

UNIDIR also organized 31 events in this area, attracting over 1,000 participants. An expanded multi-partner art and action research initiative also saw conflict-affected young people from Iraq, Nigeria and Colombia use photography, research and storytelling to share their experiences. The resulting Visions of Peace exhibition at United Nations Headquarters presented their work to policymakers, youth advocates and practitioners as a means of promoting inclusive peacebuilding.

UNIDIR shared key research findings in various international forums, including Geneva Peace Week, the Berlin Climate Security Conference, and the 2024 Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Symposium, while also briefing inter-agency and United Nations forums.^[15] The Exploring Pathways to Peace closed-door workshop in Geneva brought together regional representatives and international experts to explore alternative conflict-resolution strategies for addressing the Boko Haram conflict. The Beyond Stereotypes panel in New York, meanwhile, highlighted the complex roles of women and girls in armed groups, as well as the inequalities that hinder their reintegration.

In 2024, UNIDIR continued to contribute to regional and international efforts to promote a zone free of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East. The second phase of its project in this area aims to: (a) assist in mitigating regional trends concerning the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (b) encourage regional security arrangements and both norms and processes for arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament; (c) develop a more in-depth understanding of the relationship between the zone and current developments at regional and international levels; and (d) promote an effective, verifiable, inclusive and sustainable zone.

Throughout the year, and despite turmoil in the region, the Institute engaged with more than 300 participants through a series of events that offered innovative analysis, tools and actionable recommendations to address threats related to weapons of mass destruction. Expert-level workshops discussed issues such as regional security and weapons of mass destruction proliferation in the Middle East, as well as the impact of AI on regional security, threat perceptions and a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction. UNIDIR also organized a briefing ahead of the 2026 session of the NPT Preparatory Committee on key topics related to nuclear disarmament, nuclear cooperation, and regional issues such as the Middle East zone. Project staff contributed to more than 30 events over the course of the year.

UNIDIR supported the drafting of reports, summarized States’ positions and helped to bridge positions during regional conferences, including by providing technical expertise to the Secretariat of the fifth session of the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction. UNIDIR also organized the first side event to the Conference, presenting its suite of online tools relating to the zone and explaining how the tools could support the work of delegations. The event also saw the launch of the project’s most recent tool, the Middle East WMD-Free Zone Compass, which maps and tracks statements on the zone from regional and nuclear-weapon States.