Symbolizing hope and enduring resilience, the ginkgo tree stands as a witness to history — over 150 survived the 1945 atomic bombings in Japan. Its leaves, seen in the background, evoke the steadfast pursuit of a future where legacies of human destruction might give way to growth and lasting peace.

Timeline
THE FOREWORD

Welcome to the full edition of the 2023 United Nations Disarmament Yearbook. The Yearbook, now in its forty-eighth volume, provides a comprehensive and authoritative overview of recent developments and trends in the field of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, including the relevant activities and achievements of the United Nations and other actors. The early-release preview edition, published last July, aimed to share key findings from the Yearbook at an earlier stage and provide a concise exploration of disarmament-related developments and trends from 2023.

Throughout 2023, disarmament advocates around the world demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of multiplying crises and threats, from the ongoing conflicts in various regions and the escalation of nuclear tensions, to the proliferation of conventional weapons and the emergence of new technologies with destabilizing potential. Recognizing the interlocking nature of these and other global challenges, the Secretary-General issued his policy brief, A New Agenda for Peace, in July. This policy brief offered action-oriented recommendations to help Member States to integrate the tools of multilateral disarmament—including measures to regulate, reduce or eliminate and destroy weapons—into an anticipated global consensus on tackling current and future problems. The Secretary-General also proposed that those tools, with their proven value in preventing conflict, could and should be used in support of broader efforts to advance our collective peace and security and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

View Full Foreword
Chapters
THE TIMELINE
JAN
13 JAN

30th anniversary: Opening for signature of the Chemical Weapons Convention

23 JAN - 31 MAR

Conference on Disarmament, 1st session

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus, Yury Ambrazevich (on screen in the photo), addresses the Conference on Disarmament on 28 February, in Geneva. (Credit: UN Photo/Violaine Martin)

FEB
8 FEB

95th anniversary: Entry into force of the 1925 Geneva Protocol

MAR
5 MAR

First International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness

Staff members of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean celebrate the first International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, in Lima.

APR
2 APR

10th anniversary: Adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty

The General Assembly approves the Arms Trade Treaty on 2 April 2013. (Credit: UN Photo/Devra Berkowitz)

3 APR - 20 APR

Disarmament Commission session

MAY
15 MAY - 19 MAY

5th Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention

The High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu (left in the photo), addresses the Disarmament Commission on 3 April. Next to her is Akan Rakhmetullin, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan to the United Nations. (Credit: UN Photo/Loey Felipe)

15 MAY - 30 JUN

Conference on Disarmament, 2nd session

30 MAY

15th anniversary: Adoption of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

JUN
9 JUN

Adoption of the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management

From left to right: The Vice-Chair (Maritza Chan (Costa Rica)), the Chair (Albrecht von Wittke (Germany)) and the Secretary (Ivor Fung) of the Open-ended Working Group to elaborate a set of political commitments as a new global framework that would address existing gaps in through-life ammunition management.

30 JUN

45th anniversary: Establishment of the Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters

The Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters at United Nations Headquarters, New York, in June.

JUL
1 JUL

55th anniversary: Adoption of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

1 JUL

25th anniversary: Entry into force of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials

7 JUL

Completion of the destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles

On 10 July, Fernando Arias, Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and Bonnie Jenkins, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security of the United States, mark the completion of the destruction of the country’s declared chemical weapons stockpile. (Credit: OPCW)

20 JUL

Launch of the Secretary-General’s policy brief, A New Agenda for Peace

The Secretary-General, António Guterres, launches his policy brief, A New Agenda for Peace. (Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elías)

31 JUL - 15 SEP

Conference on Disarmament, 3rd session

SEP
28 SEP - 3 NOV

Seventy-eighth session of the First Committee of the General Assembly

OCT
5 OCT

45th anniversary: Entry into force of the Convention on Environmental Modification Techniques

10 OCT

60th anniversary: Entry into force of the Partial Test Ban Treaty

NOV
28 NOV

20th anniversary: Adoption of the Protocol on Explosive Remnants of War to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (Protocol V)

DEC
2 DEC

40th anniversary: Opening for signature of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons

Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
Biological and chemical weapons
Conventional weapons
Regional disarmament
Emerging, cross-cutting and other issues
Gender and disarmament
Disarmament machinery
Information and outreach
Resolutions, status of treaties and other resources
Downloads / About
THE CHAPTERS
DOWNLOADOTHER FORMATS
Disarmament Yearbook cover for PDF and ebook
Condensed Preview PDF
Full Yearbook PDF
ABOUT THE YEARBOOK
  • Concise reference tool on disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control issues
  • Includes developments and trends, a convenient issue-oriented timeline and explanatory graphics and charts
  • Annex on resolutions, status of treaties and other resources: a one-stop-shop to access recommended 2023 information materials, including publications and the following databases:
  1. Disarmament Resolutions and Decisions Database: texts, sponsors, voting patterns and other related information.
  2. Disarmament Treaties Database: status of multilateral regulation and disarmament agreements.
  • User-friendly: Accessible on mobile devices and available in multiple languages through third-party machine translation (see how: Chrome | Safari). Official translations in the six official languages of the United Nations will be uploaded as they become available.

CONDENSED PREVIEW VS. FULL YEARBOOK

Preview edition: An advance and condensed version that provides an easy-to-read overview of the publication earlier in the year. Available in PDF and website formats in June 2024.

Full edition: Expands upon the preview edition. Provides more comprehensive information on the year’s activities. Available in website form in September 2024.