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ATT Voluntary Trust Fund
On 22 October 2018, the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations partnered with the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) Secretariat to hold a First Committee side event on the ATT Voluntary Trust Fund. Participants in the panel discussion explored various aspects of the Voluntary Trust Fund established under the Treaty, including its grant application process. The panelists included Ambassador Jānis Kārkliņš, Permanent Representative of Latvia to the United Nations and President of the upcoming Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms…
Beyond the Buzz: Gender in Arms Control
On 25 October, a panel discussion entitled Beyond the Buzz: Gender in Arms Control was held as a side event of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. It was jointly organized by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations and Small Arms Survey. The panel was moderated by Rosemary McCarney, the Permanent Representative of Canada to the Conference on Disarmament and the UN in Geneva. In her opening remarks, Ambassador McCarney advocated for a shift beyond the numbers towards substantive analysis of gender in arms…
“Evidence of Absence” panelists describe new verification methods for supporting nuclear disarmament
On 18 October 2018, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) hosted a First Committee side event entitled “Evidence of Absence: Verifying Removal of Nuclear Weapons”. Ms. Renata Dwan, the Director of UNIDIR, moderated a discussion between four panelists: Ambassador Ann-Sofie Nilsson of Sweden; Dr. Pavel Podvig, UNIDIR Senior Researcher, Dr. Wilfred Wan, UNIDIR Researcher; and Ms. Christine Parthemore, Director of the Climate-Nuclear-Security Program at the Council on Strategic Risks. The event explored a new UNIDIR study…
Preventing the Diversion of Arms and Ammunition
On 17 October, the Control Arms Coalition together with the Permanent Missions of France and Mexico hosted a panel discussion on “Preventing the Diversion of Arms and Ammunition”. The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons (SALW) and insufficient controls in the market pose a high threat to all of us, said Ambassador Socorro Flores Liera, Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations Office at Geneva. She warned that despite the steps taken in the last 20 years, including the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), the…
Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas
Held on 18 October, a side event of the United Nations First Committee examined the devastating effects of the use of explosive weapons (in populated areas (EWIPA) and suggested avenues to address the problem. Ambassador Thomas Hajnoczi, Head of the Disarmament Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria and chair of the discussion, noted that conflict is increasingly taking place in cities and densely populated areas. The chair also raised the issue of compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL), emphasizing the devastating humanitarian impact of the use of EWIPA. In…
Preventing Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons: Examining the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2370
On 22 October, a panel discussion on Security Council resolution 2370 (2011) was held as a side event of the First Committee on Disarmament and International Security. The panel evaluated the resolution’s implementation and considered strategies to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons. It was organized by the Permanent Missions of Australia, Germany and Egypt to the United Nations in collaboration with the Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Institute for…
Briefing on the 2018 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review
The Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations held a side event briefing on the 2018 U.S. Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) on 11 October 2018. A group of panelists moderated by Ambassador Robert Wood, U.S. Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament and Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Issues, presented a series of perspectives on the NPR before taking questions and comments from the audience. Mr. Gregory Weaver, Deputy Director for Strategic Plans and Policy of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, reiterated statements…
The Application of International Law in Cyberspace: State of Play
On 15 October 2018, a panel discussion entitled “The Application of International Law in Cyberspace: State of Play” took place as a First Committee side event of the General Assembly’s seventy-third session. The Permanent Missions of Austria, Estonia and Mexico co-sponsored the discussion with the Delegation of the European Union (EU) and the EU Institute for Security Studies. Ambassador Jan Kickert, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, opened the event by calling for questions concerning not only whether international law applies to cyberspace, but also…
The Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons on the Dark Web: A Study
The Office for Disarmament Affairs is pleased to announce the publication of its latest Occasional Paper, entitled “The Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons on the Dark Web.” The potential role of the dark web in facilitating trade in firearms, ammunition and explosives has gained increased public attention following recent terrorist attacks and other criminal activities worldwide. In fact, the hidden and obscured parts of the web are used by criminals and others to access a worldwide market where it’s possible to procure or sell a wide range of weapons and…
Consolidating and Enhancing Cooperation among Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones
A First Committee side event was held on 18 October at the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations. The event featured a panel discussion about consolidating and enhancing cooperation among nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZs). It was chaired by Yerzhan Ashikbayev, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan. Mr Ashikbayev opened the discussion by highlighting the importance of NWFZs. NWFZs are essential for creating a safe and nuclear-weapon-free world, although their potential is yet to be fully realized. The international community should strengthen NWFZs as…