UNRIC Library Backgrounder: Disarmament

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Since the birth of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to its efforts to maintain international peace and security. The UN has given highest priority to reducing and eventually eliminating nuclear weapons, destroying chemical weapons and strengthening the prohibition of biological weapons – all of which pose the direst threats to humankind. While these objectives have remained constant over the years, the scope of deliberations and negotiations has changed as political realities and the international situation evolved. The international community continues to consider more closely the excessive and destabilizing proliferation of small arms and light weapons and has mobilized to combat the massive deployment of landmines – instruments that threaten the economic and social fabric of societies and kill and maim civilians, all too many of whom are women and children. The UN is also focusing on the impact of new information, telecommunications technologies and other emerging technologies on international security.

Basic Facts about the United Nations, 42^nd Edition © 2017

 UN Entities

• United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA): https://disarmament.unoda.org/
  • UN Office in Geneva – Disarmament: https://www.ungeneva.org/en/topics/disarmament
• Conference on Disarmament: https://disarmament.unoda.org/conference-on-disarmament
• UN Disarmament Commission: https://disarmament.unoda.org/institutions/disarmament-commission/
• First Committee of the General Assembly (Disarmament and International Security): https://www.un.org/en/ga/first/index.shtml
• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR): https://unidir.org/
• Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters: https://disarmament.unoda.org/institutions/advisoryboard/
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): https://www.iaea.org/
• Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1540 (2004): https://www.un.org/en/sc/1540/

Selected Disarmament Topics

• Nuclear Weapons: https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/nuclear/
• Biological Weapons: https://disarmament.unoda.org/biological-weapons
• Chemical Weapons: https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/chemical/
• Missiles: https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/missiles/
• Arms Trade: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/armstrade/
  • Arms Trade Treaty: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/att/
• Small Arms and Light Weapons: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/salw/
• Ammunition: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/ammunition/
• Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs): https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/ieds/
• Explosive weapons in populated areas: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/explosive-weapons/
• Landmines: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/landmines/
• Cluster Munitions: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/clustermunitions/
• Depleted Uranium: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/depleted-uranium/

International Instruments

• Arms Regulation and Disarmament Agreements: https://treaties.unoda.org/
• United Nations Treaty Collection, Chapter XXVI, Disarmament: https://treaties.un.org/pages/Treaties.aspx?id=26&subid=A&lang=en

Research & Documentation

• Disarmament Digital Documents Library: https://disarmament.unoda.org/publications/library/
• United Nations Documentation – Research Guide on Disarmament: https://research.un.org/en/docs/disarmament
• UNOG Library Resource Guide – Disarmament: Global Issues: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/disarmament/global
• UNOG Library – Conference Primer: Disarmament:
  https://libraryresources.unog.ch/conferenceprimers/disarmament
• Geneva Disarmament Research Guide on Science & Emerging Technology: https://libraryresources.unog.ch/st
• UN Library Vienna – Research Guide on Firearms: https://libraryresearch.unvienna.org/firearms
• Disarmament Yearbooks Online 1945 – 2022: https://disarmament.unoda.org/publications/yearbook/
• The UN Register of Conventional Arms: https://disarmament.unoda.org/convarms/register/
  The UN General Assembly established the UN Register of Conventional Arms (UNROCA) in 1991 through resolution 46/36 L to promote transparency in armaments. Through the UNROCA instrument, Member States are requested, on an annual basis, to report their international transfers of seven categories major conventional arms, as well as small arms and light weapons.

Further information

• Disarmament: A Basic Guide (4th edition, 2017): https://disarmament.unoda.org/publications/basic-guide/