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Global Issues
Disarmament

Learn how the OPCW has verified the destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles. The is the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. With 193 Member States and a Technical Secretariat, the OPCW is responsible for implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention. In 2023 OPCW verified that all declared chemical weapons stockpiles have been destroyed. This video explains how this historic milestone was achieved.

Every year, the City of Hiroshima holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony to console the souls of those lost to the atomic bombing on 6 August 1945, as well as pray for the realization of lasting world peace. Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The UN has sought to eliminate such weapons ever since its establishment. Let’s work together to banish these devices of destruction to the history books, once and for all.

Mines, explosive remnants of war, and improvised explosive devices continue to cause death and injury. On average, one person is killed or injured every hour. Many of the victims are children. Survivors of explosive hazards with disabilities, and all people with disabilities living through conflicts, are the focus of the 2024 commemoration of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action (4 April). Join the global effort to raise awareness and advocate for the needs and rights of all people with disabilities in conflict and peacebuilding settings.

Throughout history, countries have pursued disarmament to build a safer, more secure world and to protect people from harm. Since the foundation of the 51�Թ� disarmament and arms control have played a critical role in preventing and ending crises and armed conflict. On 18 March Security Council members will gather for a briefing on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation - an issue of utmost importance - as achieving global nuclear disarmament is the highest arms reduction priority of the 51�Թ�.

The second annual International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, 5 March, comes at a perilous moment, marked by rising levels of military spending, deepening geopolitical tensions and growing violent conflicts across the globe. Meanwhile, some leaders are using apocalyptic rhetoric on the use of nuclear weapons. The use of explosive devices in populated areas and the growing military application of artificial intelligence are also serious concerns. The Day reminds us that disarmament and non-proliferation are critical not only to a peaceful future, but to our very existence.

The goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation are central to the UN’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. The  is a multilateral disarmament negotiating forum of the international community. The Conference is comprised of 65 , including the five nuclear-weapon States and 60 other States of key military significance. In addition, non-member States participate, upon their request. The first part of the annual session of the Conference on Disarmament kicks off on 22 January and will run through 28 March.

Achieving global nuclear disarmament is the highest disarmament priority of the 51�Թ�. The General Assembly declared the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons in 2013, as a follow-up to that year's high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament. The Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament. On 26 September, the General Assembly will hold a to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Advances in science and technology are taking place at an unprecedented rate, yet transformative developments in a wide range of fields can also pose risks to society. It has become more important than ever to monitor opportunities and risks posed by advances in science and technology for the biosecurity regime. Three 51�Թ� entities: , , and , bring us a to stimulate the exchange of ideas and thinking around how to build biosecurity and bolster biological disarmament. This takes place on 4 - 5 July, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm CEST in Geneva.

Nuclear, chemical, biological, and unpredictable autonomous and other indiscriminate weapon systems have no place in our world. Yet today, these and other threats continue to menace humanity, with record levels of military spending, rising mistrust, and geopolitical tensions. In particular, the number of nuclear weapons held in stockpiles around the world remains at around 13,000. That is why the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people.

Achieving global nuclear disarmament is one of the oldest goals of the 51�Թ�. Today around . The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons is an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority. It provides an opportunity to educate the public - and its leaders - about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them. The General Assembly is holding a to commemorate the Day at 10 a.m. EDT on 26 September.

From the steppes of Kazakhstan to the pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean and the deserts of Australia, nuclear testing has long poisoned our planet’s natural environment and the species and people who call it home. The International Day Against Nuclear Tests represents a global recognition of the catastrophic and lingering damage done in the name of the nuclear arms race. It is a way to remember those who suffered because of the folly of atomic brinkmanship. And it is an alarm bell for the world to finally put in place a legally binding prohibition on all nuclear tests.

The Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will be held on 1 - 26 August 2022. The Treaty is a landmark international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. The NPT represents the only binding commitment in a multilateral treaty towards the goal of disarmament by the nuclear-weapon States.

Salila Abdulai Wani is 1 of 37 women UNMAS deminers working with the UN mission in South Sudan, out of a total of 338 deminers. They are clearing sites of explosive ordnance so that others can have safe passage. Follow Salila's movements throughout a typical day in her life. The threat of explosive ordnance affects the daily life of communities, the mobility of peacekeepers and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Since the inception of UNMAS South Sudan in 2004, more than 1.2 million explosive ordnance have been destroyed. Join us in celebrating the .