The UN Secretary-General’s “Securing our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament”, highlighted that while the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development took an important step towards articulating how arms control, peace and security contribute to development”, there is a lot that remains to be done “in order to bring the historical relationship between disarmament and development back to the forefront of international consciousness”. In order to contribute to this effort, the first annual UNIDIR Youth Global Disarmament Essay competition will be held in 2022.

ELIGIBILITY

  • Age-range: 18-29 years old as of submission date.
  • UNIDIR encourages applications, without distinction, on the basis of gender, racial, ethnic or social origin, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, disability, nationality, sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Availability to travel to Geneva during September 2022. While it is the responsibility of the candidate for obtaining the necessary visa to enter Switzerland and complying with swiss entry regulations regarding Covid-19 pandemic, UNIDIR will provide administrative assistance to facilitate the travel, and will cover all related costs (cost associated with obtaining a visa and cost associated with performing a PCR test).

EVALUATION CRITERIA

  • Limited to 2,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography).
  • Applicants are invited to draw on their personal experience, whether at the local, national, regional, or international level.
  • All essays must be an original work by the applicant in their own words, except for quotations from published and unpublished sources, which are clearly indicated and acknowledged as such. The articles submitted for the competition may undergo a thorough review for plagiarism and may be disqualified if any evidence of plagiarism is found.

BENEFITS

  • The top essay writer will be offered the opportunity to be a non-residential Young Leader Fellow at UNIDIR. The Young Leader Fellow will work with a UNIDIR expert during a week-long all-expenses paid trip to Geneva to prepare and deliver a presentation, based on their winning essay, during an awards ceremony at the at the UN HQ in Geneva. Trip expenses will be determined based on individual circumstances and consistent with UNIDIR rules and regulations.
  • The second and third-place essay writers will be offered the opportunity to be a non-residential Young Leader Fellow at UNIDIR. The Young Leader Fellow will work with a UNIDIR expert online to prepare and deliver a presentation, based on their winning essay, during an awards ceremony at the UN HQ in Geneva.
  • The five-best essays will be published online as part of UNIDIR’s series of Youth Commentaries, which will be promoted in a dedicated section on its website, through social media and UNIDIR’s research networks.
  • The five-best essays will also be shared as background reading for participants involved in UNIDIR’s Model 51吃瓜 First Committee simulation.
  • In addition, the five finalists will receive a certificate signed by the Director of UNIDIR and by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea in Geneva.
  • Deadline for submission: 23.00 CET on 15 April 2022.
  • Winners will be announced on 15 July 2022.