Launched in 2019, the #Youth4Disarmament (Y4D) initiative of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs seeks to engage, educate and empower young people to facilitate their meaningful contribution to disarmament efforts. The “Spotlight Stories” section of the Y4D community website offers a space for young people to share – in their own voices and from their own perspectives – why the work of disarmament is critical to building peace and how they are helping push the field forward. This publication is a compilation of those stories, which reveal hope for a better future and show some of the diverse ways to pursue peace through disarmament in the twenty-first century.
The Office for Disarmament Affairs publishes the series entitled "Civil Society and Disarmament " within the context of the General Assembly resolutions on the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme and the United Nations Study on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Education. The publication provides a forum for the views of civil society in order to further an informed debate on topical issues of arms limitation, disarmament and security.
Armed violence, the subject of this publication, represents one of the most damaging security problems for Central America’s inhabitants. Violent deaths caused by firearms in countries in the region comprise between 70 and 90 per cent. Regulatory frameworks in different countries seem to be inadequate in controlling firearms used in acts of violence.
This paper examines the key role of parliamentary diplomacy in foreign affairs, focusing specifically on its influence in the field of disarmament. It analyses the impact parliamentarians can have on these issues, identifying a number of good practices and effective strategies. In addition, it offers specific policy recommendations and highlights resources available to strengthen the capacity of parliaments and other stakeholders to enhance and expand their influence in promoting effective disarmament agreements at the international level.
