The poorly regulated arms trade has devastating, multifaceted effects. These include fuelling violence and armed conflict, hindering efforts to promote socioeconomic development and creating a permanent atmosphere of fear and instability in conflict settings. While millions of civilians have paid the high price of the lack of legally binding rules in the area of arms trade, women and children are among the most vulnerable groups affected by this gap. Flows of arms into conflict and post-conflict situations not only impede the ability of the United Nations to discharge its mandates and assist the governments and populations that it is called to assist, but also pose a direct threat to United Nations personnel and assets. This paper aims to develop a coherent United Nations approach to support the international community’s efforts to improve the regulation of international transfers of conventional arms. It records the United Nations Organization’s advocacy over the past years of a robust and comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty that covers the full array of conventional weapons as well as ammunition and that includes provisions that arms not be transferred where there is a clear risk that they will be used to commit violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law or seriously undermine development.
This paper examines the evolving role of consensus in multilateral disarmament negotiations from the tenth special session of the General Assembly (1978) to the present day. It aims to support Member States in considering how to balance progress on disarmament with the legitimacy associated with consensus-based outcomes. Rather than offering a legal definition or interpretation of consensus, the authors reflect upon historical examples of its practical application, particularly in the areas of nuclear disarmament and conventional arms.
The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) stands as a landmark achievement in the history of disarmament. For half a century, it has embodied the international community’s collective determination to ensure that advances in life sciences are never turned to destructive uses. As we commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of its entry into force in 2025, the Convention continues to serve as both a moral compass and a legal foundation for global efforts to prevent the development, production, and use of biological weapons.
The objective of this handbook is to compile basic knowledge and means for artificial intelligence (AI) practitioners to understand, evaluate and mitigate, in the research and innovation process, the risks of the diversion and misuse of civilian AI technology by irresponsible actors. The handbook shows why and how decisions around the development and diffusion of research and innovation can impact risks of misuse, and in turn generate risks or even opportunities for international peace and security.
