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This publication contains the presentations made during the Nuclear Discussion Forum held on 24 March, 22 June and 17 November 2015 in New York. It aims to capture the lively discussions and rich debates that took place and to share the insights presented at the Forum with disarmament bodies working on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and security. …

This Occasional Paper features six lectures delivered in New Zealand in April 2014 by the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Angela Kane. The speeches delve into many of the challenges facing the achievement of a world free of nuclear weapons and provide a comprehensive stocktake of the prospects and challenges confronting disarmament and arms control efforts. She describes both progress, most notably in the field of conventional arms, and a lack of progress, especially as regards nuclear disarmament. The lectures were intended to inspire practical actions and help revive political …

This paper presents an overview of a number of relevant discussion points that need to be addressed in the complex picture of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) disarmament. These include the theoretical and practical arguments for TNW disarmament, the interrelationship between nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament, as well as the underpinning political and military logic. The different positions of NATO member States on the TNW issue and NATO’s role as a bureaucratic institution also constitute important elements of the ongoing debate that must be taken into …

In an attempt to prevent and reduce armed violence, a number of national and regional Governments and local communities have established gun-free zones (GFZs). Obviously, such a measure cannot be taken in a vacuum; the root causes for the frequent carrying of guns in an unregulated setting must be addressed as well. But if embedded in a set of measures to reduce violence in a limited area, the establishment of GFZs may indeed contribute to improved perceptions of safety. The aim of this paper is to bring together information and experiences from practitioners and policymakers and analyse the impact of GFZs in order to determine when and where GFZs can be a valuable measure to prevent and reduce armed violence. This will assist Governments, local authorities, and international development and peacebuilding agencies and organizations in gaining a better understanding of GFZs in order to incorporate, where applicable, this tool into their strategies to prevent and reduce armed …

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 …

Parties participating in the 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) decided to defer its consideration of further strengthening of the review process of the Treaty to the next review cycle. Consequently, this issue was addressed at the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2015 Review Conference, held in Vienna from 30 April to 11 May 2012. This paper examines the various proposals that have been put forward thus far and that could incrementally improve accountability and efficiency as well as provide greater continuity and substantial savings. This includes smarter use of the time for substantive consideration, on the general debate and early establishment of subsidiary bodies, on moving to digitized records, on the establishment of an NPT Secretariat and the enhancement of participation by non-governmental …

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 …

This publication was prepared to facilitate the discussions of the Group of Governmental Experts on the Operation and Further Development of the United Nations Standardized Instrument for Reporting Military Expenditures, which released its report in 2011. The paper argues for a reconsideration of the matrix, linking the Instrument to other activities on the nexus of security and development (such as security sector reform) and to other reporting obligations in order to increase its relevance. …

The publication seeks to raise the awareness of emerging risks and threats related to cyberwarfare by addressing cybersecurity and the lack thereof by many agencies. The paper contains a presentation on this topic delivered by James Andrew Lewis to the United Nations Secretary–General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters. …

This publication features the following presentations, on the subject of verification, made to the members of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters at its fifty-first session in New York: Verifying zero: long-term aims, short-term steps "Nuclear arms control in the 2010s" verification challenges …