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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 study aims to address the lack of information and analysis on matters such as the role of Governments in restraining violence and controlling the availability of firearms, the impact of transnational organized crime, and the porosity of borders and corruption. It also concludes that armed violence does not affect all members of society, such as women and youth, in the same …

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 …

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 …

With 37 years of experience in coordinating people-to-people exchange via voyages on a passenger ship, the non-governmental organization Peace Boat has implemented various disarmament education programmes over the past decades. As a steering group member organization of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Peace Boat has been particularly active in engaging hibakusha—atomic-bomb survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Together with hibakusha, Peace Boat has worked with youth from all backgrounds to think about why disarmament is important and how it works. This publication introduces Peace Boat’s methodology for disarmament education, which directly stems from lessons learned through implementation of various disarmament education programmes. It also discusses how disarmament education should be implemented in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and how digital technologies can be leveraged to provide a fruitful experience for …

This publication contains extensive excerpts from transcripts of panel discussion held by the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, in cooperation with the Office for Disarmament Affairs, on December 6, 2010. The Office for Disarmament Affairs is publishing the material as edited by the NGO Committee. …

This publication includes the edited transcripts of four discussions held at the United Nations Headquarters, in April and October 2007, organized by the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, in cooperation with the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. Three of the discussions focused on the feasibility of verification of a possible fissile material treaty and of the Biological Weapons Convention. The fourth presentation focused on the value of a code of conduct for outer space. …

This publication tells the story of a unique partnership between civil society and the United Nations, dedicated to sustaining the removal and destruction of small arms and light weapons in four countries, and to changing the mindsets of young people so they may learn to seek alternative and non- violent means of resolving disputes. …