Our Latest Publications

Security and Technology Programme

Managing Exits from Armed Conflict Project

Gender and Disarmament Programme

Space Security Programme

Gender and Disarmament Programme

Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme

Coming Up

Regional Seminar on the Prevention of Violent Extremism and the Management of Conventional Weapons in West Africa

Bringing together participants from the 15 States of the ECOWAS region, government officials responsible for PVE and weapons management, elected representatives, representatives of ECOWAS, the United Nations, civil society, and the research community, this seminar aims to enhance a joint and sustainable approach to PVE and the management of conventional weapons in West Africa.

This event, organized by the Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme in cooperation with the Peace and Human Rights Division of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, began yesterday in Lomé, Togo, and runs until tomorrow, 7 December.

Addressing Weapons in Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Prevention and Response: The Case of Sudan

This pair of technology breakfasts will take place in Geneva and online on 8 December and in New York and online on 11 December. States will learn more about Internet fragmentation at the technical level and its potential impact on cybersecurity, ask questions of experts, and engage in discussions on how to ensure an open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful ICT environment.

Exploring Futures for Peace, Security and Disarmament

This hybrid event, in Geneva and online on 14 December, will discuss findings of a new UNIDIR study that employed foresight to explore threats to international security linked to arms control and disarmament, with a view to identifying options for actions which could mitigate the identified challenges. The report and its findings are also pertinent to the recent and ongoing efforts by the United Nations on considering future threats and the future of global cooperation, such as the upcoming Summit of the Future.

Key Activities

High-level discussions at Paris Peace Forum on the need to protect critical infrastructure

At the 2023 Paris Peace Forum, UNIDIR Director Robin Geiss discussed the need to protect critical infrastructure with President of Montenegro Jakov Milatovic, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, ITU Deputy Secretary General Tomas Lamanauskas, and other high-level experts. On a related high-level panel on protecting populations from critical harm to the public core of the internet, he highlighted how the impacts of attacks on critical infrastructure extended far beyond their immediate targets. The Paris Peace Forum is an annual international event focused on reviving and improving global governance and seeking to foster collaboration for global peace.

UNIDIR's second Donor Forum of 2023

This year’s autumn edition of the UNIDIR Donor Forum gave us an important opportunity to hear ideas from our donors on how best we can continue to produce useful knowledge, generate innovative ideas, promote fruitful dialogue and provide vital advice on global security issues.

Together with our donors and supporters, we are looking forward to continuing to find solutions to a safer and more secure world while continuously improving and scaling up our research and advice in 2024.

UNIDIR at the Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh

UNIDIR Deputy Director Dr. Cécile Aptel was invited to participate in this year’s Global Cybersecurity Forum in Riyadh on 2 November, whose overarching theme was "Charting Shared Priorities in Cyberspace".

Dr. Aptel discussed cybersecurity, including women in cybersecurity, with an excellent panel of fellow experts.

2023 Weapons and Ammunition Management Symposium

On 27 November, the first Global Symposium on Weapons and Ammunition Management: Frameworks, Policies and Practices brought together some 200 WAM experts and practitioners in Geneva and online.

Participants discussed new developments in international normative frameworks and policies on WAM, lessons learned for strengthening national frameworks and enhancing national ownership, and approaches for international cooperation. A side event on the UN support and assistance for WAM was also held.

Discussion on Ethics at the Heart of AI

On 17 November, UNIDIR's Security and Technology Programme participated in a meeting hosted by the Tech Hub at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Dongyoun Cho, Senior Researcher of the Security and Technology Programme, participated and spoke on issues like integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) in military capabilities and the value of a multi-stakeholder approach to ensure responsible and ethical AI.

Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference

Dr. Renata H. Dalaqua, Head of the Gender and Disarmament Programme, participated in the Shaping Feminist Foreign Policy Conference organized by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. Dr. Dalaqua joined experts from around the world in discussions addressing key priorities of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, as well as the interlinkages between gender equality and international security.

Meeting Peacebuilding Professionals

On 23 November, MEAC participated in a panel discussion hosted by the Peacebuilding Initiative on "Meeting Peacebuilding Professionals". The event brought together experts from Geneva's peace sectors and students passionate about peacebuilding to foster meaningful connections and dialogues about career paths and opportunities in peace. This event served as a platform to promote the active participation of youth in global peacebuilding efforts and successfully fostered dynamic exchanges of ideas, experiences, and collaborations.

Exploring Directed Energy Weapons and the Implications of Their Use Under International Law

On 15 November, UNIDIR and ODA co-organised a side-event to the 2023 Annual Meeting of the High Contracting Parties of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) on Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs). This event featured presentations on the technology behind DEWs and the implications of their use under international law.

Navigating the Gulf: A Subregional Approach to Regional Proliferation Trends

UNIDIR Graduate Professional Salma Al Wahaibi's commentary explores the history of the Gulf Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (Gulf WMDFZ) initiative, reviews its intricacies and implications for the Middle East WMD-free zone framework and the broader context of regional dynamics. It concludes that the current political rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia opens up a newly favourable environment for exploring nuclear confidence-building measures as a possible next step in the Gulf region.

Missing Peace Initiative Symposium

On 1 November, Gender and Disarmament Researcher Hana Salama took part in the Missing Peace Initiative Symposium in Washington, DC and presented UNIDIR’s research on Addressing Weapons in Conflict Related Sexual Violence: The Arms Control and Disarmament Toolbox. The Symposium brought together academics, policymakers and practitioners who are working to prevent and respond to conflict related sexual violence, allowing them to take stock of efforts over the last 10 years.

Geneva Peace Week 2023

On 1 November, as part of Geneva Peace Week, MEAC organized a dialogue on empowering young people as partners in action research on peace, uniting practitioners and young changemakers to explore the distinct reintegration needs and experiences of young conflict-affected Iraqis. The event offered peacebuilders practical guidance on adapting youth-inclusion approaches into post-conflict action research to support reintegration and peacebuilding. Beautiful photographs captured by youth in Iraq were also exhibited and auctioned at the event, with all proceedings directed back to the community.

Group of Governmental Experts on Further Practical Measures for the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space

The Space Security Programme's Sarah Erickson gave two presentations to the current Group of Governmental Experts on 20 November and 23 November, as part of UNIDIR's role supporting the Group.

Secretary-General's Report on Small Arms and Light Weapons

The UN Secretary-General's new report on small arms and light weapons highlighted many activities and publications from UNIDIR’s Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme (CAAP), including its Reference Methodology for National Weapons and Ammunition Management Baseline Assessments, the Arms-Related Risk Analysis Toolkit, and Exploring the Technical Feasibility of Marking Small Ammunition.

IPIS-IAI Roundtable on Middle East Regional Security

On 21 November, Middle East WMD-Free Zone Project Senior Researcher Abdolrasool Divsallar participated in an event in Rome organized by the Italian Institute of International Relations Studies (IAI) with the participation of a delegation of the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), Teheran. Divsallar presented on “Iran, Europe and the Global Order: Nuclear Dynamics and the Role of Zone”.

Center for International Strategic Studies Islamabad-UNIDIR Workshop on Exploring New Frontiers in International Security: Cyberspace, Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy

At the event, held from 22 to 24 November in Islamabad, Security and Technology Programme Senior Researcher Dongyoun Cho delivered introductory remarks, while Lead Cyber Stability Researcher Andraz Kastelic and Researchers Samuele Dominioni and Ioana Puscas presented their research and discussed the issues of cyber threats, AI, and autonomy, as well as the value of a multi-stakeholder approach at the United Nations.

Launch of the New MEAC Research into Action Publication Series

In an effort to improve policymakers' and decision-makers' access to studies that are often highly technical or placed behind academic-journal paywalls, MEAC has launched a new "Research into Action" series. Here, MEAC takes the role of an interlocutor, bridging the gap between academic research and practical application by presenting short, digestible dialogues with scholars that distil the policy and practical implications of their findings for those working to prevent and respond to political violence and armed conflict. The first in this series looks at Factors Influencing Community Receptivity of Former Fighters in Somalia.

Expert Network on Security Priorities and Public Spending

On 9 November, the inaugural workshop of the UNIDIR Expert Network on Security Priorities and Public Spending was held. It brought together 21 subject and country matter experts from over 17 countries to explore opportunities for collaborative activities.

The Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme presented the main goals, strategic objectives and responsibilities of the network, followed by a presentation of a UNIDIR-led research project on matching national security priorities and public spending, which is being implemented in cooperation with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Gender Matters in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

The Gender and Disarmament programme co-hosted a side event to the 21st Meeting of States Parties to the AP Mine Ban Convention (APMBC), in Geneva, together with the Permanent Mission of Germany and the GICHD. On the occasion, UNIDIR launched two new research resources, the Report “Beyond Oslo” and the Factsheet “Gender and Diversity in the APMBC”. A diverse group of panelists, including representatives from Cambodia, Colombia and Germany, shared insights and ideas advance gender mainstreaming in mine action.

Briefing on BWC Verification

The WMD Programme has been supporting BWC States Parties’ preparations for the Working Group Meeting on strengthening the Convention with a particular focus on verification. This topic, which has not been discussed in the multilateral forum for two decades, is generating considerable interest. Ahead of the meeting in December, UNIDIR has published a primer on BWC verification and is briefing diplomats and participating in workshops.

Presentation at the CCW Meeting

The Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme participated at the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Amended Protocol II Group of Experts meeting that took place on 9-10 November. Our Associate Researcher Theò Bajon presented our counter-IED tools as part of the panel discussion on the national and regional responses to the threat posed by improvised explosive devices.

Rising Together: Gender-Responsive Disarmament and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

On 28 November, the Gender and Disarmament Programme organized a side event at the 2nd Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions of Chile and Ireland, the event brought together States, civil society and experts to discuss progress and challenges in integrating gender perspectives into TPNW implementation. The event featured presentations from Ambassador Paula Narváez of Chile and Clare Brosnan, Ireland’s Director of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, among others.

Quantum Technologies and Their Implications for International Peace and Security

On 30 November, the Security and Technology Programme organized a hybrid multi-stakeholder dialogue to discuss the possible effects and consequences of advancements across the spectrum of quantum technologies on the international security environment.

Military Uses of Outer Space & International Diplomacy

The Space Security Programme's Almudena Azcárate Ortega gave a lecture at Georgetown University on 2 November on the military uses of outer space and international diplomacy.

BWC NIM Database: Updates

During the last month, twelve new State Party profiles were added to the Database on National Implementation Measures of the Biological Weapons Convention. Check them out!

Space Portal: Updates

This month, new profiles for the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have been added to the Space Security Portal. Check them out under "Organisations".

From the Newsroom

Why a Russian nuclear expert thinks the Doomsday Clock should move away from midnight

UNIDIR Senior Researcher Pavel Podvig was quoted in numerous articles, providing insight and commentary on the threat of nuclear weapons. He also authored an op-ed for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists where we suggested that the Doomsday Clock should be moved away from midnight.

Learn More and Stay Connected

Have ideas for our newsletter?

Questions you need answered? Let us know!