On 27 October, UNIDIR launched the Science and Technology Watchtower: Monitoring Innovation for Disarmament project, a three-year initiative to deliver timely analyses on related risks and opportunities to inform international security policy. Supported by the European Union, the project will systematically identify scientific and technological developments across weapons of mass destruction, conventional arms, and information and communication technologies.
The rapid pace of scientific and technological innovation is reshaping the global security landscape, presenting both opportunities and risks for disarmament efforts. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, additive manufacturing, and autonomous systems are blurring traditional boundaries between civilian and military applications, creating new challenges for weapons control and verification regimes.
In a response to scientific and technological advancements surpassing global disarmament frameworks, UNIDIR hosted the Watchtower project launch as a side event to the 80th session of the UN General Assembly First Committee. The launch underscored the urgent need to bridge the gap between innovation and international security.
What experts are saying
The launch event spotlighted some of the most pressing implications of science and technology for disarmament regimes. In the realm of conventional arms and ammunition, Rueben Dass, Senior Analyst with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at the S. Rajatnaram School of International Studies noted that “additive manufacturing (3D printing) enables the rapid, decentralized production of weapons components, potentially undermining export controls and fuelling illicit proliferation.”
Blockchain and cryptocurrency innovations, while promising for supply chain transparency, could also facilitate anonymous funding for arms trafficking. For nuclear weapons, Dr Manpreet Sethi, Science and Technology Advisor at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, highlighted that “cyber vulnerabilities in command-and-control systems and the rise of small modular reactors introduce dual-edged risks: enhanced energy security alongside proliferation concerns if safeguards lag.”
Key risks and opportunities
Emerging biotechnologies, such as gene editing and synthetic biology, blur lines between beneficial medical research and chemical or biological weapon development. This is exacerbated by AI tools that democratize access to hazardous designs. Quantum computing further threatens encryption protecting sensitive disarmament data, while AI-driven autonomous systems could erode human oversight in conflict escalation.
Yet, these technologies also hold opportunities for stronger monitoring. AI algorithms could revolutionize safeguards verification by analyzing satellite imagery for undeclared nuclear activities, and mobile apps might empower citizen science for radiation detection. Challenges in science and technology monitoring, however, loom large. The sheer velocity of breakthroughs demands agile, inclusive data-sharing; geopolitical tensions hinder cross-border collaboration; dual-use ambiguities complicate risk assessment; and bridging the divide between scientific communities and policymakers requires sustained trust-building and geographical diversity to ensure equitable representation.
The Watchtower project will provide a systematic horizon-scanning function, track emerging innovations, and assess their potential implications for international peace and security. It will also foster dialogue between policymakers, scientists and disarmament experts to bridge technical and policy perspectives.
What’s next
In January, UNIDIR is gearing up for the launch of the Expert Networks across three disarmament areas:
- Conventional Arms and Ammunition (co-chaired by Rueben Dass and Josephine Dresner);
- Nuclear Weapons (co-chaired by Dr Manpreet Sethi and Dr Hassan Elbahtimy); and
- Chemical and Biological Weapons (co-chaired by Dr Jonathan Forman and Dr Una Jakob).
These Expert Networks will serve as a collaborative platform to exchange insights, pilot methodologies for technological monitoring, and publish periodic assessments.
The Watchtower project builds on UNIDIR’s ongoing research on emerging technologies and their security implications, including recent analyses under the Security and Technology Programme. Previous publications have examined the role of AI in arms control verification, neurotechnology in the military domain, and trends in biotechnology and material science relevant to non-proliferation. The project will complement and expand this body of work, helping ensure that international disarmament policy evolves in step with scientific progress.