The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) announces the opening of a new UNIDIR Liaison Presence at UN Headquarters in New York
GENEVA, 5 MAY 2021 — The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) today announced the opening of a small liaison presence at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The UNIDIR Liaison Presence in New York will support Member States and other partners with knowledge and ideas, and will help to facilitate inclusive dialogue on arms control, disarmament, and international security issues. In so doing, it will facilitate engagement with and reinforce linkages between UNIDIR-led disarmament research, events and other activities in Geneva and New York.
For over four decades, UNIDIR has supported the informed participation of all Member States in multilateral disarmament processes. In 2020, despite the ongoing pandemic, UNIDIR convened over 48 events and issued 52 publications (and over 25 translations) that explored practical ways to address contemporary disarmament and international security challenges. From identifying options to reduce the risk of use of nuclear weapons to exploring the risks and benefits of new military technologies and introducing gender perspectives in disarmament discussions, from new proposals to verify space security arrangements to developing tools to support national actors in dealing with the threats of IEDs, UNIDIR demonstrated its commitment to producing informed, impartial analyses to advance progress in multilateral disarmament. We have also recently expanded our engagement beyond Geneva to include work in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East and, as of this month, have opened a small liaison presence at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
“These are challenging times for international disarmament and for the global security environment at large. If anything, the past twelve difficult months have underscored the international community’s growing need and demand for independent, evidence-based research and innovative thinking that can support multilateral efforts in addressing some of the world’s most pressing security challenges,” said Dr. Robin Geiss, Director of UNIDIR. “We are looking forward to supporting Member States and other partners based in New York to address today’s critical disarmament and international security challenges.”
ABOUT UNIDIR
UNIDIR is a voluntarily funded, autonomous institute within the United Nations that was established in 1980 by the General Assembly for the purpose of undertaking independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international security issues. Based in Geneva, and as one of the few research institutes worldwide focusing on disarmament, UNIDIR assists the international community to develop the practical, innovative ideas needed to find solutions to critical security issues. In this respect, last year, the General Assembly recognized the continued “importance, the timeliness and the high quality” of the Institute’s work (A/RES/75/82).
For more information about UNIDIR, visit: www.unidir.org
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MEDIA CONTACT
Aaron J. Buckley
Strategic Communications Officer
+41 76 691 10 74
buckleya@un.org
UNIDIR LIAISON PRESENCE IN NEW YORK – CONTACT
Manuel Martinez Miralles
Liaison Officer
+41 22 917 13 56
manuel.martinezmiralles@un.org