Youth and Disarmament Hub

UNIDIR believes in the power of youth to secure a peaceful and inclusive future.

Disarmament benefits significantly from the perspectives of young people. They bring fresh insights, vital creativity and lived experiences that enhance our understanding of how weapons impact communities. By engaging with young people directly, disarmament efforts become more responsive, resilient and representative, ensuring that policies can adapt to the realities and ambitions of future generations.

The Youth and Disarmament Hub serves as a gateway to UNIDIR’s youth-led and youth-empowering actions in the field of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation, offering resources, insights and pathways for engagement.

Why disarmament needs youth perspectives

The future

Half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030.

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Hope

67% of people believe in a better future, with 15- to 17-year-olds being the most optimistic group of all.

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Fairness

More than two thirds (69%) of people across all age groups agree that more opportunities for younger people to have a say in policy development would make political systems better.

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Representation

Globally, only 2.6% of parliamentarians are under 30 years old, and less than 1% of these young legislators are women.

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Former UNIDIR Graduate Professional Shizuka Kuramitsu delivers a keynote address on disarmament to the General Assembly in 2024.

How UNIDIR makes a difference

Youth Visions of Peace

A global initiative empowering young people around the world to use photography to share messages of peace, resilience and hope for a safer, more peaceful future.

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Youth Disarmament Orientation Course

This interactive, online course covers key concepts, issues and technologies in disarmament, arms control and global security.

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Graduate Professional Programme

The Graduate Professional Programme provides successful candidates with practical experience of research and international cooperation in the areas of disarmament, arms control and global security.

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Outer Space Security Conference Youth Video Competition

Young people aged 18-25 from across the globe were invited to submit short videos on why space security matters to them and how we can keep outer space secure and sustainable.

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Model United Nations

UNIDIR and Geneva International Model United Nations together convene annual simulations of disarmament negotiations, with guidance provided by our experts.

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Disarmament Essay Competition

This essay competition invites students and young professionals to explore, in their own words, the relationship between disarmament, security and development, and present concrete initiatives in these areas.

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