Disarmament

The Republic of Korea–United Nations Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non‑Proliferation Issues will take place in Seoul, Republic of Korea, from 11 to 12 November, with 2021 marking the annual meeting’s twentieth anniversary.

UNICEF released a report today showing there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities around the world, a new global approximation higher than previous estimates which considers symptoms of anxiety and depression, among other difficulties across several domains of functioning.

The General Assembly today elected 18 Member States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe, and paid tribute to Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a former President of Algeria and of the Assembly during its twenty‑ninth session.

The Office for Disarmament Affairs has launched the latest version of the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, now available on its dedicated website.

Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in South Sudan condemned a letter, reportedly from a youth group in Pibor, demanding that at least 30 humanitarian workers leave the area within 72 hours.  More than 80 humanitarian workers were relocated and non-life-saving aid activities suspended for 48 hours.

The proliferation and stockpiling of illicit weapons continue to threaten international peace and security, exacerbating the plight of civilians in strife-torn countries worldwide, the senior United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today.

There is need to galvanize action to swiftly and permanently rid the world of atomic bombs, especially as the global community grapples with the coronavirus, delegates said today during the General Assembly’s high-level meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the high‑level meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, held today:

Marking the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, the Secretary-General told the General Assembly high-level event that the nuclear threat has reached its highest level in close to 40 years and urged States to support the goals of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

The nuclear test ban treaty adopted 25 years ago has already established a powerful norm against atomic testing, achieving near‑universal compliance before its entry into force, speakers told the Security Council today, denouncing just one country for being the only violator in this century.