The UN Disarmament Week 2021 will be observed from 24th October 2021 to 30th October 2021.
Background:
i.The Final Document of the General Assembly’s 1978 special session on disarmament called for the week-long annual observance ‘Disarmament Week’ starting from 24th October the anniversary of the founding of the UN.
ii.In 1995, the UNGA invited the governments and non-governmental organisations to take part in Disarmament Week.
Disarmament:
Disarmament is the act of reducing, limiting, or abolishing weapons and it often refers to the total elimination of mass destruction weapons like nuclear weapons.
An Agenda for disarmament:
In 2018, UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched ‘Securing our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament’, outlining a vision of disarmament actions to support sustainable peace and security for all.
four key pillars of the agenda:
- Disarmament that saves humanity
- Disarmament that saves lives
- Disarmament for future generations
- Strengthening partnerships for disarmament
Disarmament and SDG:
Disarmament and arms control plays a major role in achieving the sustainable development goal(SDG) 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
About United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs(UNODA):
UNODA, formerly known as the Department for Disarmament Affairs, was renamed in 2007.
High Representative– Izumi Nakamitsu
Headquarters– New York, USA
Established in January 1998