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UNIDIR

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is a voluntarily funded autonomous institute within the United Nations. An impartial actor, the Institute generates ideas and promotes action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR is centrally positioned to assist the international community in developing the practical, innovative thinking needed to find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
AN ILLUSION OF SAFETY NUCLEAR

An Illusion of Safety

Challenges of Nuclear Weapon Detonations for United Nations Humanitarian Coordination and Response

10 Sep 2014
There is renewed and deep international concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from the detonation of nuclear weapons in populated areas. Yet 25 years after the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence remain central to the security doctrines...
VIEWING NUCLEAR WEAPONS HUMAN LENS

Viewing Nuclear Weapons through a Humanitarian Lens

15 Dec 2013
There is renewed and deep international concern about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences that would result from the detonation of nuclear weapons in populated areas. Yet 25 years after the end of the Cold War, nuclear weapons and nuclear deterrence remain central to the security doctrines...
MULT NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE LONG

Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

A Long Road Ahead

30 Dec 2011
The world continues to wrestle with the dual nature of nuclear energy. The proliferation risks stemming from the spread of sensitive technologies point to the need for a multilateral approach to the nuclear fuel cycle. Taking the dangerous aspects of nuclear energy out of national hands and placi...
MULT NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE FIRST

Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

The First Practical Steps

21 Sep 2011
This book uses three examples of Nuclear Fuel projects to analyze the experience gained so far to help the way forward for multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle. Lately, governments, the nuclear industry and non-governmental organizations have put forward a dozen proposals regarding m...
MULT NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE NPT BARGN

Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Helping to Fulfil the NPT Grand Bargain

8 Nov 2010
This study addresses the security risks to a world without nuclear weapons that could come from nuclear fuel-cycle technologies and what could be done to mitigate those risks. It examines what role multilateral fuelcycle arrangements could play in ensuring that progress towards complete nuclear d...
SEARCHING AID EFFECTIVEN SMALL

Searching for Aid Effectiveness in Small Arms Assistance

15 Jun 2010
States and organizations recognize the centrality of international assistance to help states prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW). However, addressing SALW remains a serious challenge for many states. States and organizations have yet to tackle i...
MULT NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE NEED

Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

The Need to Build Trust

12 May 2010
The success of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle depends on their political acceptability. The central problem hampering progress toward a multilateral approach is distrust among states. There are no technical or legal questions that cannot be resolved in due course—the problem of...
UNACCEPTABLE HARM

Unacceptable Harm

A History of How the Treaty to Ban Cluster Munitions was Won

29 Dec 2009
Cluster munitions saturate areas with explosive force. These weapons pose danger to civilians because they are prone to indiscriminate effect at time of use and because they create a hazardous residue of unexploded submunitions. In May 2008, 107 states adopted a treaty banning cluster munitions –...
MULT NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ASSES

Multilateralization of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle

Assessing the Existing Proposals

27 Jun 2009
Global energy demands are driving a potential expansion in the use of nuclear energy worldwide. It is estimated that the global nuclear power capacity could double by 2030. This could result in dissemination of sensitive nuclear technologies that present obvious risks of proliferation. Certain in...
UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Unfinished Business

The Negotiation of the CTBT and the End of Nuclear Testing

20 Apr 2009
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) remains a key piece of unfinished business of the nuclear age. As a growing number of governments and decision makers put forward ideas to move the world toward abolishing nuclear weapons, much can be learnt from how the CTBT was fought for, oppose...
VALUE DIVERSITY MULTILAT DISARMAM

The Value of Diversity in Multilateral Disarmament Work

22 Jan 2009
Success has been hard to attain in recent years in multilateral disarmament and arms control work. Besides political problems, obstacles to progress can be the unintended consequences of past practice, or they can stem from the complex challenges those involved must deal with. Aspects of multilat...
IMPLEMENT UN PROGRAM SMALL ARMS

Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons

Analysis of the National Reports Submitted by States from 2002 to 2008

8 Jan 2009
This report analyzes national implementation of the Program of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA). It highlights national policies and practices, identifies gaps or inadequacies, and presents recommendations both of a...
SECURITY IN SPACE THE NEXT GENERA

Security in Space

The Next Generation (Conference Report, 31 March–1 April 2008)

8 Jan 2009
“Security in Space: The Next Generation” is the seventh annual conference held by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research on the issue of space security, the peaceful uses of outer space and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. This conference looked at ways to build trust...
CELEBRATING THE SPACE AGE 50 YRS

Celebrating the Space Age

50 Years of Space Technology, 40 Years of the Outer Space Treaty - Conference Report, 2–3 April 2007

28 Dec 2007
This publication contains the proceedings of the 2007 conference “Celebrating the Space Age: 50 Years of Space Technology, 40 Years of the Outer Space Treaty” on the issue of space security, the peaceful uses of outer space and the prevention of an arms race in outer space. Participants discussed...
DEVELOPING A MECHANISM TO PREVENT

Developing a Mechanism to Prevent Illicit Brokering in Small Arms and Light Weapons

Scope and Implications

23 Feb 2007
During the past decade, the problems posed by unregulated arms brokering activities have become an issue of growing concern for governments, international organizations and civil society in the context of international efforts against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. This study ...
EUROPEAN ACTION ON SMALL ARMS

European Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons and Explosive Remnants of War

Final Report

12 Jan 2007
The illicit trade, accumulation and use of small arms and light weapons, and the presence of explosive remnants of war, exacerbate conflict, threaten human life, undermine development and hamper the recovery of war-torn societies. The spread of small arms and their misuse are often related to the...
BUILDING THE ARCHITECTURE FOR

Building the Architecture for Sustainable Space Security

Conference Report 30-31 March 2006

12 Jan 2007
The 2006 conference “Building the Architecture for Sustainable Space Security” is the latest in a series of annual conferences held since 2002 by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in cooperation with a wide range of Member States, research institutes and NGOs. Participants at ...
COSTS OF DISARMAMENT COST BENEFIT

Cost of Disarmament

Cost Benefit Analysis of SALW Destruction Versus Storage (Includes CD-ROM)

20 Oct 2006
The present Cost Benefit Analysis Model was developed in order to allow states to estimate the real costs involved in ammunition and weapon storage. It allows each storage depot to calculate its full running costs, and how much time it would take to break even in terms of the alternative costs of...
CENTURY OF NOBEL PEACE LAUREAT

Century of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, A

From Peace Movements to the United Nations 1901-2005

27 Sep 2006
This publication highlights the work of a selection of thirty-eight Nobel Peace Prize Laureates who strove to promote international peace through the development of organizations from the antecedents of the League of Nations to the United Nations.
BOUND COOPERATE CONFLICT PEACE

Bound to Cooperate

Conflict, Peace and People in Sierra Leone

6 Oct 2006
This book wrestles with fundamental questions of practical disarmament and peace building in Sierra Leone. Although they were written prior to the May-June 2000 upsurge of violence in Freetown that led to the arrest of Foday Sankoh, these incidents underline the relevance of the authors’ analyses...
DISARMAMENT AS HUMANITARIAN ACTION

Disarmament as Humanitarian Action

From Perspective to Practice

30 Jun 2006
Disarmament and arms control challenges are, at root, issues of human security. This volume, the second in the series, provides practical insights from various humanitarian contexts such as the anti-personnel mine ban treaty and international work on explosive remnants of war and small arms. Its ...
FROM RESEARCH TO ROAD MAP LEARNING

From Research to Road Map

Learning from the Arms for Development Initiative in Sierra Leone

2 Jun 2006
This report presents the findings of a 1,200-person survey on small arms and security at the national and district levels in Sierra Leone. A detailed retrospective is also provided on the design and conduct of the survey itself in order to see how such activities might be improved. The analysis c...
SAFEGUARDING SPACE SECURITY PREVE

Safeguarding Space Security

Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (Conference Report, 21-22 March 2005)

21 Apr 2006
Over the years, much has been achieved in ensuring the use of outer space for the benefit of humankind. Yet, while elements of an international legal framework have been put in place, the key problem of the prohibition of deployment of weapons in outer space has not been solved in a comprehensive...
COMMON SECURITY OUTER SPACE & LAW

Common Security in Outer Space and International Law

24 Feb 2006
Outer space is an internationalized common area beyond the national jurisdiction of individual states. Security in space must therefore be the common security of all states. The objective of this analysis is to apply the concept of common security and to explore the legal foundations for its appl...
REGIONAL INITIATIVES NUCLEAR & WMD

Regional Initiatives on Nuclear- and WMD-Free Zones

Cooperative Approaches to Arms Control and Non-proliferation

10 Feb 2006
The initial years of the new millennium have seen little substantive progress in nuclear arms control and indeed many setbacks. Despite these discouraging developments, however, there is still considerable need, and potential, for progress to be made in nuclear arms control at a regional level, n...
LISTENING FOR CHANGE PARTICIPATORY

Listening for Change

Participatory Evaluations of DDR and Arms Reduction in Mali, Cambodia and Albania

18 Nov 2005
Increasingly, as the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of excombatants and community arms reduction programmes have become prevalent features of international efforts of post-conflict reconstruction, donors, implementing agencies and disarmament experts have become interested in asses...