Research Guides: Conference Primer: Disarmament / Guide de conférences : le désarmement: 2023

Conference on Disarmament / Conférence du désarmement

Conference on Disarmament - official website / Conférence du désarmement - site Internet officiel

High-level segment (27 February - 3 March)
CD 2023 Overview
- Part I of the 2023 Session - 23 January 31 March
- High Level Segment: 27 February - 3 March
- Part II of the 2022 Session - 15 May - 30 June
- Part III of the 2022 Session - 31 July - 15 September
Documents 2023
CD 2023 Meeting place
Statements by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu
All statements, current and past years
Conference on Disarmament - Official website
Listen Live | Live Meeting stream at The United Nations Office Geneva | UN GENEVA

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) - Including LAWS

Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (2023) | 6 - 10 March 2023
The 2023 Meeting of the High Contracting to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) decided that "The Group of Governmental Experts of the High Contracting Parties related to emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), for a duration of 10 days, from 6 to 10 March 2023, and from 15 to 19 May 2023" (CCW/MSP/2022/7, paragraph 37 (b)). The Meeting also adopted the relevant cost estimates for 2023 as contained in CCW/MSP/2022/5.
GGE on LAWS (2023) | Documents
Resource Guide on Conventional Weapons from UN Geneva Library

Arms Trade Treaty

Arms Trade Treaty: 2nd Working Group and Preparatory Meeting, 9-12 May 2023
Palais des Nations (Tempus), Geneva
1st Working Group and Preparatory Meeting, 14-17 February 2023
Palais des Nations, Geneva.
UN Web TV recordings of February 2023 meetings
The Arms Trade Treaty - Homepage
Promoting responsibility in international transfers of conventional arms
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The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is an international treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional arms and seeks to prevent and eradicate illicit trade and diversion of conventional arms by establishing international standards governing arms transfers.
The Treaty came into force on 24 December 2014. At this stage the Treaty has a total of 112 States Parties and 29 States that have signed but not yet ratified the Treaty.

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

Ninth Review Conference
28 November to 16 December 2022
Conference Primers Pro - BWC 9th Review Conference
Ninth Review Conference | Documents
Ninth Review Conference | Statements

Webcast recordings

From the UN Library&Archives, Geneva

Biological Weapons Convention Formal Consultative Meeting (Guide)
Guide edited by the UN Library

United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)

25th Anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty
21 September 1997: Adoption of the Convention
3 & 4 December 1997: Signing of the Convention begins
UN Mine Action
Established in 1997, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) works to eliminate the threat posed by mines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices by coordinating United Nations mine action, leading operational responses at the country level, and in support of peace operations, as well as through the development of standards, policies and norms.
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As a specialized service of the United Nations located within the Department of Peace Operations, UNMAS operates under UN legislative mandates of both the General Assembly and the Security Council. UNMAS also responds to specific requests for support from the UN Secretary-General or designated official.

Convention on Cluster Munitions / Convention sur les armes à sous-munitions

Tenth Meeting of States Parties (10MSP) 30 August - 2 September 2022

UN, NGOs and Media reporting on

Conference on Disarmament Concludes High-Level Segment
Hears From Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Kenya, South Africa on behalf of the Group of 21 and Algeria The Conference on Disarmament this afternoon concluded its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Türkiye, Kenya, South Africa on behalf of the Group of 21 and Algeria.
UN Geneva News, 2 March 2023
Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment
Hears From the Russian Federation, Pakistan, Mexico, Poland, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Ukraine, Colombia and Spain The Conference on Disarmament this morning continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from the Russian Federation, Pakistan, Mexico, Poland, Egypt, India, Nigeria, Ukraine, Colombia and Spain.
UN Geneva News, 2 March 2023
Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment
Hears From Brazil, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Cuba Speaking were Paulino Franco de Carvalho Neto, Ambassador Secretary for Multilateral Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil; Nanaia Mahuta, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Disarmament and Arms Control of New Zealand; Nikolay Milkov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria; Nabil Ammar, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad; and Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba.
UN Geneva News, 1 March 2023
Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment
The Conference on Disarmament this afternoon continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Zimbabwe, Australia, Romania, the Slovak Republic and Venezuela.
UN Geneva News, 28 February 2023
Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment
Hears From Belarus, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Italy, Syrian Arab Republic, Iran, Japan, the European Union, South Africa, and Senegal The Conference on Disarmament this morning continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Republic of Korea, Italy, Syrian Arab Republic, Iran, Japan, the European Union, South Africa, and Senegal.
UN Geneva News, 28 February 2023
Conference on Disarmament Continues High-Level Segment
The Conference on Disarmament this afternoon continued its high-level segment, hearing statements by dignitaries from Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Malaysia, Ecuador and Argentina.
UN Geneva News, 27 February 2023
Conference on Disarmament Opens High-Level Segment
The Conference on Disarmament this morning opened its high-level segment, hearing statements by the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs and dignitaries from Ethiopia, Ireland, France, Peru, Sweden, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Iraq and Indonesia.
UN Geneva News, 27 February 2023
Russia in firing line at top UN rights, disarmament meets
Russia faced strong criticism over its action in Ukraine on Monday as the top UN rights body and a global disarmament forum met, amid warnings that rights worldwide were backsliding.
Article includes videos.
France 24, 27 February 2023
Tatiana Valovaya: the Conference on Disarmament Needs to be Modernised to Correspond to the Rapidly Evolving Strategic Security Environment
Tatiana Valovoya, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament and Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, today told the Conference that while the historical significance of the Conference was recognised, it also needed to be modernised to correspond to the rapidly evolving strategic security environment.
26 January 2023
Conference on Disarmament Holds First Plenary of its 2023 Session
The Conference on Disarmament today held the first plenary of its 2023 session, hearing addresses by the President of the Conference and a number of States. The Conference also adopted its agenda for the 2023 session.
24 January 2023
Conference on Disarmament to Hold First Public Plenary of its 2023 Session on Tuesday, 24 January
The Conference on Disarmament, the world's single multilateral disarmament negotiating forum, will hold the first public plenary of its 2023 session on Tuesday, 24 January. The 2023 session of the Conference on Disarmament will be divided up into three successive parts, from 23 January to 31 March, from 15 May to 30 June, and from 31 July to 15 September. The first plenary meeting will start at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 24 January in room XIX. Public meetings can be followed in-person or through listen-live.unog.ch.
UN Geneva News, 20 January 2023
Conference on Disarmament Concludes 2022 Session
The Conference on Disarmament, the world's single multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, today concluded its 2022 session after adopting an annual report to the General Assembly.
UN Geneva News, 16 September 2022

Biological weapons conference sets sights on ending 20-year ‘verification’ deadlock - Geneva Solutions
From 28 November to 16 December 2022, hundreds of delegates will gather in Geneva for a major meeting of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) under the shadow of the Ukraine war and Russia’s unproven claims of US-funded biological warfare labs in the country. Against this tense geopolitical backdrop, a renewed sense of urgency has surfaced to solve a decades-long deadlock over how to check countries are not breaking the rules.
Geneva Solutions, 28 November 2022 - updated 29 November 2022
‘Critical opportunity’ to protect against biological warfare, countries hear
The international community should push ahead with stalled plans to prevent biological weapons from being developed in the wake of COVID-19, the UN’s top disarmament official insisted on Monday.
UN News, 28 November 2022

AI weapons: Russia’s war in Ukraine shows why the world must enact a ban
Conflict pressures are pushing the world closer to autonomous weapons that can kill without human control. Researchers and the international community must join forces to prohibit them.
Nature, 23 February 2023

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APLC)

Twentieth Meeting of the States Parties, 21 - 25 November 2022
Colombia was elected at the Nineteenth Meeting of the States Parties (19MSP) in November 2021 in The Hague. Colombia's Presidency began at the conclusion of the 19MSP and will conclude at the end of the Twentienth Meeting of the States Parties.
Documents for the Twentieth Meeting of the State Parties
APLC Newsroom
More about The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction
The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (also known as Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Ottawa Convention, or Mine Ban Treaty) is the cornerstone of the international effort to end the suffering and casualties caused by anti-personnel mines.

More on Disarmament / En savoir plus sur le désarmement

From the UN Library & Archives Geneva / Bibliothèque & Archives de l'ONU Genève

Bertha von Suttner, A Woman Ahead of Her Time
by Rachel Forman Last Updated Oct 7, 2022 51 views this year
Biological Weapons
by Rachel Forman Last Updated Feb 16, 2023 264 views this year
Chemical Weapons
by UN Geneva Library Last Updated Feb 16, 2023 100 views this year
Conference Primer: Disarmament / Guide de conférences : le désarmement
by UN Geneva Knowledge & Learning Commons Last Updated Mar 6, 2023 407 views this year
Conventional Weapons and the Arms Trade
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Disarmament: Global Issues
by UN Geneva Library Last Updated Aug 24, 2022 236 views this year
Landmines and Explosive Remnants of War
by UN Libraries Last Updated Mar 30, 2021 0 views this year
League of Nations: Disarmament
by United Nations Archives Geneva Last Updated Nov 17, 2022 1130 views this year
Nuclear Weapons
by UN Geneva Library Last Updated Feb 16, 2023 143 views this year
Science & Emerging Technology
by Rachel Forman Last Updated Feb 16, 2023 68 views this year

Other resources / Autres ressources

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
UN Disarmament Education
Disarmament treaties database
Disarmament-related events
Disarmament fact sheets
UNODA Occasional papers
The UNODA Occasional Papers series has been developed to give wider dissemination of input from expert panels and seminars sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA).
UNODA publications
UNODA spotlight
Disarmament Explainers
Disarmament Education Courses
United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2021: Part I
The United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, Volume 46 (Part I): 2021 is a compilation of the resolutions and decisions of the 76th session of the General Assembly, the voting patterns in the General Assembly and the First Committee, lead sponsors, sponsors and co-sponsors, references to First Committee report and dates of adoption.
United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2021: Part II
Summarizes developments and trends in 2021 on key issues of multilateral consideration at the internationaland regional levels. Reviews the activities of the General Assembly, the Conference on Disarmament and the Disarmament Commission. Contains a timeline that highlights events in multilateral disarmament in 2021. Has a foreword written by the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

Action on Armed Violence

UNODA Meetings Place and General Information / Conférences et informations générales, Bureau des affaires de désarmement

Portal for official and other disarmament meetings
A Disarmament Agenda / Un agenda pour le désarmement
Disponible en ligne dans les six langues officielles des Nations Unies
Disarmament: A Basic Guide – Fourth Edition (2017)
PDF versions in عربي | 中文 | English | Français | Русский | Español

Conference Primer: Disarmament / Guide de conférences : le désarmement: 2023

Highlights / Sous les projecteurs

Conference On Disarmament 2023, 1st Part

23 January - 31 March 2023, Geneva
High-Level Segment: 27 February - 3 March

Mobile-friendly Information Package for Delegates

On this page

Conference on Disarmament / Conférence du désarmement

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) - Including LAWS

Arms Trade Treaty

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)

Convention on Cluster Munitions / Convention sur les armes à sous-munitions

UN, NGOs and Media reporting on

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APLC)

More on Disarmament / En savoir plus sur le désarmement

Disarmament Tweets

Action on Armed Violence

UNODA Meetings Place and General Information / Conférences et informations générales, Bureau des affaires de désarmement

DISCLAIMER: This site contains links and references to third-party resources. It does not imply the endorsement of the content by the United Nations.

For more information about Commons events, products, and services: commons.ungeneva.org / Email: commons [at] un.org

Conference Primer: Disarmament / Guide de conférences : le désarmement: 2023

Highlights / Sous les projecteurs

Conference On Disarmament 2023, 1st Part

23 January - 31 March 2023, Geneva High-Level Segment: 27 February - 3 March

Mobile-friendly Information Package for Delegates

On this page

Conference on Disarmament / Conférence du désarmement

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) - Including LAWS

Arms Trade Treaty

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS)

Convention on Cluster Munitions / Convention sur les armes à sous-munitions

UN, NGOs and Media reporting on

Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APLC)

More on Disarmament / En savoir plus sur le désarmement

Disarmament Tweets

Action on Armed Violence

UNODA Meetings Place and General Information / Conférences et informations générales, Bureau des affaires de désarmement

DISCLAIMER: This site contains links and references to third-party resources. It does not imply the endorsement of the content by the United Nations.

For more information about Commons events, products, and services: commons.ungeneva.org / Email: commons [at] un.org

23 January - 31 March 2023, Geneva
High-Level Segment: 27 February - 3 March