International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2026; March 5th.

 

  FORUM: "Designing a World without Nuclear Weapons" International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2026. The observance seeks to promote better awareness and understanding of disarmament issues among the public, especially young people. Since the founding of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation in conventional weapons and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons jeopardizes international peace and security and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is seriously endangering civilians. New and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, pose a challenge to global security and have received increased attention from the international community in recent years. Why Do You think disarmament is important?; Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #IDDNPA, #Disarmament, #disarmamentawarenessday, #5march, #nonproliferationawarenessday #VCS, #peaceandsecurity.

Statement of the United Nations Secretary-General on the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2026; March 5th.

Our dream of peace is in peril.

The threat of nuclear weapons use is the highest in decades. Global tensions are pushing military spending to stratospheric levels. Small arms and light weapons are proliferating. And emerging technologies are making conflicts even deadlier.

We must lower the temperature. On this International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, I urge leaders to step back from the brink. Stop rattling the nuclear saber. Halt the arms races.

It’s time to invest in the architecture of peace, not the tools of war. That means living up to disarmament obligations. Rebuilding trust. And strengthening the systems and tools that prevent the proliferation, testing and use of deadly weapons.

Together, we can prevent catastrophes and ensure a safe and peaceful world for all.

António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General.

 

EVENTS: Find below the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2026 events open to the public, both hybrid and in-person events, along with the way to register.

Interactive Exhibit on Military Expenditure.
Monday, March 2nd, 2026, Starting at 1:30PM CET.

In-person attendance in the Rotunda of the UN Vienna International Centre*

From 2 to 6 March, the Rotunda of the Vienna International Centre (VIC) will host an interactive “ballot-box” installation inviting visitors to cast their vote on global spending priorities. With global military expenditures having reached a record of $2.7 trillion in 2024, this installation creates a space to reflect on how resources are allocated — and how they could be redirected toward sectors such as education, health and climate action. The installation will open on 2 March at 1:30 PM CET with welcoming remarks by the Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan, the Chief of the UNODA Vienna Office and Olamide Samuels (ONN), followed by a performance by the UN Choir and a reception.

Accessing the legacy of the Special Sessions of the General Assembly devoted to Disarmament.
Tuesday, 3 March 2026, starting at 9am EST.
Hybrid event with in-person attendance on the 15th Floor of the Secretariat Building, Room 1520**.
Register to participate!

The United Nations General Assembly has held three Special Sessions on Disarmament (SSOD), which fundamentally shaped the disarmament architecture and the subsequent discussions within it. Despite repeated calls since 1995, including recently in the Pact for the Future, a fourth special session remains elusive. This event examines the lasting impact of these sessions and explores a critical question: can the international community overcome current divisions to convene SSOD-IV?

Implications of the Secretary-General’s Report on Military Expenditure for Asia and the Pacific.
Thursday, 5 March – 10:15am UTC +5:45 (Nepal Time) – Virtual Event
Register to participate!

This virtual briefing will discuss the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on military expenditure, “The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future.” Participants will hear key findings from the report and learn from regional experts about what they mean for peace, security, and sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. This briefing is the first session of UNRCPD’s 2026 regional briefing series and is open to a general audience, including academia, think tanks, civil society and youth, and interested members of the public.

More info: https://www.unrcpd.org/iddnpa1

 On Thursday, from 5 March to 3PM EST -  Launch of UNODA Occasional Paper No. 47 – Revisiting Consensus in Multilateral Disarmament Discussions: Trends, Challenges and the Way Forward.

In-Person attendance in the First Floor Reading Room of the Dag Hammarskjöld Library*
Registration to participate!

The Occasional Papers series was developed to give wider dissemination of input from expert panels and seminars, sponsored by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA). In this Occasional Paper, Adedeji Ebo (Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs) and Katherine Prizeman (Political Affairs Officer in UNODA's Science, Technology and International Security Unit) explore the role that consensus has played in specific, recent disarmament discussions and offer some recommendations on the way forward.

Read Occasional Paper No. 47 here.

Interactive Exhibit on Military Expenditure – Schwedenplatz, Vienna
Thursday, 5 March – Afternoon
In-person attendance at Schwedenplatz

A second edition of the interactive “ballot-box” installation will take place at Schwedenplatz, in the afternoon, bringing the conversation beyond the United Nations and into the public square. Open to all, the exhibit invites participants to cast their ballots on where global spending priorities should lie.

Other events: We will also be hosting events targeted at the youth:

UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) Meets with Students from Togo

On 5 March, the UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) will convene with high school students from the Sacré-Coeur Avépozo Institute to discuss small arms and light weapons and autonomous weapons systems. This represents a key moment to mobilize Togolese youth against illicit arms proliferation and towards a safer future!

Follow along on X @odaunrec!

UN Office for Disarmament Affairs Meets with Students from Hiroshima, Japan

On the sideline of the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, on 6 March, UNODA will convene with high school students from Hiroshima to discuss the Office’s work. Youth lead the way in advancing disarmament and peacebuilding efforts!

*A VIC Grounds Pass is required to attend this event.

**A UNHQ Grounds Pass is required to attend this event

Story from a young peace activist.

Suzuka Nakamura, a Japanese peace activist and third‑generation hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) from Nagasaki, has been advocating for a world free of nuclear weapons since high school. Selected as one of the UN Youth Office's 17 Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2025-2027, she is now determined to create a mobile atomic bomb museum as a new way to bring the urgent call for nuclear disarmament to communities across the world.

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2024; March 5th.

FORUM: "It’s time to stop the madness. We need disarmament now!." International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2024. Since the founding of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation in conventional weapons and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons jeopardizes international peace and security and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is seriously endangering civilians. New and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, pose a challenge to global security and have received increased attention from the international community in recent years. Why Do You think disarmement is important?; Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #IDDNPA2024, #Disarmament, #disarmamentawarenessday, #5march, #nonproliferationawarenessday #VCS, #peaceandsecurity.

EVENTS: Activities to Commemorate the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Day 2024.

During the Month of March; A Conversation Series event on reducing the human cost of weapons through a gender lens, with a focus on conventional arms. A Vienna Conversation Series event, planned in cooperation with the Diplomatic Academy Vienna, the Austrian Research Association, and the Kyrgyz Republic, seeks to raise awareness on the role of disarmament in advancing international peace and reducing the human cost of weapons, with a focus on conventional arms. The event also seeks to make a link to International Women’s Day (8 March), highlighting the gendered impact of weapons, as well as the importance of women’s full and equal representation in disarmament processes.


From February 28th to March 8th 2024- You’re invited to participate to a interactive game entitled ’’Visibility among the Vienna community”. The Office for Disarmament Affairs’ (ODA) in Vienna will be kicking off a series of activities to mark the International Day. There will be an exhibition booth at the Rotunda of the Vienna International Center, featuring educational materials on the human cost of weapons, an interactive game on disarmament facts and fiction, and short videos. Social media activities, including ODA’s e-learning opportunities, will continue during the week.


On March 25th 2024; The Cine-ONU screening of the BBC documentary “Nuclear Armageddon: How Close Are We?”. The Vienna Office is partnering with UNIS Vienna Cine-ONU’s initiative to screen the BBC documentary, “Nuclear Armageddon: How Close Are We?”. It will be followed by a panel discussion. Open to public, this event aims to raise awareness on the importance of nuclear disarmament.


On March 5th 2024; A Online Public Social Campaign on the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Background Observed. On the International Day, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) will launch a social campaign to raise awareness on disarmament. The campaign will be kick off with video messages from UN Resident Coordinators in Asia-Pacific. The public can post video responses to Why do you think disarmament is important?” on social media using the hashtag #IDDNPA2024.


On March 5th 2024; You are invited to participate to the Youth for Humanitarian Disarmament contest. Mexico, in its capacity as the President of the 12th Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, will launch a youth contest “Igniting change – Youth for Humanitarian Disarmament: Advancing the goals of the Convention on Cluster Munitions”. The contest calls on young people worldwide to share their thoughts, insights and perspectives on the unacceptable harm caused by the use of cluster munitions, focusing on three main themes: risk education, humanitarian disarmament, and the Sustainable Development Goals. For more information on how to join the Youth for Humanitarian Disarmament contest, please click here. Register here to participate in person or online.

 Statement of the Secretary-General on the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2024; March 5th.

This second International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness comes at a perilous moment, marked by rising levels of military spending, deepening geopolitical tensions and growing violent conflicts across the globe.

Meanwhile, some leaders are using apocalyptic rhetoric on the use of nuclear weapons. The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, the use of explosive devices in populated areas, and the growing military application of new and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are also serious concerns.

Today reminds us that disarmament and non-proliferation are critical not only to a peaceful future, but to our very existence.

Global leaders must invest in peace by strengthening the systems and tools that prevent the proliferation and use of deadly weapons — including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — and by developing disarmament solutions.

The proposed New Agenda for Peace includes new strategies and approaches to eliminate the threats posed by nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and other emerging dangers, such as autonomous weapons systems.

On this important day, let us speak with one loud, clear and united voice.

It’s time to stop the madness. We need disarmament now.

António Guterres.

COVENTION ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS

Advancing the goals on the cluster munition convention

International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2023; March 5th.

FORUM: "The role of disarmament education as a tool for peace and security." International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2023.

Since the founding of the United Nations, the goals of multilateral disarmament and arms limitation have been central to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. Weapons of mass destruction, in particular nuclear weapons, continue to be of primary concern, owing to their destructive power and the threat that they pose to humanity. The excessive accumulation in conventional weapons and the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons jeopardizes international peace and security and sustainable development, while the use of explosive weapons in populated areas is seriously endangering civilians. New and emerging weapon technologies, such as autonomous weapons, pose a challenge to global security and have received increased attention from the international community in recent years. Follow the conversation with the hastags: #disarmamentawarenessday, #5march, #nonproliferationawarenessday #VCS, #peaceandsecurity.

Statement from the U.N. Secretary-General on International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness 2023; March 5th.

On this first-ever International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, the global community gathers around a fundamental conviction.

Nuclear, chemical, biological, and unpredictable autonomous and other indiscriminate weapon systems have no place in our world.

Yet today, these and other threats continue to menace humanity, with record levels of military spending, rising mistrust, and geopolitical tensions that, left unchecked, could spiral into even greater conflict.

In particular, the number of nuclear weapons held in stockpiles around the world remains at around 13,000 — more than enough to destroy our planet many times over at a time when risk of use is at its highest since the Cold War.

On this important day, I call on all partners — from governments and academia, to media, civil society groups, industry, and young people — to turn up the volume on this collective emergency and raise awareness about the critical importance of disarmament and non-proliferation to humanity’s future.

I also urge leaders to take steps to strengthen the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime — including the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons — and support a New Agenda for Peace with a reinvigorated vision for disarmament.

Disarmament and non-proliferation are investments in peace.

They are investments in our future.

Let’s end these threats before they end us.

António Guterres.

EVENTS: Activities to Commemorate the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness Day 2023.


- Inaugural online launch event (1 March 2023)

To mark the first-ever International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs will co-host a virtual launch event on Wednesday 1 March, from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm (EST). Distinguished speakers including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and the President of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly will deliver opening remarks for the launch event, which will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A from participants. 

Distinguished speakers including the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and the President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly will deliver opening remarks for the event, which will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A from participants.

MODERATOR
• H.E. Ms. Aida Kasymalieva
Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN

OPENING REMARKS
• H.E. Mr. Zheenbek Kulubaev
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic
• H.E. Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu
UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
• H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi
President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly

PANELLISTS
• H.E. Mr. Ishikane Kimihiro
Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN
• Ms. Maria Antonieta Jaquez Huacuja
Director for Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
• Mr. William Potter
Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
• Ms. Naomi Ekpoki
UN Youth Champion for Disarmament
• Mere Tuilau
Manager, Reverse The Trend Pacific, Marshallese Educational Initiative's Pacific Campaign, Fiji

Register here.

- Vienna Conversation Series event “Advancements in Science & Technology: Leveraging disarmament education towards greater diversity and inclusion” (2 March 2023)

On 2 March from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (CET), Member States, academia and civil society representatives will explore the impact of advances in science and technology on international peace and security through the lens of diversity and inclusion. They will also reflect on how the power of disarmament education may be leveraged to engage more stakeholders, especially new generations, in an inclusive and sustained manner. This event is organized by the UNODA Vienna Office in partnership with the Permanent Missions of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in Vienna. Register here.

- #ClickDISARM Campaign

In a countdown to the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness on 5 March, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs’ #Youth4Disarmament initiative has launched the #ClickDISARM campaign to highlight a variety of ways for young people to get involved in awareness-raising activities for disarmament issues. As part of the initiative, various features of the #Youth4Disarmament website will be highlighted, using each letter of “DISARM” to spotlight the different avenues available to: Demystify, Innovate, Share, Amplify, Research, and Motivate.

The campaign will be launched and conducted on the #Youth4Disarmament Instagram page.

- Launch of the 2023 Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship (3 March 2023)

The Geneva Branch of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs will launch the 2023 Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship in the framework of the first International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness celebrations. The online launch event on 3 March aims to present the Fellowship, the application process and the programme with managers and experts supporting the initiative and alumni.

FACTS AND FIGURES:

• Did you know that in 2021, global military spending reached $2.1 trillion? 
• 12,700 nuclear weapons remain an existential threat to humanity today. 
• 26,000 people can be treated for malaria for the price of 1 battle tank. 

Here are some outreach materials.

CAMPAIGN: Raise awareness on the opportunities provided to engage, educate, and empower young people on disarmament.