Disarmament Week 2021: History, Significance and All You Need to Know

Disarmament Week is observed annually to promote the awareness and understanding the issues of disarmament in several countries. The week aims to reduce the use of weapons, specifically nuclear weapons, to bring peace in the society. This year, the disarmament week will be starting on October 24. The week-long observance will continue till October 30.

The United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) was set up in 1952 under the UN Security Council with a mandate to prepare proposals for a treaty for the regulation, limitation and balanced reduction of all armed forces including the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction.

The observance of Disarmament Week was initiated by the United Nations. The observance of disarmament week was first suggested in the Final Document of the UN General Assembly’s special session on disarmament in 1978. October 24 also marks the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.

In 1995, the General Assembly proposed the idea to several governments and the NGOs and asked them to actively participate in Disarmament Week. The idea was aimed at building understanding of disarmament issues among the people. In 2019, for the first time, the disarmament week was led by the women at the United Nations office in Geneva.

During the Disarmament Week, the UN along with the participating countries and NGOs propagates the idea of humanity, protecting civilians, promoting sustainable development, fostering confidence and trust among participant nations which help in preventing armed conflicts.

The protection of the people from the harm of the weapons is widely discussed during this week. In order to create a safer and secure world, countries have been observing disarmament week every year. The UN has played a major role in disarmament of nuclear weapons which has minimized crises and armed conflicts across the globe.

It is believed that the border tensions and the issues are better resolved through political and diplomatic channels than by the weapons.

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