Disarmament Week (22-28 October)

The annual observance of Disarmament Week, which begins on the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, was called for in the Final Document of the General Assembly 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2). States were invited to highlight the danger of the arms race, propagate the need for its cessation and increase public understanding of the urgent tasks of disarmament.

In 1995, the General Assembly invited governments, as well as NGOs, to continue taking an active part in Disarmament Week (resolution 50/72 B, 12 December 1995). It invited the Secretary-General to continue using United Nations information entities as widely as possible, to promote a better understanding among the public of disarmament problems, and the aims of the Week.

"Lack of progress on the disarmament and non-proliferation agenda within the United Nations arena is troubling."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Organization, 2012

Additional links:

• UN Disarmament Week website
• Global Issues: Disarmament
• Disarmament Education
• UN Observances