PROGRAMME
2023 Disarmament Orientation Course

18 - 28 September
2023, Geneva,
Palais des Nations

About
The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Geneva Branch of the United
Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) are pleased to host the fifth edition of the Disarmament
Orientation Course.
The course is open to diplomats or officials with responsibilities for disarmament and arms control matters
who recently arrived in Geneva or are to be posted to Geneva within the next six to twelve months. Its
main objectives are to:• Provide practitioners with a basic introduction to the matters that Geneva-based disarmamentand arms control bodies address and seek to advance;• Outline current challenges facing these bodies and processes in today’s security context; and• Draw attention to educational resources available for practitioners.

Structure
The course is structured in five thematic modules, each encompassing in-person discussion sessions,accompanying course material and recommended readings. Cross-cutting issues such as gender, the roleof technology, civil society and youth engagement will be discussed throughout all sessions.
Module 1:
Module 2:Module 3:
Module 4:
Module 5:

Scene-setting: context, main mechanisms, current trends and developments;
Weapons of mass destruction;
Conventional weapons;
Space and missiles;
ICT, AI & Cyber.

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Syllabus 2023
Module 1: Scene-setting: context, main mechanisms, current trends and developments
18 September, 08.00-10.00, H-207, Palais des Nations
At 08.00 am, coffee and a light breakfast will be served at the “Grab’n’go” (continuing down the hall, closeto room H-207) for participants to arrive and get to know each other.
Key learning objectives•••

Understand the relationship and interactions between the global political and security
environment and disarmament diplomacy.
Acquire knowledge about the roles and operations of the key components of the multilateraldisarmament machinery.
Understand linkages between multilateral, regional and national agendas.

Topics••The global security context: An overview of current and recent developments and theirimplications for arms control and disarmament.
Disarmament machinery: the role, history and current situation of the Conference onDisarmament; other mechanisms within and outside the UN.

Module 2: Weapons of mass destruction
20 September, 08.30-10.00, H-207, Palais des Nations
Key learning objectives•••

Understand the key issues and treaties in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, andacquire an overview of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Treaty on theProhibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), verification, and consequences of nuclear weaponsuse.
Understand the key issues and treaties related to biological weapons and acquire an overview
of the challenges and opportunities related to the Biological Weapons Convention.
Acquire knowledge about gender perspectives on WMD.

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Topics••

Biological Weapons Convention
Verification; Science & technology; cooperation in BWC; gender perspectives; consequencesof nuclear weapons use; nuclear numbers; NPT and TPNW.

Module 3: Conventional weapons
21 September, 08.30-10.00, H-207, Palais des Nations
Key learning objectives•Understand the key issues and current developments relating to international Conventions
that prohibit or restrict the use of certain types of conventional weapons.

•Understand the key issues and current developments relating to international treaties andprocesses that regulate the transfer and use of conventional weapons and ammunition.

••••

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
Anti-personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC).
Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM).
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and other processes that regulate the transfer and use ofconventional weapons and ammunition.
Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas (EWIPA).

Topics•Module 4: Space and missiles
25 September, 08.30-10.00, Room V, E-building, Palais des Nations
Key learning objectives••

Understand the key issues and emerging challenges for multilateral governance of space,missiles, and related technologies.
Acquire an overview of current multilateral processes regulating space systems and missile
technologies, and their use

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Topics••

Space: the PAROS process; the Open-Ended Working Group on Space, differing approaches tospace security (legally binding and politically binding mechanisms), advances in dual use
space-related technologies.
Missiles: Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Hague Code of Conduct, hypersonicweapons.

Module 5: ICT, AI and cyber
28 September, 08.30-10.15, H-207, Palais des Nations
Family photo: 10.00
Key learning objectives•

Introduce the different processes and concepts; participants will be familiarized with the mainconcepts surrounding these topics, milestones and significant upcoming events.

•CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), themain concepts relating to LAWS, an overview of proposals made to date on LAWS governanceand information on upcoming processes at the CCW and General Assembly.
The status of current multilateral negotiations in the cyber domain, including a brief historical
recap (OEWG, past GGEs, and a quick mention of the Ad Hoc Committee on cybercrime); themain points of contention in the current OEWG (e.g. International Law and future regularinstitutional dialogue); possible pathways for the remaining 2 years of negotiations under theOEWG.
The integration of AI in the military domain beyond lethal autonomous weapon systems,
including the nascent efforts at the national and international level to move towards
responsible approaches and behaviours.

Topics••4

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