A/74/180

United Nations

General AssemblyDistr.: General
16 July 2019
Original: English

Seventy-fourth session
Item 102 of the preliminary list*
Review of the implementation of therecommendations and decisions adopted by theGeneral Assembly at its tenth special session

United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research
Note by the Secretary-General
The Secretary-General hereby transmits to the General Assembly the report of
the Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research on theactivities of the Institute for the period from June 2018 to April 2019 and the proposed
programme of work and financial plan for 2019 and 2020.
The Board of Trustees of UNIDIR reviewed the report and approved theprogramme of work and financial plans at the seventy-second session of the Advisory
Board on Disarmament Matters, held in New York from 26 to 28 June 2019.
The Board considered that the report of the Director captured the breadth of theInstitute’s current work programme and the increased level of activity currently underway. It welcomed the active engagement of UNIDIR in advancing implementation of
the initiative of the Secretary-General, Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for
Disarmament, as well as the Institute’s forward-looking efforts to integrate arms
control, non-proliferation and disarmament in the 2030 Agenda for sustainable
development. In the light of the demonstrated added value of the work of UNIDIR
for multilateral disarmament processes, the Board encouraged the Director, going
forward, to include details on the impact of the Institute’s work in annual reports andrecommended that future reports cover the calendar year.

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Report of the Director of the United Nations Institute for
Disarmament Research on the activities of the Institute forthe period from June 2018 to April 2019 and the proposed
programme of work and financial plan for 2019 and 2020
Summary
The present report covers the activities and financial status of the United Nations
Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) for the period from June 2018 to April
2019, and the proposed programme of work and financial plan for 2019 and 2020. It
was prepared in accordance with General Assembly resolution 39/148 H, in which theAssembly invited the Director of UNIDIR to report annually to it.
UNIDIR is an autonomous institution within the United Nations that conducts
independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international
security issues. The role of UNIDIR is to support Member States, the United Nations,and policy and research communities in identifying practical measures that contributeto a more sustainable and peaceful world.
Through the delivery of four core services – promoting knowledge, generatingideas, facilitating dialogue and providing advice – UNIDIR serves as a responsive
provider of support to Member States, the disarmament expert community and United
Nations entities. It is a key implementing partner of the initiative of the Secretary General, Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament.
The three-year research agenda of UNIDIR was approved by its Board ofTrustees in June 2018. As noted by the Secretary-General in his report to the General
Assembly on the work of the Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters ( A/73/259), theagenda reflects the Institute’s work in response to the current security environment
and is aimed at identifying pathways to reinvigorate multilateral arms control anddisarmament, including through enhancing linkages between disarmament, prevention
and sustainable development as well as facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue, inparticular, on the implications of new technologies. Through its four work programmes
UNIDIR addresses a balanced range of long-standing and emerging disarmamentissues relevant – and in support of – all Member States and multilateral processes.
On the basis of recommendations contained in the first report of the Secretary General on the Institute in over 15 years ( A/73/284), UNIDIR has initiated reforms to
its structure, operating and financial models in order to establish a more stable andsustainable foundation for the Institute and its activities. Working together with theSecretariat, Member States and other stakeholders, UNIDIR will continue to seek
efficiencies to improve delivery and better respond to the needs of all partners.
As UNIDIR approaches its fortieth anniversary in 2020, a more strategic andstrengthened Institute can help to stimulate and contribute added value to the effortsof States, the United Nations system, regional organizations and the wider expert
community to collectively bring disarmament and arms control back to the centre of
the work of the United Nations.

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I. Introduction
1.
Established in 1980, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research(UNIDIR) is an autonomous institution within the United Nations that conducts
independent research on disarmament and related problems, particularly international
security issues. The role of UNIDIR is to support Member States, the United Nations,and policy and research communities in identifying and promoting practical measuresthat contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world. It carries out that role
through four core services: promoting knowledge, generating ideas, facilitating
dialogue and providing advice.
2.
Over the course of 2018, UNIDIR sought to orient its research and activities to
respond to what is widely recognized as a crisis in multilateral arms c ontrol and tosupport efforts to preserve and advance progress on long-standing as well as emerging
disarmament subjects. In May 2018, the Secretary-General launched his initiative,
Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament, in which he outlines a
set of practical measures across the range of disarmament issues, including weaponsof mass destruction, conventional arms and future weapon technologies. In the
Agenda for Disarmament, the Secretary-General underscores the need for new ideas
and reinvigorated dialogue to create new momentum for progress on disarmament. As
part of that effort, the Agenda contains a call for UNIDIR to play a greater strategicrole in disarmament processes and deliberations and to take forward more than 10 of
40 proposed actions.
3.
It was also a year of profound review of UNIDIR operations, administration andfinancing. In 2015, the General Assembly, in paragraph 10 of its resolution 70/69,
requested the Secretary-General to present at its seventy-third session a report on asustainable and stable funding structure and operating model for UNIDIR, on thebasis of an independent, third-party assessment. In that report (A/73/284) – the firston UNIDIR in over 15 years – the Secretary-General noted the important contributionthat the Institute could make to encouraging momentum and potential progress on key
disarmament issues and highlighted the independent assessment ’s finding that thecredibility, independence, relevance, reach and convening power of UNIDIR
represented a unique asset for multilateral disarmament processes. The reportcontained a number of recommendations regarding the Institute ’s research agenda,
cost structure, staffing and financing. UNIDIR launched an ambitious internal change
management plan in late 2018 to implement the recommendations and to strengthen
its capacity to contribute to broader efforts to adapt multilateral arms control tochanging patterns of warfare, new political and strategic challenges, and risks arisingfrom technological innovations.
4.
As UNIDIR approaches its fortieth anniversary in 2020, a more strategic,
strengthened and responsive Institute will continue to assist States, the Secretaria t,
the United Nations and other stakeholders to address the complexity of theinternational security environment through the proactive delivery of policy -relevant
information, ideas, dialogue and advice, thereby contributing to the call contained in
the Agenda for Disarmament to bring disarmament back to the centre of the work of
the United Nations.

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II. Programme of work
A.

Performance and status of implementation of activities for theperiod from June 2018 to April 20191.

Research agenda and programmes of the Institute
5.
In June 2018, following the endorsement by the Board of Trustees (A/73/259,
paras. 85–88), the Institute established a three-year strategic research agenda. The
agenda is aimed at responding to long-standing security challenges and at supporting
multilateral efforts to address new issues, identify new approaches and engage withnew actors. It reflects the priorities identified in the Agenda for Disarmament and thecall to mainstream disarmament across the work of the Organization, including the2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The importance of multi-stakeholder
engagement with the United Nations, regional organizations, civil society, researchand private sector partners for effective policy responses is a cross-cutting theme of
the UNIDIR research agenda.
6.
The research agenda comprises four programmes: conventional arms; weaponsof mass destruction and other strategic weapons; security and technology; and genderand disarmament. The structure reflects the recommendation contained in the reportof the Secretary-General (A/73/284) that UNIDIR establish a multi-year research
agenda. By adopting that model, UNIDIR is creating th e conditions for investing inexpertise, intellectual leadership and sustained engagement on sp ecific topics, whileproviding flexibility to respond to evolving events and the needs of Member States,
regional organizations and United Nations processes. The programmatic model also
serves to increase the transparency and visibility of UNIDIR work whil e promoting
economies of scale particularly with regard to monitoring, evaluation and donor
reporting. The Institute’s internal structure has been aligned with the four
programmes.
7.
During the reporting period, UNIDIR convened over 57 workshops, seminar s,
conferences and events and produced over 30 publications, covering subjects as
varied as the changing role of conventional arms control in preventing and mana gingviolent conflicts, nuclear disarmament verification, the weaponization of increasingly
autonomous technologies to gender-responsive action in the Convention on theProhibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti -Personnel Minesand on Their Destruction (see annex I). All publication resources are available online
and an increasing number are available in French and Spanish. 1
Conventional arms
8.
The illicit proliferation, excessive accumulation and misuse of conventionalarms and ammunition pose a persistent problem for States and communities in many
parts of the world. Progress on peace, security and development goals is severely
hampered in contexts where conventional arms and ammunition are poorly regulated.
The programme on conventional arms – the Institute’s largest – is aimed atstrengthening links between arms control, prevention and the Sustainable
Development Goals, reflecting “disarmament that saves lives”, a critical theme of theAgenda for Disarmament.
9.
The programme has three workstreams: (a) supporting national and regional
policies and frameworks for weapon and ammunition management; (b) integrating
conventional arms control into multilateral and national conflict prevention; and__________________
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See www.unidir.org.
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A/74/180(c) exploring the increasing urbanization of violence and conflict and how arms
control tools might respond to and help to mitigate impacts on civilians.
10. Over the course of the reporting period, the wo rkstream on weapon andammunition management was focused primarily on West Africa, where, in
cooperation with national partners, the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) and relevant United Nations bodies, country assessments were conducted
and baselines were established for the development of road maps in three States(Burkina Faso, Liberia and Niger) in order to strengthen weapon and ammunition
management in line with regional and international standards and guidelines. Drawing
on nine national additional baseline assessments undertaken between 2015 and 2018,
UNIDIR prepared a report in which it identified lessons that highlighted the role ofeffective national weapon and ammunition management in preventing conflict andsupporting security transitions. UNIDIR also produced, in cooperation with theSaferGuard Programme, guidance to support States, the United Nations andnon-governmental organizations (NGOs) in safely and securely managing
ammunition in low-capacity and conflict-affected environments. In November 2018,a series of seminars were conducted on exploring conventional ammunition
management with a view to promoting knowledge and dialogue among States on key
safety, security and accountability issues.
11. Effective arms trade regulation is essential to successful weapons andammunition management at the global, regional and national levels. With a view to
identifying options for and supporting implementation by Member States of theircommitments in the Programme of Action to Prevent, Co mbat and Eradicate the Illicit
Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects and the Arms Trade Treaty,a series of brainstorming meetings were convened in the context of the programmeon conventional arms during the reporting period to explore the role of private sector
actors in mitigating the risk of diversion in arms tra nsfers; in enhancing the tracingof illicit small arms and light weapons; and in strengthening reporting on theconventional arms trade.
12. As part of its work to better integrate conventional arms control into preventive
strategies and actions, UNIDIR issued a study in September 2018 on the changing
role of arms control in preventing and managing conflicts. Pursuant to Security
Council resolution 2370 (2017), and in the context of the programme, UNIDIR
facilitated dialogue among States and specialized organizations on ways to preventthe supply of weapons to those involved in terrorist acts and, in cooperation with the
Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs of the United Nations Secretari atand relevant panels of experts, contributed knowledge and ideas on the role ofconventional arms control in the assessment and implementation by Member Statesof United Nations arms embargoes.
13. Over the course of the period 2019–2020, the programme will facilitate workwith partners across the United Nations system on exploring how conventional arms
control tools, such as mapping the circulation of illicit arms, can suppo rt theprevention and management of conflicts and how peacemakers and development
actors can effectively utilize those tools. The work will be aimed enhancing dialogue
among the peace, security and development communities on the linkages between
arms control, conflict prevention and development, as well as at identifying
opportunities to better assess risks and impacts associated with arms and ammunition
into United Nations conflict prevention efforts.
14. A new research stream on urban violence, initiated in January 2019, is aimed at
assisting States and practitioners to better understand the scope of urban violence andits impact, particularly on civilians, and to explore how arms control instruments may
contribute to reducing and addressing its effects. Research will focus on illicit flows
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A/74/180of ammunition in urban environments, the means and methods to measure andmitigate the risks posed by explosive weapons in populated areas, as well as ways todevelop regulatory frameworks to address the fabrication of i mprovised explosive
devices.
Weapons of mass destruction and other strategic weapons
15. A world without weapons of mass destruction is a long-standing goal of theUnited Nations. Yet progress toward that end has faltered in a period of heightened
tension between major powers and the stalling or termination of bilateral andmultilateral nuclear arms control arrangements. UNIDIR seeks to identify ways topreserve and strengthen existing norms and agreements while exploring new
approaches and options for effective weapons of mass destruction-related governancethat contribute to international security and stability. As part of this effort theInstitute’s programme on weapons of mass destruction and other strategic weapons,
which now incorporates UNIDIR space security activities, the Institute seeks to
explore the implications of new strategic technologies for nuclear regimes and thedoctrines and systems associated with them.
16. One example of such work during the reporting period was a joint report
prepared with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs on the challenges
and opportunities that hypersonic weapons present for arms control. A workshop heldin Geneva in November 2018 on the subject elicited strong interest among Member
States, as a result of which UNIDIR will undertake follow-up activities on thestrategic arms control implications of the technology. Work was also undertaken on
the role of autonomy in nuclear early-warning, command and control systems.
17. Research on new tools and approaches for greater transparency andaccountability focused on how new verification technologies can support nuclear
disarmament and strengthened nuclear security. A study on the theme “Evidence ofabsence: verifying the removal of nuclear weapons” contained a proposed model fora disarmament verification arrangement to verify the abse nce of weapons in a given
territory. Research is ongoing research with regard to exploring new technologies andmethods for enhancing the security of military materials, as we ll as the transparencyof existing stocks of fissile materials, through non-intrusive means.
18. Building on a 2017 UNIDIR study, the Institute initiated new work in late 2018
on reducing the risk of use of nuclear weapons, one of the priority actions in t he
Agenda for Disarmament (action 6). The work includes mapping risk reduction
measures, fact-finding and consultation, with a view to offering a framework to
inform policy discourse on reducing the risk of use of nuclear weapons, including in
the context of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Given thehigh level of Member State interest in the work, UNIDIR organized an event on theissue in the margins of the Preparatory Committee, held, of the 2020 Review
Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
19. The Institute’s long-standing work on effective measures for transparency,
confidence-building and preventing an arms race in outer space continued, with aseries of briefings on space security issues for New York-based delegations, a briefing
paper on shared risks prepared for the Disarmament Commission and preparations for
the Institute’s annual space security conference, the next one of which is to held in
May 2019.
20. A new workstream is aimed at identifying lessons from recent efforts to enforce
compliance with arms control and disarmament obligations related to weapons ofmass destruction. The research will go beyond the Institute’s traditional nuclear focus
to address developments in the regulation of chemical and biological weapons with aview to strengthening links across regimes and advancing new ideas in each. Outputs
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will include analyses of what compliance and enforcement means in conceptual andlegal terms, the current and looming challenges for nuclear, chemical and biologicalregimes, as well as bilateral nuclear arms control, and possible options to enhance
confidence and compliance in arms treaties.
Security and technology
21. As policymakers seek to respond to the pace of profound technological change
and address the risks and benefits that such advances present for an understanding of
security, as well as the policies and practice of arms control, non -proliferation anddisarmament, UNIDIR has expanded its work on the security dimensions ofinnovations in science and technology. The Institute launched a cro ss-cutting
programme on security and technology in January 2019 that builds on previous workin cyberstability and autonomous weapons systems. The objectives of this programme
are to: (a) support the development and implementation of multilateral norms on
responsible and safe policy and practice; (b) increase multilateral knowledge andunderstanding of digital destabilization risks; and (c) explore how the arms control
toolbox can adapt to take advantage of the benefits of technology as well as address
the risks it presents for the definition, development, deployment and use of weapons.
The programme puts particular emphasis on expanding UNIDIR engagement withdiverse governmental and non-governmental stakeholders so as to enable inclusive
policy dialogue on what is a fundamental global challenge. The facilitation of multi stakeholder dialogue on technological innovations is one of the explicit requests madeof UNIDIR in the Agenda for Disarmament (actions 27 and 28).
22. The Institute’s cyberactivities in 2018 included exchanges between regionalorganizations on regional cybersecurity concerns and approaches as well as dialogue
on the roles and responsibilities of the private sector. The most recent UNIDIR annual
cyberstability conference, held in September 2018, was its largest yet anddemonstrated the interest in and value of the multi-stakeholder event for the
diplomatic and international organizations community in Geneva. As p art of its efforts
to support transparency and confidence-building through information-sharing on
cyberissues, in January 2019 UNIDIR launched a cyberpolicy portal, an online tool
containing concise cyberpolicy profiles of all Member States and regional an dinternational organizations. The portal has been widely welcomed: as at 15 Apri l2019, the portal had been accessed by 4,700 users from 143 States, with nearly 22,000
page views.
23. Building on Geneva’s long history as a centre for multilateral arms control anddisarmament, as well as a global hub for international law, in January 2019 UNIDIR
hosted the fifth meeting of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace andits public hearings at the Palais des Nations. The hearings, which attracted o ver 130
participants, provided a unique opportunity to integrate human rights, hu manitarianaffairs and development perspectives into consideration of international norms forcyberstability and security.
24. The Institute’s work on uncrewed aerial vehicle systems, particularly swarm
technology, offered an innovative approach to addressing the issue of human control
over weapons systems, a central theme in discussions within the Group ofGovernmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systems, established by theConvention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventio nal
Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have
Indiscriminate Effects. A scenario exercise for policymakers and additional studies
on the expanded transfer and deployment of armed uncrewed aerial vehicles and theimplications of their use in situations of inter-State tension and/or crises reinforced
the Secretary-General’s call, in his Agenda for Disarmament, for transparency and19-12162

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accountability measures on the transfer and use of armed uncrewed aerial vehicles(action 19).
25. At the request of the General Assembly in its resolution 73/32, UNIDIR will
initiate an annual seminar to explore the potential benefits and risks of, and promote
multi-stakeholder engagement on, emerging technological innovations. The newflagship event, Innovations Dialogue, will focus on newer and converging
technologies that are not currently on formal international security and disarmament
agendas, with a view to assisting Member States in navigating technolo gical change
and overcoming siloed policy responses to complex challenges. The event will be
open to representatives from States, the private sector and the research community.
The theme of the inaugural dialogue, to be held in Geneva in August 2019, is “Digitaltechnologies and international security”.
Gender and disarmament
26. In August 2018, UNIDIR established a dedicated programme on gender anddisarmament to assist policymakers in bridging gender and disarmament frameworks
through expert analyses and practical tools. The programme is aimed at:(a) contributing to the goals set out in the Agenda for Disarmament to achieve genderequality in disarmament forums (actions 36 and 37); and (b) effectively applying
gender perspectives in disarmament processes. Building on previous UNIDIR workin this area, initial research was focused on gathering and analysing data on gender
equity and participation in arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament forums.
27. In September 2018, UNIDIR together with Canada, Ireland and Namibia
launched a new initiative – the International Gender Champions Disarmament Impact
Group – to promote dialogue, shared knowledge and the pursuit of concrete
opportunities to advance gender-responsive action within multilateral disarmament
processes. The Group partnered with the Office for Disarmament Affairs to organize
the side event on the theme “Securing our common future: promoting genderresponsive disarmament and security”, which was held in the margins of the seventythird session of the General Assembly and was attended by over 180 participants. A
similar event will be organized in the margins of the 2019 Preparatory Committee forthe 2020 Review Conference.
28. With a view to providing officials with practical resource tools f or applying agender “lens” to their work, UNIDIR and the Disarmament Impact Group produced aresource pack with information on the relevance of gender perspectives to arms
control, non-proliferation and disarmament. The Group also developed fact sheets
identifying entry points for gender mainstreaming in the Convention on theProhibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti -Personnel Minesand on Their Destruction and across the different sections of the Arms Trade Treaty.
In recognition of the impact of this work, the co-chairs of the Disarmament Impact
Group were nominated for the 2018 Arms Control Person of the Year award,
organized by the Arms Control Association.
29. Work under way by UNIDIR includes the establishment of an online g ender anddisarmament resource centre, including a toolkit to assist policymakers translate
gender awareness into practical actions. A new report, entitled “Still behind the curve:
gender balance in arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament diplomacy”, wasreleased in April 2019, and the Institute will conduct a series of workshops in Africa
and Latin America to disseminate research findings and offer practical support tonational actors in applying gender perspectives to the substance of their work.

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Knowledge and advisory support
30. UNIDIR responded to a record number of requests for information, analysis andtechnical expert support by Member States and United Nations entities over thecourse of the reporting period. At the request of their respective Chairs, UNIDIR
offered substantive expertise through briefings, background papers and analyses toall five of the Conference on Disarmament’s subsidiary bodies, which convened
between May and August 2018. Topics ranged from negative security assu rances for
non-nuclear-weapon States to the ban of the production of fissile materials for nuclear
weapons and other nuclear explosive devices and reflected the first substantive
discussions held by the Conference in a number of years. To mark the fortiethanniversary of the Conference on Disarmament, UNIDIR commissioned a study on
the Conference’s mandate and working methods and convened a high-level panel inFebruary 2019 to discuss options to strengthen the functioning of the Conference.
31. UNIDIR support was also extended to other parts of the United Nations
disarmament machinery. The Institute produced background papers and provided
briefings at informal consultations in April 2019 to the Disarmament Commission on
space security issues. It organized eight side events in the margins of the seventythird session of the General Assembly with a view to providing information andinsights on issues on the agenda of the First Committee, while the Director
participated in high-level briefings on the Agenda for Disarmament on the United
Nations disarmament machinery. During the reporting period, UNIDIR served as thetechnical consultant to two groups of governmental experts on the role of verificationin advancing nuclear disarmament and on the prevention of an a rms race in outerspace, as well as to the high-level fissile material cut-off treaty expert preparatorygroup. The provision of United Nations regular budget resources for UNIDIR
consultancy support to groups of governmental experts is the only source of dedicatedfinancial support for such knowledge and advisory activities.
32. During the reporting period, UNIDIR also increased its support to other parts of
the United Nations system. It assisted the work of the Security Council Committee
established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African
Republic and engaged with partners such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee
Executive Directorate, the Department of Peace Operations, th e Department of
Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and others on
relevant areas, including conflict prevention and conventional arms control,
mitigating civilian harm caused by explosive weapons use, the cyberthreat landscapeand existing normative frameworks for the prevention and mitigation of malicious
acts.
33. The Institute continues to seize opportunities to engage new audiences through,for example, organizing workshops in countries that are not members of theOrganization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with an initial
focus on West Africa, and participating in high-level events at the Inter-Parliamentary
Union, the International Telecommunication Union, and the Women, Peace andSecurity Network. UNIDIR co-convened a series of meetings from June to September
2018, the Geneva Dialogues, to explore different chapters of the Agenda for
Disarmament and how Geneva-based actors and processes might support
implementation of its proposed actions. UNIDIR has also instituted regular briefings
to regional groups, including on new security and technology issues, whic h have beenhighlighted as of particular value to support the informed participation of all Statesin discussions thereon.

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34. Given the importance of continuing to provide education and training on
disarmament and non-proliferation, UNIDIR staff provided briefings and lectures andparticipated in a wide range of training events in Geneva and elsewhere, including forthe annual nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation training programme of theUnited Nations Institute for Training and Research, conducted i n Hiroshima, Japan.
Briefings to visiting scholars, government officials and student groups continued
throughout the reporting period. Mindful of the breadth and diversity of thedisarmament agenda, UNIDIR, together with the Geneva Branch of the Office for
Disarmament Affairs, is introducing an orientation course for newly-arrived
diplomats to Geneva. The first pilot will be undertaken in August 2019.
3.

Resources and expenditure for 2018 and 201935. As a trust fund of the United Nations, UNIDIR is financed through voluntary
contributions and a small subvention from the regular budget of the United Nations
towards the cost of the Director and staff. 2 With the generous support of a total of 24
donors, revenue in 2018 amounted to $7,514,578. The increase in revenue reflectsdonor support for the strategic research agenda described in paragraphs 5 to 29 above
and in particular the signature of multi-year programmatic-level funding agreementswith two donors. In accordance with the International Publi c Sector AccountingStandards, while the totality of the amount of these agreements has been registered asincome in 2018, funds will be disbursed over a three -year period in 2019, 2020 and
2021. The majority of voluntary contributions received by UNIDIR c ontinue to beearmarked for specific programmes or activities.
36. Total expenditure in 2018 was $3,143,790 (see annex II, table 1). In 2018, thesubvention received from the United Nations regular budget was $271,900 (seeannex II, table 2). This figure constitutes 6 per cent of the total funds received in2018, once the two multi-year pledges for 2020 and 2021 as well as refunds to donors
and investment/other revenue are excluded. Actual revenue and expenses for the firstquarter of 2019 are shown in annex II, table 1, while projected revenue and expenses
for 2019 are indicated in annex III. As funding agreements are signed throughout theyear, budgetary projections are of an indicative nature.
37. Actual expenditure in 2018 was higher than previsions ind icated in annex II of
the previous report (A/73/256). The increase reflects an investment in several
activities related to change management over the course of the year, including staff
training, investments in communication materials, growth of research programme
activities and advisory services, and outreach and networking for the purposes ofresource mobilization by the Director. It also comprises an increase in staff -related
costs, with the engagement of a communications officer (see para. 44 below) andadditional administrative support required by expanding research programmes. In
2019, expenditures related to personnel will continue to increase, in large part owing
to costs associated with the movement of resident consultants to the United Nations
Office of Project Services (UNOPS) administered contracts (see para. 42 below) as
well as the continuing engagement of the communications officer and administrative
support functions.

B.

Programme of work and financial plan for 2020
38. With the transition to multi-year programming, the UNIDIR research agenda
and workstreams described in the previous section will continue in 2020. The strategic
research agenda allows flexibility for new activities to be intr oduced within respective
research programmes, both in response to global disarmament and international__________________
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See UNIDIR statute, article VII, paragraph 2. Available at www.unidir.org.
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security events and developments. It also builds upon openings for new partnerships
or initiatives over the course of the three-year programme. The Institute will continue
to explore ways to further support and contribute value to United Nations
disarmament deliberations, including through activities that increase participants ’knowledge and awareness of relevant issues as well as enhancing opportunities f or
informal and inclusive dialogue. It will also seek, in 2020, to respond to increased
interest from regional and national actors for knowledge, ideas, dialogue and advisory
services.
39. Resource mobilization efforts will focus on broadening the donor b ase andcontinuing to build support for the Secretary-General’s recommendations concerning
the UNIDIR financial model set out below. The financial expenditure to support the2020 programme of work is conservatively projected at $4,195,000, as shown inannex IV. The projected institutional operations budget for 2020 is $1,789,000 (seeannex V). Projected revenue and expenses are based on an assessment of the desired
accomplishments of UNIDIR for the year and historical trends in funding.

III. Towards a sustainable and stable Institute
40. In his report on the thirty-fifth anniversary of UNIDIR (A/73/284), theSecretary-General noted the reliance of the Institute on year-by-year voluntary
funding and called on donors to consider the provision of multi-year unearmarked or
softly earmarked contributions to its programmes so as to create a more predictable
and sustainable foundation for the Institute. The Secretary-General also noted that thesubvention from the regular budget was the only consistent source of funding for
UNIDIR and that it had remained largely constant since 2000 in absolute terms. In
real terms, it had progressively decreased and now constituted only a minor portionof the UNIDIR total annual budget. The Secretary-General recommended an increasein the regular budget subvention to cover four mandated functions of the Institute:(a) the salary and related costs of the Institute’s Director so as to ensure theindependence, impartiality and accountability of UNIDIR leadership; (b) the costs ofat least one additional Professional post to serve as certifying officer and assist or
replace the Director in management and administration functions; (c) the provision ofregular briefings to Member States and groupings with a view to implementing the
UNIDIR mandate to support the informed participation of all Member States indisarmament deliberations; and (d) facilitation of the organization of three UNIDIR
events annually in countries that are not members of OECD to promote disarmament
knowledge and engagement.
41. Subsequent to the issuance of the report ( A/73/284), and building on its
conclusions and recommendations, the Institute developed a detailed implementati onplan to strengthen its funding and operations, which was endorsed by the UNIDIR
Board of Trustees at its meeting in January 2019. The reform plan, whi ch has also
been made available to interested Member States and UNIDIR funders, comprises 83
concrete actions across four areas: leadership and management; administration,
finance and budget; outreach and communications; and resource mobilization andpartnerships. As of April 2019, 84 per cent of the 2019 reform actions had been
completed (64 per cent) or initiated (20 per cent).

A.

Staffing and operations
42. During the reporting period, in addition to the establishment of a multi -year
research agenda and multi-year programmes, the Institute considered steps to attract
and retain diverse research expertise as a priority reform. UNIDIR engaged UNOPS

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as a service provider in order to be able to offer more attractive and flexible consultant
modalities through individual contractor agreements. The transition of UNIDIR
research staff from United Nations consultant contracts to UNOPS-administeredindividual contractor agreements is currently under way and will be completed by theend of the second quarter of 2019. The resulting increased costs will be offset, in part,through expected efficiency gains for the Institute in outsourcing a majority of humanresource and travel-related administrative processes.
43. The Institute also undertook steps to expand and diversify its researchcommunity through the establishment of a fellowship programme for visiting
researchers. The initiative will be pursued through partnerships with establishedresearch institutes in countries that are not members of OECD with a view toexpanding access to multilateral disarmament processes to a wider range of experts.

B.

Communications and outreach
44. In September 2018, UNIDIR engaged a communications officer for the first timein over two decades. That investment reflects the priority the Institute is placing onreaching policy, expert and research communities outside Geneva and New York andengaging a wider set of stakeholders.
45. The UNIDIR strategic communications plan is aimed at increasing theInstitute’s visibility and building greater awareness of its research and activities. It isprioritizing digital platforms with a view to reaching a global audience. During thereporting period, the Institute expanded its social media presence. Posts on the
UNIDIR Twitter account (@UNIDIR) made over 1.8 million impressions, an increaseof nearly 400 per cent over the previous year. In addition, the number of times
UNIDIR posts were shared increased by 300 per cent and likes increased by 500 per
cent. Original multimedia content, including over 30 original films and animations,reached over 120 countries. UNIDIR expanded to presence with Instagram and
LinkedIn and surpassed 15,000 followers across all digital platforms. Guidance has
been issued to staff on social media use, and staff were offered media training.
46. The Institute will continue to expand its strategic communications activ ities toraise the global visibility of its work and share its expertise with new audiences overthe course of 2019. This includes a redesign of the UNIDIR website, the further
expansion of social media channels and an investment in generating engaging
multimedia content for these platforms. To encourage increased interest in andengagement in arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament issues, UNIDIR isstreaming Institute events online, producing short explanatory videos on its work andreaching out to universities and cultural centres on appropriate partnersh ip
opportunities. Flagship events, like the outer space security conference, are being
paired with art exhibitions and film screenings to engage new audiences beyond thedisarmament expert community.

C.

Resource mobilization
47. The near total reliance of UNIDIR on voluntary funding makes resource
mobilization a priority of its reform agenda. Many Member States have responded
positively to the Institute’s new programmatic model and the potential visibility,
expertise and cost efficiencies that it offers. During the reporting period, UNIDIR
pursued opportunities with donors to move contributions from a short -term projectbased approach to multi-year programming. A number of States have alreadycommitted to multi-year, softly earmarked funding at the programmatic level.
UNIDIR is actively engaging with interested Member States, through its newly -12/22

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established donor forum, to provide regular updates on the implementation of
UNIDIR activities and finances.
48. Recognizing the relatively limited nature of funding in the fields of multilateralarms control, non-proliferation and disarmament, UNIDIR commissioned, in late
2018, a review of resource mobilization options with a view to expanding donor Stat econtributors; identifying non-State funders in these fields, particularly philanthropic
foundations and private sector actors; and exploring options for joint funding
initiatives with the United Nations and research institute partners. As part of these
efforts, UNIDIR is pursuing eligibility for OECD development assistance funding.
49. While positive Member State funding trends are welcome and highly
appreciated, it is noteworthy that contributions to the UNIDIR operating budget(institutional operations budget) continue to decrease and represented only 10 per
cent of all voluntary contributions in 2018. In 2018, nearly 85 per cent of UNIDIR
voluntary funding was earmarked for specific programmes and activities. The
Institute has already taken steps to reduce its institutional overhead but further
reductions will be dependent upon receiving some operating budget income. The
subvention from the regular budget is a critical, albeit small, contribution to that
operating budget and the only relatively predictable source of income. As UNIDIR
prepares for its fortieth anniversary in 2020 and a quintennial resolution in the
General Assembly, it looks forward to exploring with member States options to takeforward the Secretary-General’s recommendation for an increase in the regularbudget subvention.

D.

Partnerships
50. As part of its reform agenda, UNIDIR has taken steps to strengthen its
engagement with a wider range of stakeholders both in order to promote its research
and activities and to better contribute added value to multilateral, regional and, as
appropriate, national arms control and disarmament processes. With a view to better
integrating disarmament across the work of the Organization, UNIDIR has also
pursued partnerships with the United Nations Secretariat and agencies, funds andprogrammes of the United Nations system with regard to the Sustainable
Development Goals, the Agenda for Disarmament the wider United Nations peaceand security objectives.
51. Actions taken in Geneva include regular briefings by the Director to regionalgroups and six-monthly executive briefings convened by the Director-General of theUnited Nations Office at Geneva on UNIDIR research and activities. The Institutewill also pursue similar awareness-raising opportunities in New York to promote moreregular engagement with representatives from permanent missions to the United
Nations and across the Secretariat.
52. In addition, UNIDIR has committed to strengthening its strategic partnershipwith the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs through joint planning
retreats at the senior management level, regular exchanges on joint substantive
activities between heads of the Office’s branches and UNIDIR Programme Leads, andinformal quarterly exchanges between UNIDIR and the Office’s Geneva Branch staff.
53. As mentioned in paragraphs 42 and 43 above, UNIDIR pursued administrative
efficiency gains by signing a support services agreement with UNOPS to support
UNIDIR human resources needs, including recruitment and administration of
UNIDIR staff contracts. Furthermore, as recommended by the Board of Auditors andin order to align with the standard applied to extrabudgetary clients, UNIDIR is
discussing a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Office at Geneva
for support services received in the areas of finance, procurement and information

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technology. As a next step, UNIDIR is developing scenarios and analysing theservices offered by UNOPS and the United Nations Office at Geneva for otheradministrative actions, particularly with regard to processing of travel services, lowvalue procurement and budgetary actions, in order to seek further cost and time
efficiencies.

IV. Conclusion
54. The call by the Secretary-General to put disarmament back at the centre of thework of the United Nations has been echoed in multiple statements and reports bynational, regional and international actors over the past 12 months expressing concern
at the erosion of existing arms control agreements. The lack of progress in forg ing
new frameworks to address the threats that the proliferation of new – and older –weapons pose and that better reflect today’s multipolar, multi-actor world, is leadingsome to question the relevance and effectiveness of the entire arms control enterpr ise.
55. At such moments of juncture, the need for accurate information, impartial
insights, fresh ideas and inclusive dialogue has never been so great. UNIDIR was
established for the purposes of assisting Member States to identify critical issues ininternational security and disarmament and to negotiate arrangements to preserve andenhance international peace and security. In the past year, the Institute has undertaken
a comprehensive reform of its research agenda and activities, operations, andcommunication and outreach, with a view to contributing more effectively to whatmust be a global effort to reinvigorate disarmament in ways that can save humanity,
lives and futures.
56. UNIDIR will celebrate its fortieth anniversary in 2020, a year that marks theseventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations and the fiftieth anniversary of the
Non-Proliferation Treaty, a cornerstone of multilateral arms control and disarmament.
While it is important to look back on what has been achieved and learned over thecourse of these decades, even more critical is the question of what future theinternational community is seeking and how processes that regulate weapons can be
reinforced to advance more effective and sustainable security for all. The Institutelooks forward to the opportunity for considered dialogue and reflection of the value
and potential reinforcement of multilateral disarmament institutions to address thesechallenges.

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Annex I*
Publications issued between June 2018 and April 2019
Conventional arms
• A Menu of Options to Enhance Common Understanding of End Use/R Control
System to Prevent Diversion• Applying Conventional Arms Control in the Context of United Nations Arms
Embargoes• Key Issues and Processes Pertinent to Management of Conventional
Ammunition (available in French and Spanish)• Preventing Diversion in Conventional Arms Transfers: Exploring Contributionsof Industry and Private Sector Actors (available in French and Spanish)• The Changing Role of Conventional Arms Control in Preventing and Managing
Violent Conflicts• The International Tracing Instrument: Examining Options to Support
Operationalization (available in French)• The Role of Weapon and Ammunition Management in Preventing Conflict andSupporting Security Transitions• Utilizing the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines in Conflict Affected and Low-Capacity Environments
Limited distribution• Implementing United Nations Resolution 2370 (2017) and Identifying Ways
Forward: Food-for-thought Paper• Towards a National Framework on Weapon and Ammunition Management in
Burkina Faso
• Towards a National Framework on Weapon and Ammunition Management in
Iraq• Towards a National Framework on Weapon and Ammunition Management in
the Niger• Towards a National Framework on Weapon and Ammunition Management in
the Central African Republic
Weapons of mass destruction and other strategic weapons• Evidence of Absence: Verifying the Removal of Nuclear Weapons• Hypersonic Weapons: A Challenge and Opportunity for Strategic Arms Control(with Office for Disarmament Affairs)• Nuclear Weapon Risk Reduction: The State of Ideas• Reversing the Slide: Intensified Great Power Competition and the Breakdownof the Arms Control Endeavour• Shared Risks: An Examination of Universal Space Security Challenges• Space Security 2018: Conference Report* Annex I is being issued without formal editing and in the language of submission only.

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Security and technology• Algorithmic Bias and the Weaponization of Increasingly Autonomous
Technologies• Armed UAVs in Conflict Escalation and Inter-State Crises• Change in the Air: Disruptive Developments in UAV Technology• Preventing and Mitigating ICT-Related Conflict: Cyber Stability Conference
2018 Summary Report• Tabletop Exercise on Armed UAVs: Summary Report• The Role of Regional Organizations in Strengthening Cybersecurity andStability: Experiences and Opportunities• Weapons of Choice? The Expanding Development, Transfer and Use of Armed
UAVs
Gender and disarmament• Gender & Disarmament Resource Pack for Multilateral Practitioners• Gender in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: Factsheet• Gender in the Arms Trade Treaty: Factsheet• Still Behind the Curve: Gender Balance in Arms Control, Non-Proliferation andDisarmament Diplomacy
Other• Mandate and Working Methods in the Conference on Disarmament: a Historical
Perspective

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Annex II
Table 1
Actual revenue and expenses for 2018 and first quarter of 2019
(Thousands of United States dollars)
Description

2018 aFirst quarter 2019 b

6 922 c

434

487

195

Revenue
Voluntary contributions
Other transfers and allocations
Other revenue

1

62

Investment revenue

105

23

Total revenue

7 515

714

Employee salaries, allowances and benefits

1 365 d334 e

Non-employee compensation and allowances

908 f

243 g

Grants and other transfers

117

25

Expenses

Supplies and consumables

3–

Travel243

57

Other operating expenses

299

94

Programme support expenses

140

41

h

–

Total expenses

3 144

794

Surplus/(deficit) for the year i

4 371

(80)

Other expenses

69

aFigures from the statement of financial performance of the United Nations Institute for
Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) for 2018. The statement was prepared in accordance with
International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS); contributions, including
multi-year, are accounted for in the year when the pledge is sign ed. For further information
on IPSAS, as well as the basis for the preparation of UNIDIR financial statements, see
A/71/162, annex I, and A/72/154, annex I.
b
Position as of 4 April 2019; subject to changes until the close of the March 2019 accounting
period.
c
Includes multi-year pledges for future years from the Governments of the Netherlands($1,200,000) and Norway (NOK 9,000,000, equivalent to $3,161,222).
d
Of this total, institutional staff costs in 2018 amounted to $1,229,384.
e
Of this total, institutional staff costs for the first quarter of 2019 amounted to $280,835.
f
Of this total, $127,625 represents travel of consultants.
g
Of this total, $31,201 represents travel of consultants.
hRepresents net foreign exchange losses.
i
These funds include multi-year pledges signed in 2018 and are earmarked in accordance withfinancing agreements with donors. The amount at year-end is determined by the date at whichfunds are received as well as by programme and project implementation periods, which do
not systematically cover a calendar year.

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Table 2
Voluntary contributions for 2018 a(United States dollars)
Description

AmountA. Voluntary contributions b
Australia

32 362Finland

115 093

France160 000

Germany

1 137 656 c

Hiroshima Prefecture

18 423

Ireland

73 864Japan

40 000

Lebanon

5 000

Luxembourg

11 364

Netherlands

1 200 000 d

New Zealand

13 937

Norway3 161 223 e

Pakistan

5 000

China

20 000Philippines

5 000

Russian Federation

100 000

Sweden229 885

Switzerland

461 711

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

6 386

Fondation pour la recherche stratégique

24 691

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

245 000

Northeastern University

5 000

Simons Foundation Canada

20 000Refund to Donors(101 078) f

Present Value Adjustments(69 030) g

Subtotal, voluntary contributions

6 921 487

B. Other transfers and allocations
Subvention from the United Nations regular budget

271 900

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs h

66 175

United Nations Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation

149 220

Subtotal, other transfers and allocations

487 295

Total

7 408 782

(Footnotes on following page)

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A/74/180(Footnotes to table 2)______________
aFigures from statement of financial performance of the United Nations Institute for
Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) for 2018. The statement was prepared in accordance with
International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IP SAS); contributions, including
multi-year, are accounted for in the year when the pledge is signed.
bContributions from these donors are used for implement ation across multiple years.
cContribution received in 2018 for implementation of programme acti vities in 2019.
dMulti-year pledge for the period 2019–2021. Funds received in 2018 for 2019
implementation amounted to $400,000.
eMulti-year pledge for the period 2019–2021. Funds received in 2018 for 2019
implementation amounted to $1,053,741.
f
In accordance with financing agreements, refunds are issued to donors when activities are
modified and result in actual expenditures being lower than the amount received to fund theinitial activity budget. Of the total, 83 per cent pertains to activities th at concluded on
31 December 2017.
g
IPSAS-based adjustment for long term receivables presented at discounted present value.
hEarmarked funding for advisory services to support groups of governmental experts.

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Annex III
Projected revenue and expenses for 2019a(Thousands of United States dollars)
Description

2019

Revenue
Voluntary contributions

5 131

Other transfers and allocations

42

Other revenue

375

Investment revenue

20

Total revenue

5 567

Expenses
Employee salaries, allowances and benefits

1 585

Non-employee compensation and allowances

756

Grants and other transfers
Supplies and consumables

1 547 b4

Travel236

Other operating expenses

254

Programme support expenses

219

Other expenses

24

Total expenses
Surplus/(deficit) for the year c

4 625
943

a

Projections for 2019 were updated from those presented in A/73/256 based on actual revenue
and expenses for 2018 and the first quarter of 2019 to more appr opriately reflect expected
revenues and expenses.
bThis includes forecasted costs associated with the movement of resident consultants to thecontracts administered by the United Nations Office of Project Services.
c
These funds are earmarked per financing agreements with donors. The amount at year-end isdetermined by the date at which funds are received as well as by programme and project
implementation periods, which do not systematically cover a calendar year.

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Annex IV
Projected revenue and expenses for 2020 a(Thousands of United States dollars)
Description

2020

Revenue
Voluntary contributions

3 744

Investment income

48

Other transfers and allocations

461

Other revenue

24

Total revenue

4 277

Expenses
Employee salaries, allowances and benefits

1 950

Non-employee compensation and allowances

1 390

Grants and other transfers
Supplies and consumables

48
1

Travel188

Other operating expenses

408

Programme support and prorated expenses

200

Other expenses

10

Total expenses
Surplus/(deficit) for the year b

4 195
82

a

Projections for 2020 are on the basis of an average of the period 2015–2019, plus 5 per cent,except for expenses related to salaries, allowances, benefits and compensation, as well asother operating expenses, and programme support costs, which include additional
consideration for changes in planned activities requiring spec ific resources.
b
These funds are earmarked per financing agreements with donors. The amount at year -end isdetermined by the date at which funds are received as well as by programme and project
implementation periods, which do not systematically cover a calendar year.

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Annex V
Institutional operations budget for 2020
(Thousands of United States dollars)
Description

AmountInstitutional staff a
D-2 (Director)

321.4

P-5 (Deputy Director)

265.6

P-4 (Finance and Budget Officer)

225.8

P-4 (Public Information Officer)

225.8

P-2 (Associate Administrative Officer)

153.1

2 GS (OL) (Personal Assistant and Events Support)

347.4

Subtotal, institutional staff

1 539.1

Travel40.0

Communications and outreach

70.0

Information and Communications Technology Service

30.0

Telecommunications

10.0

Miscellaneous operating costs

15.0

Subtotal, institutional operating costs
Subtotal
Programme support costs
Total

165.0
1 704.1
85.2
1 789.3

Abbreviations: GS (OL), General Service (Other level).
aBased on Budget Information System standard salary costs for 2019, applicable to Geneva(version 6). The institutional team is responsible for: support and supervision of researchrelated activities; provision of support and advisory services to various stakeholders; anddelivery of institutional tasks. Institutional tasks are independent of the amount of researchrelated work and include tasks necessary to conceptualize and oversee the research age nda
and resource mobilization strategy; communicate research findings; represent the Institute;establish and maintain research networks; report to Board of Trustees of the United Nations
Institute for Disarmament Research; and comply with other United Nations requirements.

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