United Nations Institute For Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

CONTACT DETAILS

UNIDIR has a small permanent staff based in Geneva.

Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland
Telephone : +41 (22) 917-42 93 / 917-3186
Facsimile : +41 (22) 917-0176
Internet : www.unog.ch/unidir
Telex : 412962

HISTORY AND PRESENT STATUS

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is an autonomous institution within the framework of the UN, established by the General Assembly for the purpose of undertaking independent research on disarmament and related international security issues. UNIDIR was established on 1 October 1980 on the basis of GA resolution 37/99K. Its Statute was approved by the General Assembly in resolution 39/148H (1984). The work of UNIDIR aims at:

Providing the international community with more diversified and complete data on problems relating to international security, the armaments race and disarmament in all fields, particularly in the nuclear field, so as to facilitate progress, through negotiations, toward greater security for all states and towards the economic and social development of all peoples;

Promoting informed participation by all states in disarmament efforts;

Assisting ongoing negotiations in disarmament and continuing efforts to ensure greater international security at a progressively lower level of armaments, particularly nuclear armaments, by means of objective and factual studies and analyses;

Carrying out more in-depth, forward-looking and long-term research on disarmament, so as to provide a general insight into the problems involved and stimulating new initiatives for new negotiations.

UNIDIR organises conferences, publishes research papers, research reports and newsletters and implements policy projects on many issues. It co-operates with and among research institutes; develops and maintains a computerised information and documentation database service. Subject to appropriate funding, UNIDIR also has a fellowship programme to enable scholars from both developed and developing countries to do research at the Institute.

The UN Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Disarmament Matters functions as UNIDIR's Board of Trustees, meeting once a year. UNIDIR has a small permanent staff consisting of a Director, Deputy-Director and staff of approximately 10. The Director of UNIDIR reports annually to the General Assembly on the activities of the Institute. The organisation is financed by voluntary contributions from States and public or private organisations.

OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND COOPERATING ORGANISATIONS

Departments co-opted as required.

RELEVANT TREATIES/PROTOCOLS

All treaties, protocols and issues relevant to non-proliferation and disarmament.

MEMBER STATES

None.

GENERAL COMMENTS

Mr AS Minty, Deputy Director-General: Multilateral Affairs, as South Africa's representative on the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, automatically serves on UNIDIR's Board of Trustees.