We are participating in the campaign ACTIVATING A UN SPECIAL SESSION ON DISARMAMENT to support the call for initiating the preparation of the Fourth UN Special Session on Disarmament.

​

The Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP Weapons) initiative suggests supporting the mechanism of Special Sessions on Disarmament (SSOD) of the United Nations General Assembly to advance a comprehensive disarmament agenda for the full and effective implementation of a Peace and Prevention program, as detailed in the recommendations of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, the UN Secretary-General's New Agenda for Peace, and the zero draft of the Pact for the Future.

​

Join this initiative by signing the Open Letter, which calls for initiating the preparation of the Fourth UN Special Session on Disarmament.

​

WHAT IS A SPECIAL SESSION ON DISARMAMENT?

A Special Session is a mechanism of the United Nations General Assembly, as provided for in Chapter IV, Article 20 of the United Nations Charter: "Special Sessions shall be convoked by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council or of a majority of the Members of the United Nations."

​

A Special Session is a high-level event attended by governments and heads of state, convened to address specific problems or events of global importance. As such, a session can last from one day to several weeks.

​

A Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD) aims to advance and discuss disarmament issues. The first SSOD was held in 1978, and its main outcome was the negotiated Final Document, which included a Declaration, a Program of Action, and recommendations on the international disarmament mechanism for disarmament negotiations.

​

SSODs were held in 1978, 1982, and 1988 during the Cold War, but a fourth one has never been held. On December 6, 2021, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/Res/76/38 "Convening of the Fourth Special Session of the General Assembly on Disarmament" (SSOD-IV), which encouraged consultations among Member States on SSOD-IV and decided to include the item in the discussion of the 77th General Assembly in 2022.

​

On October 27, 2022, during the First Committee, Brazil urged states to initiate an informal consultation process on the convening of the Preparatory Committee for the Fourth Special Session on Disarmament for the 78th Session of the General Assembly, an initiative supported and endorsed by SCRAP Weapons.

​

To give effect to the clear political will for further debate and progress towards disarmament, an operational paragraph is needed to set a date for SSOD-IV. Based on precedent, the following amendment is suggested:

​

"Decides to support a resolution that would initiate a Committee before 2025 to oversee preparations for UNSSOD-IV."

​

WHY A SPECIAL SESSION ON DISARMAMENT?

An effective peace and prevention program must take into account the complex relationship between global development and disarmament, reducing investments in the military-industrial complex, prioritizing humanitarian needs, and including the voices of women and girls, as well as all marginalized communities. An SSOD-IV would contribute to reactivating the disarmament debate and placing it as a key part of the UN's peace and security architecture. The effectiveness of such measures even in the current environment can be highlighted by the reduction of missiles and other weapons available to Russia in its war in Ukraine, as a result of the INF and OSCE Treaties in the elimination and regulation of arms.

​

SSOD-IV would also be a critical forum to consider reforms to the broad disarmament mechanism that has not been updated to incorporate contemporary concerns, such as cyber/AI and space, the long-term and immediate effects of nuclear and conventional weapons, especially small arms and light weapons, on women and girls and the most vulnerable communities, especially those in the Global South, including indigenous groups. Additionally, it would provide broader representation of all UN member states, including the Global South, greater than the Conference on Disarmament, which currently includes only 65 states.

​

With global humanitarian crises ranging from a recent pandemic, increasing poverty, and climate change, an equivalent to the COP process for disarmament must be developed so that financial and human resources can be redirected to peace-building efforts and to ensure we live in a safer world. An SSOD-IV would be particularly instrumental in advancing the six objectives of the New Agenda for Peace as described in the Common Agenda, in synergy with PK, PKO, and Counterterrorism.

Disarmament has been part of the UN's identity since its existence from the Atlantic Charter and the UN Declaration of 1942 onwards, and it must remain so.

There will never be a 'perfect' moment. After recent geopolitical developments, the convening of the long-planned UNGA SSOD-IV is now overdue: the threat of global war looms.

​

It is unrealistic to believe that the world can spend more than USD 2 trillion each year on the military without arms control ending catastrophically. A single trigger is enough.

In July 2023, UN Secretary-General António Guterres included recommendations for a special session on disarmament in the policy document New Agenda for Peace, as part of "Our Common Agenda." For the first time in 30 years, a revival in disarmament seems feasible.

​

With global humanitarian crises ranging from a recent pandemic, increasing poverty and inequality, and natural disasters, a special session on disarmament could establish an effective arms control mechanism equivalent to the UN process on Climate Change addressing climate chaos. This can help redirect financial and human resources towards peace-building efforts and ensure a safer world.