UNIDIR — UN Institute for Disarmament Research

#Event | Cloud computing forms the backbone of modern #IT infrastructure. As a critical enabling technology, how can it be developed in a safe, secure and resilient way? ☁️ Join us at UNIDIR’s Technology and Security Seminar on #CloudComputing: Exploring Implications for International Security and Governance, supported by the European Union, to explore this and more. This event will include an introduction to cloud computing for policymakers and a multistakeholder dialogue on its risks and governance challenges. 🌐 🗓️ 30 September 2024 ⏰ 10:00 – 14:30 CEST 📍 Geneva and Online 🔗 unidir.org/CloudComputing

#Publication | Our latest report “Boko Haram: Mapping an Evolving Armed Constellation” by Vincent Foucher, provides an in-depth analysis of Boko Haram in the North East of Nigeria. It maps the two main factions—JASDJ and ISWAP—and their geographical deployment, organisational structure, governance and leadership. Based on recent interviews with former members, the report offers insights into the group’s evolving dynamics since its emergence in 2009. 📘 Read the full report 👉 unidir.org/boko-haram

Welcome to UNIDIR, Madame AU WPS Bineta Diop! 🤝🇺🇳  Mme Diop is the Special Envoy of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on Women, Peace and Security. Moreover, as the founder and president of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS), she has dedicated over 40 years to advancing human rights, gender equality and development across Africa. Her leadership has made a huge impact on women’s empowerment and peacebuilding in Africa and beyond.   Her extensive experience includes nearly 20 years at the International Commission of Jurists in Geneva, where she implemented peacebuilding measures that promoted women's participation in peace processes. Through her leadership, she has contributed to shaping Africa’s gender normative frameworks, such as the Maputo Protocol on Women’s Rights and the African Union Convention on Human Rights. She established the Gender is My Agenda Action Network (GIMAC) to promote gender equality and has spearheaded numerous initiatives like the Empowering Women in Agriculture (EWA) program.   Mme Diop will contribute to UNIDIR’s Gender and Disarmament Programme, fostering synergies between disarmament and the WPS agenda – a crucial issue ahead of the 25th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325.    Learn more about Mme Diop and her work ➡️ unidir.org/BinetaDiop

#Update | Today, we concluded the third edition of our Norms, International Law, and Cyberspace training! We were delighted to host 19 participants from 19 Member States in an immersive, scenario-based learning course that focused on international law and cybersecurity. This experience not only helped participants enhance their skills in responsible state behavior in cyberspace but also fostered valuable exchanges with other Geneva-based organizations working in the same domain. A special thank you to International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC and International Telecommunication Union for their presentations and contributions, which added immense value to our discussions. Our deepest gratitude goes to the United States Federal Government, whose generous support has made this initiative possible 🇺🇸🤝🇺🇳 Together, we are building a more secure world! 🌐

#Update | During the 2024 Amended Protocol II Group of Experts meeting under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (#CCW), UNIDIR, alongside other expert institutions, presented on the evolving threats posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (#IED) and shared lessons learned about new types of IEDs. The session brought together experts to exchange knowledge on best practices, innovative tools and effective methodologies, focusing on both national and regional responses. The event featured contributions from our researcher Theò Bajon, who discussed national and regional responses to counter the threats posed by IEDs. He provided an analysis of the multifaceted risks posed by these devices and updated the Group of Experts on the use and application of UNIDIR’s Counter-IED Capability Maturity Model and Self-Assessment Tool, highlighting its impact since 2020. In line with the latest report to the United Nations General Assembly on countering the IED threat (A/79/211), this contribution reflects UNIDIR’s commitment to advancing the global dialogue on IED risks through collaborative efforts 🤝 🔗 Learn more about UNIDIR's Counter-IED Tool 👉 unidir.org/Counter-IEDTool

#Training | Together with DiploFoundation and FRS | Fondation pour la Recherche Stratégique, we are proud to launch BWCedu - an advanced education course designed to empower stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and expertise to actively engage in the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (#BWC) diplomatic process. From October 2024 to February 2025, participants of the new #BWCedu course in Geneva will learn and develop their skills through ⬇️ ✍️ Online learning 💻 Interactive webinars 🔍 Independent research This course is tailored for professionals engaged in the #1972BWC process. Whether you're a government official, aspiring or active diplomat, or life scientist, this is your chance to deepen your expertise and make a tangible impact in the field! Apply by 29 September 2024 👉 unidir.org/BWCedu

#Event | Wrapping up two productive days at the REAIMSummit in Seoul, UNIDIR is honoured to have been part of this global platform, fostering dialogue on the responsible military application of #AI. With over 2,000 participants from diverse regions, this year’s summit highlighted the urgency of addressing the ethical, legal and humanitarian challenges posed by AI in the military domain. During the summit, UNIDIR contributed to key discussions, sharing insights on regional perspectives, #AIgovernance and the critical need for cooperation, trust and mutual understanding in shaping the future of #MilitaryAI. As we continue navigating the complexities of military AI, UNIDIR remains committed to advancing responsible governance through collaboration and multi-stakeholder engagement. Initiatives like REAIMSummit are more than discussions—they are steps toward building a more secure world. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dizuYaj3

#Event | The Outer Space Security Conference 2024 starts tomorrow! 🚀✨ The #OS24 will bring together the diplomatic community, military experts, industry leaders, civil society and academia to tackle the pressing challenges and explore solutions for space security. 🗓️ 10-11 September  📍 Geneva and online 🔗 unidir.org/os24 This conference will explore a range of topics, including threats to space systems, international efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space and the connections between space security and sustainability. With space technology becoming increasingly vital to our daily lives, ensuring the security of outer space has never been more important!

#Event | As artificial intelligence (#AI) continues to advance, its application in the military domain has become a focal point in global discussions. There is growing recognition that increased dialogue is needed to pave the way for responsible behaviour and practices in this space. One key event that addresses these concerns is the REAIMSummit: 🗓️ 9-10 September 2024 📍 Seoul, Republic of Korea 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dizuYaj3 UNIDIR will contribute to these discussions by moderating, co-hosting and speaking in several sessions at this year’s REAIMSummit. Highlighted sessions include: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥: 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐀𝐈 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 🗓️ 9 September 2024, 11:00-12:30 KST (04:00-05:30 CEST) 💬 Co-hosted with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), this session will platform diverse perspectives in international deliberations on responsible AI in the military domain, presenting regional viewpoints, contexts and realities. 🔗 Report Launch: unidir.org/KaleidoscopeAI 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐈𝐈: 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 🗓️ 10 September 2024, 9:30-10:15 KST (02:30-03:15 CEST) 💬 Moderated by UNIDIR Director Robin Geiß, this session will explore key considerations in AI governance, considering insights from existing international institutions and the interplay between various initiatives. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈, 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐬 (𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄): 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 🗓️ 10 September 2024, 10:30-12:00 KST (03:30-05:00 CEST) 💬 Co-hosted with Microsoft, this session will provide a unique multistakeholder discussion on six priority themes key to responsible AI in the military domain: building the knowledge base, the human element, trust-building, data practices, life-cycle management and addressing destabilization. 🔗 Report Launch: unidir.org/GovernanceAI 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞-𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈 🗓️ 10 September 2024, 12:30-13:30 KST (05:30-06:30 CEST) 💬 This session will discuss confidence-building measures for AI in the context of international security. 🔗 Publication: unidir.org/AI-CBMs-multi

#Hiring | Research Assistant – Space Security Programme (Geneva) Are you passionate about space security and international disarmament? Join the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) as a Research Assistant for our Space Security Programme! As a Research Assistant, you'll collaborate on space security research, support key programme activities, and contribute to efforts to maintain outer space as a peaceful domain for all humankind. This role is ideal for those with a background in international affairs, political science, international security, and disarmament. Key responsibilities: 🪐 Conduct and support research on space security 🪐 Manage programme tools, events, and databases 🪐 Collaborate with international stakeholders from States, UN bodies, and NGOs Apply by 22 September  👉  https://lnkd.in/eFwrwrX8