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ence on Disarmament Resolution 1540, the from. What we
and the other disarma- Resolution that prevents the have found interes-
ment bodies? technology of mass destruc- ting is that we have
tion weapons reaching non- increased
our
We are part of what is called State armed groups, such as publication activity
the 'disarmament structure" terrorists, etc. There are many in Africa enor-
within the UN. So you have other facets that I have not mously, but not in
the Office of Disarmament discussed. That is the big pic- Asia. On the other
Affairs, based in the ture of all the different things hand, our on-line
Secretary-General's Office, going on, and we play a little activity in Asia is
with the High Representative part in that. We are the much higher.
Mr Duarte. They implement, research sector and the brains sounder economic basis so
among other things, the deci- trust -- as we sometimes call Q: Who would you like to that we can concentrate more
sions made my Member it in the UN. We have the reach? Only decision- on our research programmes
States in the First Committee right or the privilege to chal- makers, or ordinary peo- rather than on searching for
of the General Assembly. We lenge what States say, and ple? funding the whole time.
connect to them -- but we are produce information that we Having said that, I do not
not part of them. We are a can stand by and, of course, I think we do reach ordinary want a situation where I do
separate body within the UN we must stand by it, even if people. A month ago, for not have to look for funds for
that is voluntarily funded and sometimes it does not please example, we have set up programmes, because I think
that conducts research. We many of the governments we UNIDIR on Facebook. We it keeps us on an interesting
have our own mandate; we work with. But, to be effecti- had a large group of young edge -- and I like the edge we
have a board of trustees that is ve, is it so important that we people who worked with us are on. I would like to see us
also the Secretary-General's have that independence of as young researchers. We continue to develop a very
Advisory Board on action and thought! have between ten and twenty dynamic multi-disciplinary
Disarmament Issues, which young people who work with approach to the work which
advises the Secretary-General Q: Do you have a feeling us each year and we have we have begun. We are quite
and also monitors our work. that your work is not now formed an alumni group young. Most of my collea-
gues are below the age of 35,
very well-known in the on Facebook. Then, through
Then you have all the parts of "outside world"? Facebook we connect to the so I would like to get some
the UN such as, for example, blog site and from the blog older heads in here.
the International Atomic I would not expect UNIDIR site to our main website. Our
Energy Agency in Vienna; the to be known in the "outside main website is more sober; We do not have a large per-
Organization for the world". We have a specific it's where our publications manent staff here at UNIDIR.
Prohibition of Chemical mandate. Rather than trying are; we have a highlight sec- We have a core of staff who
Weapons in The Hague, etc. to get in touch directly with tion and a quarterly bilingual stay a bit longer, but nobody
is permanent. I think it's very
the outside world (a tremen- journal Disarmament Forum
Then you have the Member dous effort for a UN body like that we send out as a hard important that in a research
States' deliberating and nego- ours depending on voluntary copy to 5,000 recipients. The institution people come in,
tiating bodies. The negotia- funding), we work with most of the people who get bring new ideas and take our
ting body is the Conference NGOs and some journalists to the hardcopy are experts, uni- ideas with them when they
on Disarmament that happens disseminate the information. versity libraries, people in leave. I like to think of UNI-
to be based in Geneva. That is a better way. ministries working on the DIR in that way as a very
Strictly speaking, the issue, etc. fluid, dynamic place for peo-
ple to spend time, to learn
Conference of Disarmament We occupy a unique niche, about and contribute to UN
is not a UN body as such. It and what we need to do is to The journal is written in a
work and take all that kno-
consists of about sixty-five find the right links. But, of way that is accessible to the wledge with them.
countries, and they have their course, we are not doing that general public -- short articles
own rules and procedures. perfectly by any means. What and written in a style that you Q: What about funding?
Having said that, it is part of we have done is to set up a do not have to be an expert to
the UN because it's in the blog site (www.disarmamen- understand. Our books, I In my ideal world, I would
same building and is serviced tinsight.org). You have to would say, are much more love to have a regular core
by the UN. Many of the send a letter to the editor to intended for the experts. Then income to be able to fund core
ambassadors accredited to the become involved in our deba- our blog site is supposed to staff. Then we could use the
Conference on Disarmament tes and they can be quite chal- reach out to a younger
are also accredited to the UN. lenging. People enjoy that. audience -- people in their 20 energy we expend on raising
funds to carry out research.
We do reach people all over and 30s --who are really thin- This would make us more
Then we have the First the world. One of the things king about this issue.
Committee of the General we have done recently is to cost-effective and more com-
Assembly that discusses dis- look at where our publica- Q: Where would you like petitive with other similar but
armament and security. There tions go; we are trying to to see UNIDIR in a cou- non-UN research bodies.
are other things like the increase the impact. We then ple of years from now?
Security Council and the examined where our on-line
work that is being done on activities are mostly coming I would like to see it on a
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