United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific

United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific
AbbreviationUNRCPD
Established30 November 1987; 38 years ago (1987-11-30)
FounderUnited Nations General Assembly
TypeRegional centre of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs
PurposeDisarmament, non-proliferation, peacekeeping
HeadquartersKathmandu, Nepal
Coordinates27°40′03″N 85°19′18″E / 27.6675659°N 85.3215598°E / 27.6675659; 85.3215598
Region served
Asia-Pacific
MethodsMultilateral discussions and educational initiatives
Director
Deepayan Basu Ray
Parent organization
UNODA
Websitewww.unrcpd.org

The United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD) is a regional office of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs located in Kathmandu, Nepal. It is dedicated to supporting member states in the Asia-Pacific region on issues of disarmament, arms control, non-proliferation, and related capacity-building efforts. It assists countries in promoting peace and security by focusing on regional and sub-regional cooperation.

History

Resolution adopted at the 42nd session of the UN General Assembly which established the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia, which later became known as the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD).

UNRCPD was established through UN General Assembly resolution A/42/39D, dated 30 November 1987, to provide substantive support, on request, for initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region aimed at implementing measures for peace and disarmament. The Centre became operational in 1989 and was relocated from New York to Kathmandu in August 2008.

Mandate and functions

UNRCPD's mandate, as defined in the founding resolution, is to provide, on request and by agreement with member states of the Asia-Pacific region, substantive support for initiatives aimed at the implementation of measures for peace and disarmament, and to coordinate the implementation of regional activities in Asia and the Pacific.

Its principal functions include:

Regional coverage

The centre supports 43 Member States in the Asia-Pacific region, spanning South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Pacific Islands and parts of Oceania.

Member states include:

Focus areas

UNRCPD's work areas can be broadly organized into four pillars:

  1. Conventional Weapons: The centre undertakes support for the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (PoA on SALW), and other instruments aimed at reducing the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. For example, a 2016 capacity-building workshop on ATT implementation in the Pacific was organised by UNRCPD and the Government of Samoa.
  2. Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) & Non-proliferation: The Centre assists states to implement treaties and mechanisms such as the Treaty on the Non‑Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), and the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).
  3. Peace and Disarmament Education: UNRCPD engages with youth, educators, and civil society to advance disarmament education, promote gender equality in disarmament processes, and contribute to peacebuilding.
  4. Cross-cutting Issues: These include emerging technologies, gender mainstreaming, youth engagement, and links between disarmament, sustainable development and peacebuilding.

Disarmament toolkit

In 2024 UNRCPD launched an online training course titled the "Disarmament Toolkit". The course is designed to increase access to disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation education among youth, civil society professionals and academics. The 2024 edition of the Toolkit featured six sessions and registered 628 participants from 80 countries. Topics included the core disarmament agendas, gender inclusive arms control, regional spotlight modules, and youth engagement.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "About UNRCPD". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  2. ↑ "What is UNRCPD?". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  3. ↑ "United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific". docs.un.org. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  4. ↑ "Asia & Oceania - Control Arms". 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  5. ↑ "United Nations General Assembly A/64/111". docs.un.org. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  6. ↑ "UN regional center for peace, disarmament in Asia-Pacific headquarters resumes operations in Nepal". nepalforeignaffairs. 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  7. ↑ "United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/42/39". docs.un.org. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  8. ↑ "Region Map". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  9. ↑ Ida, Scarpino. "The UN PoA in Asia-Pacific and the work of the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific" (PDF). United Nations Institute of Disarmament Research.
  10. ↑ "United Nations Regional Disarmament Centre Organizes Asia-Pacific Capacity-Building Workshop to Implement Arms Trade Treaty | Meetings Coverage and Press Releases". press.un.org. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  11. ↑ "International and Regional efforts" (PDF). www.mofa.go.jp. p. 213. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-01-23. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  12. ↑ "Agencies | Inventory of United Nations Activities to End Violence against Women". evaw-un-inventory.unwomen.org. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  13. ↑ Callsen, Emma (2021-04-30). "UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) and Regional Disarmament Centres". IANSA. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  14. ↑ "UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament Holds Seminar on Trade and Trafficking of Illicit Conventional Ammunition". ESCAP. Archived from the original on 2021-04-29. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  15. ↑ Kim, Seongwoo (2024-07-17). "Disarmament Toolkit 2024". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  16. ↑ "The Disarmamemnt Toolkit 2025". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.
  17. ↑ Kim, Seongwoo (2025-10-10). "From Nepal to Timor-Leste, Fiji to South Africa, more than 1,600 people joined the Disarmament Toolkit 2025—proof that young voices everywhere are ready to lead on peace". Office for Disarmament Affairs. Retrieved 2025-10-22.