Jeju Island to Host Seventeenth United Nations-Republic of Korea Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-proliferation Issues, 5-6 December

NEW YORK, 4 December (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — The seventeenth United Nations‑Republic of Korea Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non‑proliferation Issues will take place on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, on 5 and 6 December.

The annual event is organized by the Office for Disarmament Affairs, in cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Korea.  Around 30 representatives from Governments and intergovernmental organizations, as well as research institutes, academia and non‑governmental organizations will participate in the Conference.  Yoon Soon‑gu, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, and Izumi Nakamitsu, Under‑Secretary‑General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, will open the Conference.

This annual Conference provides an important forum for a candid and constructive exchange of views among participants from around the world on current challenges to security, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms‑control issues, at both the global and regional levels.

The 2018 Conference, titled, “Disarmament to Save Humanity — towards a World Free from Nuclear Weapons”, will address international and regional developments as well as the role of international instruments.  It will also examine, considering current challenges, how to further disarmament efforts, strengthen the nuclear non‑proliferation regime and its implementation, and reduce the risks posed by nuclear weapons.  Participants will also discuss the impact of emerging technologies on the non‑proliferation regime, the need to reinforce the norm against the use of nuclear weapons and the role of international organizations in this space.

The Conference is financed by the Government of the Republic of Korea, including through its voluntary contributions to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs.

For further information, please contact Charles Ovink of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, at UNODA-web@un.org.