The first annual UNIDIR Youth Global Disarmament Essay competition
General Awareness Raising of Disarmament Issues Among Next Generations: Global Disarmament Essay Competition
The UN Secretary-General’s “Securing our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament”, highlighted that while the “2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development took an important step towards articulating how arms control, peace and security contribute to development”, there is a lot that remains to be done “in order to bring the historical relationship between disarmament and development back to the forefront of international consciousness”.
In order to contribute to this effort, the first annual UNIDIR Youth Global Disarmament Essay competition will be held in 2022. The initiative will invite students and young professionals aged between 18 and 29 years to prepare and submit an original essay of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of “the disarmament, security, and development nexus, including with reference to the Secretary-General’s Disarmament Agenda entitled ‘Securing Our Common Future’ and the United Nations General Assembly resolution on Youth, Disarmament and Non-proliferation (A/RES/76/45). Your entry might consider, but is not limited to, exploring the following areas:
- Disarmament, economic growth and inequalities.
- Disarmament for sustainable cities.
- Innovative disarmament efforts in the light of 21st century’s environmental challenges.
- Gender mainstreaming for sustainable disarmament and development.
Applicants are invited to draw on their personal experience, whether at the local, national, regional, or international level. All papers will be reviewed anonymously on the basis of their originality, intellectual rigor, relevance to the theme of the competition, and clarity of expression.
Deadline for submission: 23.00 CET on 15 April 2022.
Winners will be announced on 15 July 2022.