Become a part of the General Awareness that helps in raising disarmament issues among next generations through the 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”.

Prizes

The best essays will be awarded the following prizes:

• The top essay writer will be offered the opportunity to be a non-residential Young Leader Fellow at UNIDIR. The Young Leader Fellow will work with a UNIDIR expert during a week-long paid trip to Geneva to prepare and deliver a presentation, based on their winning essay, during an awards ceremony at the UN HQ in Geneva.
• The second and third-place essay writers will be offered the opportunity to be a non-residential Young Leader Fellow at UNIDIR. The Young Leader Fellow will work with a UNIDIR expert online to prepare and deliver a presentation, based on their winning essay, during an awards ceremony at the UN HQ in Geneva.
• Also, the five-best essays will be published online as part of UNIDIR’s series of Youth Commentaries, which will be promoted in a dedicated section on its website, through social media and UNIDIR’s research networks.
• The five-best essays will also be shared as background reading for participants involved in UNIDIR’s Model United Nations First Committee simulation.
• In addition, the five finalists will receive a certificate signed by the Director of UNIDIR and by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea in Geneva.

Eligibility

• students and young professionals aged between 18 and 29 years
• an original essay of no more than 2,000 words on the theme of “the disarmament, security, and development nexus”,

Areas of Essay

Your entry might consider, but is not limited to, exploring the following areas:

1. Disarmament, economic growth, and inequalities.
2. Disarmament for sustainable cities.
3. Innovative disarmament efforts in the light of 21st century’s environmental challenges.
4. Gender mainstreaming for sustainable disarmament and development.

Applicants should draw on their personal experience, whether at the local, national, regional, or international level. The review of all the papers will be anonymous and will be on the basis of their:

• originality
• intellectual rigor
• relevance to the theme of the competition
• clarity of expression.

Also check out: World Trade Organization Essay Award 2022 for Young Economists

Dates and Deadlines

• Deadline for submission: 15 April 2022.
• Winners will be announced on 15 July 2022.

Additional links:

• Additional information, prizes, and guidelines
• United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)