DYB2011-Part-II-web

United Nations Disarmament Yearbook 2011: Part II
130
With a view to increasing regional capacities related to disarmament,
UNRCPD put renewed emphasis on training and education in peace and
disarmament issues.
In January, the Centre strengthened the capacity of media in East and
South-East Asia by organizing a workshop in Beijing, in which senior
journalists from nearly a dozen subregional countries and disarmament
experts participated. The workshop enhanced the knowledge of journalists
on disarmament and the media awareness of disarmament experts, thereby
creating the potential for increased and more accurate media coverage on
disarmament issues.
The Centre also conducted various peace and disarmament education
initiatives for the youth. In Saitama, Japan, an event was organized for high
school students to make presentations on disarmament issues. In Matsumoto,
Japan, a special session for high school students took place during the annual
United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues. In Nepal, a pilot project
for informal peace education through volunteerism was successfully tested at
a number of public schools in the Kathmandu Valley.
United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs in Vienna
The UNODA Office in Vienna, established as part of UNODA in
November, was created in response to the growing need for closer cooperation
and more effective interaction in all areas of disarmament, non-proliferation
and arms control with the United Nations Office at Vienna and other Viennabased
organizations and related specialized agencies. It coordinates with the
International Atomic Energy Agency, the Preparatory Commission for the
Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime, and other relevant regional intergovernmental
organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in
Europe.
The establishment of the Vienna Office was made possible with the
financial support of Member States, particularly the Government of Austria.
Disarmament and arms regulation at regional levels
Africa
In 2011, African States continued supporting different measures to
strengthen disarmament in the continent. Recognizing the strong links
between the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW)
and armed violence, the African Union (AU), with the support of the United
Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa, continued to
develop a common strategy to better control SALW. In September, experts
from AU member States met in Lomé, Togo, and adopted the AU Strategy on