DYB2011-Part-II-web

Related issues, including information and outreach
In December, the Office published a booklet entitled Disarmament: A
Basic Guide86 in collaboration with the NGO Committee on Disarmament,
Peace and Security pursuant to the purposes of the United Nations
Disarmament Information Programme. It was an update of an earlier version
from September 2009. The guide aims to inform, educate and generate public
understanding of the importance of multilateral action, and support for it, in
the field of arms limitation and disarmament. While intended for the general
reader, it is also useful for the disarmament educator or trainer. It is available
in English and an electronic version is available online. The Office has been
seeking partners to translate the guide into as many languages as possible.
UNODA also embarked on making all of its publications eventually
available in electronic and downloadable formats. A new development was the
availability of some of its publications as “e-books”, 87 which can be purchased
from a number of commercial retailers and downloaded to an “e-reader”
portable device.
The Office continued to publish, through e-mail and its website,
the UNODA Update. 88 This quarterly e-publication highlights events and
activities of UNODA and other disarmament forums, and provides links to
fuller material and documents.
In addition to the UNODA Update, the Office also continued to regularly
send out other e-mail announcements to a list of recipients which included:
permanent and observer missions to the United Nations; United Nations
funds, programmes and specialized agencies; international and regional
organizations; research institutes; non-governmental organizations; experts;
and individuals. In 2011, such e-mail announcements were sent out to over
3,000 recipients.
Website
The UNODA website (www.un.org/disarmament) remains one of the
principal tools for information and outreach to many different stakeholders in
the disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control community. In 2011, the
website received 244,346 visits from 116,039 unique visitors. The top users
of the website, measured by time spent, were Government agencies (mainly
ministries of foreign affairs), educational institutions and non-governmental
organizations.
86 Available from http://www.un.org/disarmament/HomePage/ODAPublications/
AdhocPublications/PDF/Basic_Guide-2011-web-Rev1.pdf.
87 The Disarmament: A Basic Guide and the United Nations Disarmament Yearbook, vol. 34
(Parts I and II): 2009, are available in e-book format for Amazon Kindle and Barnes and
Noble Nook and from iBookstore for Apple devices. The 2009 Disarmament Yearbook is
also available from the Sony Reader Store.
88 Available from http://www.un.org/disarmament/HomePage/ODAPublications/
ODAUpdate/.
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