The United Nations Charter recognizes the need to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion of the world’s economic and human resources to armaments. But world military expenditure is on the rise and arms competition remains a largely unchecked global problem. In 2018, military spending worldwide rose to $1.8 trillion, the highest level since the end of the Cold War.

IPS Associate Fellow Miriam Pemberton will speak on “Lessons Learned From Conversion Movements” at a panel on “Rethinking Unconstrained Military Spending”. The panel is a side event at the General Assembly First Committee. She will present a paper that will be part of a volume on military spending from the angles of international peace and security, gender equality, sustainable development and economic conversion published by the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs.