Researcher; Conventional Weapons Programme

Location Remote

Contract Temporary

• Position Title:
  
  Researcher
• Starting date: 1 November 2026 or earlier
• Occupational rate: 45% (Part-time)
• Duration: 364 days, with the possibility of extension

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is a voluntarily funded, autonomous institution within the United Nations. One of the few policy institutes worldwide focusing on disarmament, UNIDIR generates knowledge and promotes dialogue and action on disarmament and security. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR assists the international community to develop the practical, innovative ideas needed to find solutions to critical security problems.

UNIDIR’s Conventional Weapons Programme develops ideas and actions to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts of the unregulated proliferation and misuse of conventional arms and ammunition. Through this work, it lays the foundations for peace, security and sustainable development. The programme undertakes action-oriented field research and convenes multi-stakeholder dialogues to provide advisory support and practical tools for addressing the uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of conventional arms and ammunition.

The selected Researcher will play a key role in supporting the programme’s work on armed violence prevention and weapons and ammunition management (WAM) in West and Central Africa, as part of the "Lomé Initiative", which aims to strengthen armed violence prevention in the region. S/he will work in close cooperation with the initiative’s other implementing partners, the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa and the Government of Switzerland.

Over two years, the initiative will support national partners in advancing integrated approaches to armed violence prevention and WAM; develop a training module on integrated approaches; foster regional dialogue in West Africa; initiate a process on integrated approaches in Central Africa; and engage in policy processes.

Within the Conventional Weapons Programme and under the supervision of the Head of Programme, the Researcher will be responsible for the following duties:

Lead support to national partners in operationalizing integrated approaches to armed violence prevention and WAM in West Africa:

• Substantively prepare and facilitate kick-off, concluding and substantive workshops in up to four partner countries in West Africa on strategic entry points for implementing integrated approaches, including by providing request-based technical advice in close cooperation with partner countries.
• Establish and maintain a network of local, national and regional WAM and prevention stakeholders in partner countries.
• Substantively prepare and facilitate one roundtable to disseminate relevant research products on WAM and armed violence prevention in up to three additional countries in West Africa.
• Draw up concise and analytical summaries of facilitated workshops and review input papers.

Support the work of an expert group on integrated approaches to armed violence prevention and WAM:

• Support the substantive preparations of an expert group, composed of West and Central African stakeholders and tasked with developing a training curriculum on integrated approaches.
• Provide technical inputs to the expert group and attend virtual and in-person workshops.
• Review the developed training curriculum.
• Draft a concise internal lessons‑learned report on the training curriculum development process.

Support regional dialogue in West Africa on integrated approaches to armed violence prevention and WAM:

• Contribute substantively to the preparation and facilitation of a regional dialogue in West Africa and deliver expert presentations.
• Support effective communication with…