Michael Douglas Instagram – As the @unitednations turns 77, the task of creating a safer more secure world is increasingly difficult. Military expenditure increased to $2.1 trillion in 2021, the highest level in 30 years. Conflict and violence are on the rise in several parts of the world, and the emergence of new technologies, including in the digital space, poses new challenges. Nuclear weapons continue to pose an existential threat to humanity and the planet. Be we cannot and must not despair. Disarmament Week reminds us that we all have a role to play. It reminds us that we must, and we can work together – all of us – to promote the cause of disarmament, to save lives and promote peaceful, just and inclusive societies. Disarmament Week starts today, which marks the founding of the United Nations with the adoption of the United Nations Charter. Disarmament Week seeks to promote awareness and understanding of how disarmament contributes to tackling the global security challenges of our time, to ending crisis and armed conflict, and to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. An over-armed world is a more unstable and unsecure world. Disarmament Week reminds us of the need to keep working for a safer, more equitable, and more peaceful time – together! @unitednations_oda