The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), an autonomous institute within the United Nations, conducts research on disarmament and security with the aim of assisting the international community in their disarmament thinking, decisions and efforts. Based in Geneva, UNIDIR seeks to forward arms control and disarmament, contribute to conflict prevention and promote the development of a peaceful and prosperous world.

Unlike other weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons are not yet legally banned. In February 2016, UNIDIR published a major study entitled "A Prohibition on Nuclear Weapons: A guide to the issues", in partnership with the International Law and Policy Institute of Norway. It assesses what a prohibition of nuclear weapons could plausibly constitute, why and how it might be pursued, and maps out the arguments both for and against doing so. This study was widely noted at an open-ended United Nations working group tasked with recommending how to take forward nuclear disarmament negotiations.

Last month, and informed by the study, the group recommended that the General Assembly start "to negotiate a legally-binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination" in 2017.

Swiss-based artists Jojakim Cortis and Adrian Sonderegger recreated some of the world's memorable photographs of history's iconic moments. "Icons" is a metaphorical project that questions us on the power of photography. Those meticulous scale models invite us to watch carefully and spot the difference between real and fake in today's digital era.

"Icons" has recently been awarded the Broncolor Prize – Light 2015-2016 and is currently shown at the Visual arts biennial Festival Images in Vevey, Switzerland.