Zimbabwean legal expert Thompson Chengeta has been appointed to the 15-member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Disarmament matters.
Chengeta made the announcement on his social media handle, and thanked UN Secretary General Antonio Gutteres for the honour.

He wrote:

I am deeply grateful to announce my appointment by UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, to his 15-member Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters.

Your Excellency, Mr @antonioguterres, I sincerely appreciate this honor and eagerly anticipate the opportunity to contribute in this capacity.

As one whose life began in the rural areas of Shurugwi in Zimbabwe, in the villages of Nhema, Hwinya, Chachacha etc., where my little cracked-bare feet more fully followed the flock than they tracked to far away schools, this appointment is an honour and truly appreciated.

Now that one of my key areas of expertise and interest lies in examining the disarmament implications of military AI, including autonomous weapon systems, from a human rights law perspective.

I’m equally pleased that last October, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution A/C.1/78/L.56 requesting the UN Secretary-General to seek the views of states and other stakeholders on the humanitarian, legal, security, and ethical challenges posed by autonomous weapon systems.
Prof @cecile_aptel your ongoing mentorship and guidance, from the time of my internship at the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have been invaluable.

Being under your supervision then and benefiting from your guidance ever since has been a true blessing. Prof Frans Viljoen Commissioner @SolomonADersso, Justice Dire Tladi, Eric Tistounet, your unwavering support, guidance, and mentorship over the years humble me.

I extend my gratitude to all my colleagues in the disarmament community who have supported my work. To @icracnet, @BanKillerRobots,
@ForumArmsTrade, and @ICRC_SAfrica, your collaboration has been instrumental.

@marywareham, thank you for showing me the ropes during my initial years in Geneva.

I’m also thankful for the ongoing support from my colleagues at @LJMULaw, @LJMULaw. Prof @PanaraCarlo, Prof
@g_pentassuglia and Prof Tim Nichol, your continuous support in my international engagement within the disarmament field is highly appreciated.

The ABDM was established in 1978 pursuant to paragraph 124 of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the General Assembly, and received its current mandate pursuant to General Assembly decision 54/418 of 1 December 1999.

The Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters has the following functions:

-To advise the Secretary-General on matters within the area of arms limitation and disarmament, including on studies and research under the auspices of the United Nations or institutions within the United Nations system.

-To serve as the Board of Trustees of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

-To advise the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Disarmament Information Programme.