Disarmament education contributes to the creation of a culture of peace and non-violence. The overall objective of disarmament education and training is to impart knowledge and skills to individuals to empower them to make their contribution, as national and world citizens, to the achievement of concrete disarmament measures.

Disarmament education focuses on the process of disarmament itself, the steps to achieve it and the positive effects that disarmament has on socioeconomic development. It promotes a deeper understanding of the multiple factors, from the local to global levels, that can either foster or undermine peace. It emphasizes approaches to reducing and eliminating violent conflicts of all kinds, as well as reducing and eliminating all forms of armaments and warfare. Member States, international organizations, academics and non-governmental organizations are all essential partners in this long-term effort. These efforts must also extend beyond primary and secondary education.

The importance of DNP Education came to the fore globally in a comprehensive way with the 2002 UN Study on Disarmament Education. According to the this Study, the overall objective of DNP Education is:

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) promotes disarmament and non-proliferation education activities with Member States, non-governmental organizations and the general public through the Internet, print publications, conferences and workshops, media and film screening events and public-speaking engagements.

UNODA has established the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Partnership to provide online and in-person learning opportunities to interested individuals worldwide. The Women Scholarship for Peace (WSP) was launched in 2016 as a first training initiative for Women from the Global South, followed by the same type of initiative for the OSCE region.