The annual VCDNP diplomatic workshop, titled “Multilateral Diplomacy and Nuclear Governance in an Era of Rapid Global Change”, took place in Vienna on 10 March 2026. It brought together more than 60 participants, including senior diplomats, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs in Vienna, and select non-governmental experts.
The meeting was especially timely, taking place against the background of intensified geopolitical competition, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and associated heightened nuclear risks and growing proliferation pressures. The agenda covered a wide range of topics, from the upcoming 11th NPT Review Conference to the implications of AI developments for the nuclear field, to disarmament and non-proliferation education.
Workshop participants discussed how the current complex international security situation affects priorities and expectations for the NPT Review Conference, which issues are likely to be central to the debates in New York, and how to make progress on some of the “Vienna Issues”, including expanded access to peaceful uses of the atom. They emphasized the need to preserve the credibility of the NPT regime and prevent erosion of the norms against the use of nuclear weapons and their proliferation. One of the workshop sessions focused on the state of the norm against nuclear testing, detection capabilities of the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System and options for better addressing allegations of explosive nuclear testing.
Workshop participants received a briefing on developments in artificial intelligence and their relevance to the nuclear field. They discussed current and potential future applications of AI technologies for nuclear energy, as well as the potential benefits and risks for nuclear security and verification.
The concluding session of the workshop featured a lively discussion on education and capacity building in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Participants noted the high level of interest in the field from the next generation despite the increasingly difficult international context. They reviewed existing capacity-building initiatives at the international and regional levels and emphasized the need for sustained funding for educational, training, and awareness-raising programmes aimed at different audiences and age groups.
The workshop highlighted the continued importance of multilateral dialogue and cooperation in sustaining the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament architecture and in addressing challenges posed by both geopolitical developments and emerging technologies.
The VCDNP is grateful to the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its generous support of this workshop.
