Together with the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Permanent Mission of Norway, the VCDNP hosted a workshop on training and capacity-building in support of different objectives across the nuclear field, including the safe and secure use of nuclear energy, disarmament verification, and justice for communities affected by nuclear testing. On 8 October 2025, diplomats, representatives of the international organisations in Vienna, and researchers convened at the VCDNP for expert presentations and two roundtable discussions.
The sessions examined a wealth of topics, drawing on recent studies and field research:
- Further enhancing the IAEA’s suite of assistance and training programmes, including the Technical Cooperation programme, signature initiatives like Atoms4Food and ZODIAC, and career development projects like the Marie Sklodowska-Curie and the Lise Meitner Fellowships;
- Sustaining, strengthening, and diversifying global technical expertise in nuclear disarmament verification;
- Promoting OHCHR support for the Marshallese people in addressing the legacy of nuclear testing affecting their communities; and
- Implementing good practices for boosting effectiveness and innovation across the nuclear field through fairness and equal opportunities.
The speakers were:
- Jørn Osmundsen, Minister Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Norway in Vienna
- Renata Hessmann Dalaqua, Head of the Integrated Approaches Programme, UNIDIR
- Sandra Steyskal, Section Head, Division for Europe, Department of Technical Cooperation, IAEA
- James Revill, Head of the Weapons of Mass Destruction and Space Security Programmes, UNIDIR
- Raphael Pangalangan, Human Rights Officer, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
- Elena K. Sokova, Executive Director, VCDNP
- Louis Reitmann, Research Fellow, VCDNP
A summary of the workshop is available below.