The VCDNP held its nineteenth intensive short course on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament from 28 September to 2 October 2020. The VCDNP welcomed 11 diplomats and officials posted in Vienna and representing 11 different countries from four of the five UN Regional Groups. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the intensive short course was held in an online format.
The five-day course consisted of lecturers and panel discussions as well as informal conversations and socials. The program was designed to give the course participants a broad understanding of past and present issues related to non-proliferation and disarmament. Many of the matters covered during the course had recently been discussed at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference, which took place a week before the course, and many would be topical for the upcoming Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Lecturers covered topics such as the NPT and its review process, the IAEA and its safeguards system, nuclear security and prevention of nuclear terrorism, export control regimes, nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZs), and nuclear arms control. The agenda also included a discussion on the Humanitarian Initiative and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). A public webinar held as part of the course featured Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, adjunct senior research scholar at Columbia University, and was devoted to Iran’s nuclear program and decision-making.
Experts and senior officials from the Vienna-based international organizations and permanent missions gave presentations during the course, including Diego Cándano (The Stimson Center), Dr. Mohammad Hassan Daryaei (CTBTO), Dr. Alexi Drew (King’s College London), George-Wilhelm Gallhofer (Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs), Dr. Marc Humphrey (IAEA), Thomas Markram (UN Office for Disarmament Affairs), Ankit Panda (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace), Therese Renis (IAEA), and Laura Rockwood (Open Nuclear Network). The VCDNP and CNS lecturers included Angela Kane (VCDNP), Ingrid Kirsten (VCDNP), Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova (VCDNP), Dr. William Potter (CNS), Elena Sokova (VCDNP), and Dr. Nikolai Sokov (VCDNP).
The course participants benefited from a timely high-level panel discussion on the Tenth NPT Review Conference featuring Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen (President-Designate), Ambassador Leena Al-Hadid (Jordan), Ambassador Benno Laggner (Switzerland), and the VCDNP Senior Fellow Angela Kane. The closed session allowed for a candid exchange of opinions concerning the timing of the next NPT Review Conference and what a successful Review Conference would entail.
Despite the online format, a handful of socials were built into the program to promote further discussion. To enhance engagement among past and current course participants, the VCDNP invited previous course participants to one of these sessions.
At the end of the course, the participants were requested to complete a questionnaire, which gave them an opportunity to assess various aspects of the short course and anonymously provide feedback. Overall, the participants found the course to be very useful for their professional development by contributing extensively to their knowledge and understanding of international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament issues. Below are some of the comments provided by participants (quoted as written):
The course in a short space of time provided me with extensive information and knowledge over the full spectrum on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation which could have taken a long period of time for me to attain. It contextualised all facets and organisations that are involved in this field.
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I am fairly new to this topic but I must say the course has greatly enlightened me on the topic and actually peaked my interest in the subject matter. This would greatly help with my work going forward.
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I think the course helped me to better understand the various Vienna-based organizations, and how they relate to one another. It also helped me to understand some key policy sticking points among various nations, which provides better context to how different states perceive things within the organizations.
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It's extremely useful, taking into account that disarmament expertise in my country are not always available
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The top quality of the lectures and presentations, I have simply learned so much during this one week. The course has helped me to contextualise my everyday work.
This course is made available thanks to the generous support of the Government of Norway, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
