The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), Atomic Reporters, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), and the Stanley Foundation brought together over two dozen journalists and experts for a workshop on Nuclear Safety, Security, and WMD Non-Proliferation that took place in Vienna, Austria, on 3-5 December 2014. Journalists from Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, and other Middle Eastern states engaged in discussions with leading experts in a collaborative effort to strengthen journalists’ understanding of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) non-proliferation issues and various aspects of nuclear safety and security. The workshop was a follow-up to previous workshops held in Vienna and Istanbul in June 2014.
The workshop covered important topics related to the nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear energy, and the security of nuclear materials and facilities, as well as the establishment of a zone in the Middle East free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Participants also gained hands-on experience during a visit to the headquarters of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and the Incident Emergency Center at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The timing of the workshop was particularly relevant, taking place just after the 24 November deadline of the P5+1 and Iran negotiations in Vienna, Austria, and prior to the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons (8-9 December). Given these events, participants had the opportunity to engage in a seminar by Robert Einhorn, senior fellow with the Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative and the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at the Brookings Institution, on the “Prospects for a Nuclear Deal with Iran.” Speakers in the workshop included senior nongovernmental experts in the field, including from CNS and VCDNP, as well as representatives from the IAEA, CTBTO, and other international organizations.
The organizers of this workshop extend their gratitude to the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, and to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway for their generous support that made this workshop possible.
