On 5 February 2014, the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) hosted a seminar, entitled "Previewing the 2014 NPT PrepCom," with Rose Gottemoeller, Acting Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security (US Department of State), and Jacek Bylica, Principal Adviser and Special Envoy for Non-proliferation and Disarmament, European External Action Service. The seminar was moderated by Elena Sokova, the executive director of the VCDNP.
The main theme of the seminar concerned the outlook for the Third Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2015 Review Conference (RevCon) of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which is to be held in New York this spring. In this context, the pivotal nature of all three pillars of the NPT—disarmament, non-proliferation, and the peaceful use of nuclear energy—to international security, and the importance of all three being advanced together instead of being pitched one against another was highlighted. Also highlighted were both the importance of the continued implementation of the Action Plan adopted at the 2010 NPT RevCon as a pragmatic mechanism for reporting and measuring progress on the NPT, and the importance of progress toward launching the Conference for a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East, with recognition that recent positive developments could be a reason for cautious optimism. Also mentioned was the role of a series of upcoming international events, such as the G-8 Summit in Sochi in June, and the NATO Summit in September, that would provide states with additional opportunities to advance the goals of the NPT.
After the initial remarks, Rose Gottemoeller and Jacek Bylica answered a series of questions from the audience that included over 140 diplomatic representatives, experts from international organizations in Vienna, and academia.
