Rethinking the Nexus Between Disarmament and Security: Lessons from the Pandemic

8 July 2020 • 
Event
VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova comments on the challenges to multilateral diplomacy and civil society that have been amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Share this:
VCDNP Executive Director Elena Sokova

While the challenges facing nuclear arms control and disarmament are not new, COVID-19 has amplified many of the challenges in multilateral diplomacy, including engagement with civil society. During a webinar organised by the Permanent Mission of Austria to the Office of the United Nations and Special Organisations in Geneva, VCDNP Executive Director Elena K. Sokova discussed some of these challenges.

During the Cold War, the nations of the world were able to separate political conflict from the basic understanding that survival is a shared interest, observed Ms. Sokova. But today, multilateral institutions and their Member States seem to be losing the ability to negotiate in good faith and find compromises.

These problems predate the COVID-19 crisis, but the inability of diplomats to conduct face-to-face meetings has further complicated the world of multilateralism. However, some international organisations have demonstrated exceptional resilience in the face of the pandemic. The International Atomic Energy Agency, for example, has continued its critical work in implementing nuclear safeguards while providing guidance and training to its Member States on ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

There are also notable cases in which multilateral institutions have continued critical engagement with civil society, such as in two webinars organised by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons' next Review Conference (here and here). However, the pandemic has exasperated the already notable trend of limiting the involvement of civil society in intergovernmental debates in the security field. Space in both in-person and virtual meetings has become a premium and the participation of civil society in these debates has diminished as a result. This negatively impacts the important link between government and civil society.

Concluding, Ms. Sokova argued for reinvigorated government support for civil society participation in negotiation fora and diplomatic exchanges. Moreover, virtual meetings opportunities for wider engagement by civil society, both with the wider public and with government.


Registration & Questions
We kindly ask you to RSVP using our online registration.
Should you have any questions, please e-mail or call us.

Related Experts

Elena K. Sokova
Executive Director

Related Content

Naval Nuclear Propulsion and IAEA Safeguards: A View from the PrepCom

26 September 2023 • 
Senior Research Associate Noah Mayhew comments on how the AUKUS partnership was addressed at the 2023 NPT PrepCom and how it may be seen at the 2023 IAEA General Conference.
Read more

Second Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW: Preparations and Expectations

16 November 2023 • 
The VCDNP convened a panel with key officials and experts to discuss priority issues, challenges, and expectations for the upcoming Second Meeting of TPNW States Parties in New York.
Read more
1 2 3 86
cross
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram