Spring 2024 Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Short Course

The VCDNP hosted its 27th short course, training 24 diplomats and officials from 23 countries, representing all the world regions, on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament issues. Forty-eight percent of the participants were women and 74 percent represented developing countries.

From 18 to 22 March 2024, participants followed an intensive programme of lectures, panel discussions, and on-site visits, exploring a wide range of topics presented by VCDNP experts and invited guest speakers:

• Fundamentals of nuclear energy and the nuclear fuel cycle by Dr. Marc Humphrey (IAEA)
• The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by VCDNP Executive Director Elena K. Sokova
• Nuclear-weapon-free zones by VCDNP Programme Director Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova
• An overview of nuclear arsenals and the history of arms control by VCDNP Senior Fellow Dr. Nikolai Sokov
• The evolution and implementation of IAEA safeguards by VCDNP Senior Fellow Laura Rockwood and IAEA safeguards training officer Dr. Abdellah Chahid
• Nuclear security challenges, the role of the IAEA, and responsibilities of states in this area by VCDNP Executive Director Elena K. Sokova
• An informal discussion on safeguards in nuclear naval propulsion with VCDNP Senior Fellows Laura Rockwood and Dr. Nikolai Sokov
• A set of case studies in nuclear verification by Dr. Jacques Baute
• The humanitarian initiative and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) by Ambassador Alexander Kmentt
• Multilateral export controls and their implementation by VCDNP Research Associate Louis Reitmann and Scot Gonzales and Dina Hofman from the United States Bureau of Industry and Security
• The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty by CTBTO officials Karli Seshadri and Charles Oko
• A discussion on the intersection of nuclear security and peaceful uses of nuclear technology with VCDNP Senior Research Associate Ingrid Kirsten

Course participants also had the opportunity to visit the IAEA and CTBTO verification facilities and learn about the operations of the IAEA’s safeguards laboratories as well as the CTBTO’s International Monitoring System.

As part of the course, participants joined a VCDNP hybrid event exploring the findings of a new research report by the European Leadership Network (ELN) on the current and potential future integration of artificial intelligence into nuclear command, control, and communication systems in nuclear-weapon States. The featured speakers were:

• Alice Saltini, Research Coordinator, ELN
• Héloïse Fayet, Research Fellow, French Institute of International Relations (IFRI)
• Fei Su, Researcher, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
• Oleg Shakirov, PhD candidate, Johns Hopkins SAIS

In an anonymous survey at the end of the course, 100% of participants found the course to be excellent or very good, saying they would recommend the course to colleagues. Among the most highly rated aspects of the course, the participants highlighted the knowledge and expertise of the speakers, the quality of lectures and presentations, the variety of views and perspectives covered, and the networking opportunities provided.

The following are testimonials from the spring 2024 cohort:

"The information provided was precise, well-structured, a very good general overview also leading to further discussions."

"Necessary for any diplomat serving in Vienna or in the field of non-proliferation and/or disarmament."

"I am leaving this course with much more confidence in tackling the substantive issues of non-proliferation and disarmament that arise in my portfolio."

The VCDNP extends its gratitude to the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands for their generous support of its capacity-building and training activities.