The UN Disarmament Fellows’ Visit to Brussels

From 13 to 15 September 2023, the VCDNP, on behalf of the EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC), organised a visit to the seat of the European policy organs in Brussels for participants of the United Nations Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament.

The visit of the UN Disarmament Fellows to Brussels, which has taken place every year since 2018, is aimed at introducing participants to the EU’s decision-making processes and policies on disarmament and non-proliferation.

This year, the programme started with a visit to the European External Action Service (EEAS), where the Fellows were welcomed by Marjolijn van Deelen, EU Special Envoy for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

At the EEAS, the Fellows gained insights into the EU's extensive involvement in international security, non-proliferation, and disarmament matters, including countering the spread of weapons of mass destruction, coordinating arms and dual-use export controls, and formulating policies on outer space. Presentations were delivered by EEAS and European Commission experts from different offices.

Following briefings at the EEAS, the Fellows were offered a guided tour of the Council premises where a wide array of significant events, including EU summits, multilateral summits, and ministerial meetings are held.

The second day of the visit was dedicated to thematic presentations from experts at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NATO, and the EUNPDC Network.

Eirini Lemos-Maniati, Deputy Director of the Arms Control, Disarmament, and WMD Non-Proliferation Centre, briefed the Fellows on NATO’s work in the field; Sigurd Schelstraete, Director of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, offered a national perspective; and Dr. Sybille Bauer, Chair of the EUNPD Consortium, provided an overview of the Consortium’s history, structure, goals, and activities.

Raluca Csernatoni, Louis Reitmann, and Clémence Poirier, respectively researchers at Carnegie Europe, the VCDNP, and the European Space Policy Institute (ESPI) and members of the EUNPDC Network, provided insights on artificial intelligence, the value of diversity for nuclear weapons policy, as well as ballistic missile proliferation and cybersecurity.

The Fellows were then offered tours of the Parlamentarium and the House of European History, where they learned about the complexity and the decades-long processes that led to the creation of the European Union as well as the structure and functions of the EU policy-making bodies.

The VCDNP would like to extend its gratitude to the EEAS and the EU Council for their generous support and cooperation in organising this visit.