Symposium Encourages Young Scholars, Fresh Ideas on Nuclear Nonproliferation

The Project on Managing the Atom joined the Netherlands government, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in convening a research symposium on the sidelines of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) 2015 review conference. The symposium, Fresh Ideas for the Future, took place on April 28 in the UN headquarters in New York City.

The day-long meeting brought together early-career scholars from around the world—including several current and former MTA/ISP fellows—to discuss new research on nuclear energy, nonproliferation, and disarmament, and to strengthen decision-making related to the future of the NPT.

Symposium participants were welcomed by Angela Kane, United Nations high representative for Disarmament Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Bert Koenders, and UN Messenger of Peace Michael Douglas. The Belfer Center International Council’s Sam Nunn was on a panel of senior experts. Other Center presenters were International Security Program’s Steven E. Miller and Project on Managing the Atom’s Martin Malin, Mark Bell, Gene Gerzhoy, Francesca Giovannini, Behnam Taebi, and former Stanton fellow Tytti Erasto. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon also sent greetings. He said he would count on the symposium participants to “inject fresh vision” into the crucial issue of moving toward a world free of nuclear weapons.

The symposium featured presentations from 30 researchers on topics ranging from ethical choices regarding multinational storage facilities for nuclear waste and coalition politics within the NPT to the efficacy and limits of coercive nonproliferation strategies and lessons for the Middle East from the African and Latin American nuclear weapons-free zones.

In closing remarks, Steven Miller characterized the new international approaches presented at the workshop as “healthy, desirable, and corrective,” and urged participants to keep their research focused on the practical challenge of preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.

For additional information about the symposium, see here.