Managing the Atom at NPT RevCon 2022

The Project on Managing the Atom participated as a NGO delegation in the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the United Nations in New York. This review conference comes at a time when nuclear fears amid the conflict in Ukraine loom large.

Alongside dialogue with diplomatic delegations and intergovernmental organizations, MTA also hosted an official side event entitled, "Atomic Backfires: How Great Power Nuclear Policies Fail." The panel discussion, moderated by Francesca Giovannini, featured some of the authors of a forthcoming edited volume, including David M. Allison, Sarah Bidgood, Hyun-Binn Cho, Stephen Herzog, and Ariel F. W. Petrovics. Panelists provided insights into the sometimes unexpected counterproductive effects of the policies nuclear decision-makers often take for granted.

Co-Prinicipal Investigator, Matthew Bunn, and Impact and Outreach Coordinator, Matthew Parent, shared new research and initiatives with UN officials and partners around New York City during the first week in August. Disarmament, changing views on nuclear deterrence, mitigating threats of terrorism and other topics served as the backbone of many conversations.

Executive Director, Francesca Giovannini, Co-Principal Investigator, Steven E. Miller, and MTA Project Coordinator Marina Lorenzini briefed Ambassador Laura S.H. Holgate on current research and policy initiatives focused on emergency preparedness, nuclear security, and emerging technologies. The three MTA team members also gathered insights from European and Middle Eastern delegations on regional security dynamics as well as market availability of nuclear energy provisions given the current landscape of international conflict.

Francesca Giovannini notes that, “MTA is at the center of many of the important conversations at the NPT RevCon. We are proud to see so many current and former fellows and affiliates among the variety of organizations here at the UN. We plan to continue to be at the cutting edge of research and policy formation for many years to come.”

All of the Managing the Atom team participated in meetings and side conversations, sharing the work of the Project and the greater Belfer Center with a variety of stakeholders involved in nuclear security, nuclear energy, and non-proliferation efforts.