This multi-year project aims at harnessing, growing and sustaining countries’ capacity for contributing to nuclear disarmament verification (NDV). Project activities include research and collaborative activities in Argentina, Brazil, Kazakhstan and South Africa and their regions with a view to developing a network of NDV hubs. The project also explores NDV activities at the international level, including work within the United Nations, and how to make more progress on the issue globally through mechanisms such as GGEs and others.
The project aims to support long term capacity-building and education and to help foster a new generation of nuclear experts in regions of the Global South who can contribute nationally, regionally and internationally.
Ensuring education in the field of nuclear disarmament verification can also be seen complementary to Goal 4 of the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Partners
- University of Witwatersrand (South Africa)
- NPS Global (Argentina-Brazil)
- ISTC (Kazakhstan)
In-country activities
South Africa
- One in person workshop in Pretoria with governmental, academic and NGOs representatives;
- One in person meeting with former South African Nuclear Weapons Experts with the aim to develop a ‘Disarmament Course’ to be offered to universities in South Africa to raise awareness and attention on the topic;
- Five online workshops with governmental, regional organizations, academic and NGOs representatives.
- Outreach activities with students and young experts.
Argentina/Brazil
- One in person workshop in Buenos Aires with governmental, regional organizations, academic and NGOs representatives;
- Four online workshops with governmental, regional organizations, academic and NGOs representatives
- Outreach activities with students and young experts.
Kazakhstan
- Two two-day online workshops with governmental, regional organizations, academic and NGOs representatives;
- Outreach activities with students and young experts.
All regions
- The hosting of a final tripartite conference with representatives from the regions and high level key note speakers.
Other partners
- The co-hosting of side events on NDV with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) during the UN First Committee on Disarmament NPT PrepCom.
Project research activities
- Seventeen regionally sourced papers identifying opportunities and challenges for each region to contribute to NDV and to establishing a national/regional hub;
- VERTIC Brief ‘Encouraging Education in the Field of Nuclear Disarmament Verification’.
Support
This work is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.