April 12, 2019
Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova and Sarah Bidgood
In addition to the annual preparatory committee meetings, held in each of the three years leading to the quinquennial Review Conference of states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), diplomats and practitioners have come to rely on an informal but no less institutionalized forum as part of their NPT preparations: the CNS diplomatic workshop in Annecy, France.
This year’s Annecy workshop was preceded by a gathering of a newly formed Working Group on Alternative Approaches to Nuclear Disarmament. Jointly convened by the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) and CNS, the group first met in late 2018, supported by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York, with the aim of producing creative yet practical proposals on bridging existing divides on nuclear disarmament, to feed directly into the NPT review process. The Group places particular emphasis on identifying ways to enhance the role of European states in nuclear disarmament. Working Group members include former and current government and international organization officials, along with nongovernmental and academic experts with extensive experience in the NPT and other nuclear-weapons issues.
During the meeting on March 14, the Group discussed a number of draft working papers produced by its members, covering such areas as the options for the outcome of the 2020 NPT Review Conference, possible “wild cards” at the 2019 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting, the European Union’s past and potential future role in forging consensus in the NPT review process, continuation of the Humanitarian Initiative on Nuclear Weapons, and others. In addition to its formal session, the Working Group held a working dinner with the Chair of the 2019 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting, Ambassador Syed Hasrin, along with two members of his delegation. The Group members were delighted to use this opportunity to discuss its analyses and recommendations with Ambassador Hasrin.
Chair of the 2019 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting, Ambassador Syed Hasrin
Then, on March 15 and 16, 2019, the traditional diplomatic Annecy workshop on the NPT convened. The high-level event brought together diplomats, senior representatives from international organizations, and selected nongovernmental analysts for two days of substantive diplomatic engagement.
Participants exchanged views on a host of topics, ranging from the future of the WMD-free zone in the Middle East to nuclear risk reduction to the importance of diversity in the NPT review process. While these discussions highlighted few areas of likely consensus, virtually all attendees agreed that the upcoming NPT meetings would be extremely challenging. In this respect, it was especially useful for participants to hear from PrepCom Chair-designate Syed Hasrin, who provided attendees with an overview of the consultations he has undertaken to date and his preparations for the upcoming meeting in New York.
Once again, the Annecy workshop provided NPT diplomats with an important opportunity to air their positions in an informal environment prior to the actual PrepCom. As such, it demonstrated its value as part of the NPT review process.
