GSD's students participated in the cornerstone U.N. Treaty for Nuclear Non-Proliferation

Earlier this month, three Geneva School of Diplomacy students participated in the cornerstone U.N. Treaty for Nuclear Non-proliferation. Charlie Sell, Sarah Elizabeth Thomas and Hermann Brumm traveled to Vienna, Austria, as members of the European Youth Delegation to the first Preparatory Committee of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), for a first-hand look into the world of multilateral diplomacy.

The week included discussions with Ambassadors from over 20 countries. The students also participated in “public actions” outside of the U.N. urging countries to fulfill all of their obligations under the NPT, including Article VI that calls on all countries to “pursue negotiations in good faith” on disarmament efforts. The final component of the week involved an outreach to local schools, where members of the European Youth Delegation organized and presented lesson plans to younger students about nuclear disarmament.

“It was a very engaging week”, said Charlie Sell. “We were able to implement a lot of our knowledge on this particular topic while catching a glimpse into how these multilateral negotiations actually work.”

"The opportunity to participate and speak with delegates during the 2012 NPT preparation conference highlighted the importance of diplomacy and continued efforts for disarmament in today's world”, noted Sarah Elizabeth. “Being part of the conferences as representatives from the European Youth Delegation solidified my confidence in future disarmament progress."

“The motivation and ambition displayed by the members of the Preparatory Committee highlighted the importance of nuclear disarmament and the shift in the train of thought particularly among the younger generation of persons” said Hermann Brumm, another member of the GSD team to the 2012 NPT PrepComm.

Their participation in the European Youth Delegation was due to their success in a previous debate at the United Nations on nuclear policy.