Cooperation with the UN

“There has never been a greater need for education in the areas of disarmament and non-proliferation, especially with regard to weapons of mass destruction, but also in the field of small arms and international terrorism. Since the end of the cold war, changing concepts of security and threat have demanded new thinking. Such new thinking will arise from those who are educated and trained today”

Report of the Secretary-General

“United Nations study on disarmament andnon-proliferation education”

(А/57/124),

August 30, 2002

WORLD EXPERIENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EDUCATION IN THE FIELD OF NONPROLIFERATION, DISARMAMENT AND GLOBAL SECURITY

In 2000, the UN General Assembly instructed the Secretary General to prepare a report in which a Group of Governmental Experts, including PIR Center Director Vladimir Orlov, would assess the situation in the field of nonproliferation and disarmament education and suggest ways to encourage it at all levels of formal and non-formal education (Resolution No. 57/60).

In 2001-2002 The UN Secretary-General appointed Vladimir Orlov as the UN Consultant on education and training in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. As a result of the work done, the Report of the UN Secretary General was prepared, which formed the basis of the Resolution of the UN General Assembly (2002).

In 2004, pursuant to resolution 57/60 of the UN General Assembly, a report of the Secretary-General on disarmament and non-proliferation education was issued. It provided information received from Member States on statements made in the First Committee on the activities of the United Nations and other international and non-governmental organizations. Subsequently, biennial reports of the Secretary-General on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education began to appear, which contain the results of the implementation of the 34 recommendations of the UN study on disarmament and non-proliferation education and new potential opportunities to promote such education. Information about these Rs from Member States, international and regional organizations, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.

In May 2010, Russia, the only nuclear power, signed the Joint Statement on Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education, presented at the meeting of the Main Committee I of the NPT Review Conference 2010. This event reflects both the progress made in the development of education in the field of nonproliferation by organizations from Russia and CIS countries and new plans to support disarmament and non-proliferation education initiatives, programs for in-depth study of these issues, as well as awareness-raising promotion of these issues among the general public.

In 2010-2013 Russia, thanks to the activities of its academic and non-governmental organizations, has fully fulfilled its obligations under paragraph 22 of the Action Plan adopted following the 2010 NPT Review Conference, which consists in implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the UN Secretary General (A/57/124) on disarmament and non-proliferation education.

The successful development of education in the field of nonproliferation in Russia and the CIS is the result of close cooperation between state authorities, NGOs (PIR Center), academic institutions (IMEMO RAS), Moscow and regional universities (MGIMO, Novosibirsk State University, St Petersburg State University, Tomsk State University, Tyumen State University, Ural Federal University and others) and their international partners (Monterey Institute for International Studies, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, MacArthur Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Foundation “Initiative to Reduce nuclear threat”, the Swedish State Authority for Radiation Protection, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and others), as well as international organizations (UN, IAEA, CTBTO, ISTC and others).

RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT OF THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL (A/57/124) AND ACTION TAKEN IN FOLLOW-UP TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS

8. Member States are encouraged to include parliamentarians and/or non-governmental advisers in delegations to United Nations disarmamentrelated meetings, taking into account national legislation and practices.

The level of interaction between the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian NGOs and the expert community is unprecedentedly high for both national and international practice. The Russian Foreign Ministry regularly holds meetings with representatives of non-governmental organizations, and Russian diplomats constantly take part in events organized by NGOs. Representatives of non-governmental organizations (PIR Center President Vladimir A. Orlov in 2010-2013) are part of the official delegations sent to the NPT Review Conference, as well as to other events in the field of disarmament and nonproliferation.

13. Sponsor training, fellowships, and awareness programmes

Russian donors, including the Gorchakov Fund, the Russkiy Mir Foundation, the Institute for Civil Society Problems, the International Fund for Technology and Investment, regional and local authorities (in the Tyumen and Tomsk regions) support the implementation of UN educational programs and models on nonproliferation and disarmament issues. Such programs include the PIR Center International Summer School on Global Security, the Tomsk Summer School on Nonproliferation, the publication of the Security Index Occasional Paper Series.

17. Разработка и совершенствование программ, практикумов, программ стипендий и материалов по вопросам разоружения и нераспространения, предназначенных представителей средств массовой информации

Российские органы государственной власти, также как и НПО, специализирующиеся на вопросах нераспространения, активно развивают контакты с прессой. Представители национальных СМИ активно участвуют в образовательных программах, включая Международную Летнюю Школу ПИР-Центра по глобальной безопасности. На регулярной основе проходят брифинги для прессы по тематике разоружения и нераспространения. Российские НПО стремятся к привлечению представителей ведущих российских информагентств (ИТАР-ТАСС, РИА-Новости, Коммерсант, Russia Today) к участию в научных мероприятиях и готовят пресс-релизы с целью ознакомления представителей СМИ со своей деятельностью.

21. Использование заочного обучения при обучении в вопросах разоружения и нераспространения

В 2010-2013 году ключевые российские НПО сделали упор на развитие методов дистанционного обучения. В тот период ПИР-Центр запустил обновленную версию своего образовательного модуля. Свой сайт появился у Сообщества исследователей нераспространения Сибири и Урала, а само сообщество продолжает активно развиваться. Международный центр ядерного образования МИФИ также открыл для посещения обновленную версию своего сайта.

22. Рекомендуется разрабатывать и распространять по электронным каналам материалы на других языках, помимо английского

Ведущие российское НПО и академические организации готовят образовательные материалы на русском языке. Эти материалы пользуются большим спросом не только в России, но и на пространстве СНГ. Среди недавно вышедших публикаций стоит отметить двухтомный учебник «Ядерное нераспространение», подготовленный ПИР-Центром и сообществом исследователей из университетов Урала и Сибири (Томск, Тюмень, Екатеринбург). Информационные бюллетени ПИР-Центра Ядерный Контроль, Вена + Женева, электронная версия журнала Индекс Безопасности и другие публикации с разных сторон освещают широкий спектр вопросов от разоружения и нераспространения ОМУ до вопросов энергетической безопасности и развития ядерных технологий.

23,17,26. Использование широкого спектра образовательных методов для работы с людьми различных возрастных групп и различного уровня подготовки

Российские НПО и академические организации проявляют творческий подход, при создании образовательных программ, учитывая различный уровень подготовки аудитории и присутствие в ней людей различных возрастных групп. При реализации своих образовательных программ для молодых специалистов ПИР-Центр активно использует современные методы обучения, включая дебаты, форсайт и ситуационный анализ. Организаторы Томской летней школы по нераспространению используют метод имитирования переговорного процесса. Региональные аспекты проблемы нераспространения изучались студентами в ходе проведения двух специализированных моделей ООН, состоявшихся в Тюмени и Новосибирске. Ассоциация учителей г. Новоуральска организует образовательные программы по нераспространению для учащихся общеобразовательных учебных заведений.

2002-2010 can be called the period of formation of educational programs in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. For this, more than 600 people have been trained as part of the educational projects of PIR Center, the leading non-governmental organization in the field of international security, disarmament and non-proliferation in the CIS, 250 of whom took part in weekly and two-week courses, and more than 50 – in the internship program. In addition to PIR Center, other institutions are also working in this area today – nonproliferation programs are being run in universities in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, St Petersburg, Tomsk, as well as in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and other countries and regions.

Over the past 10 years, an “educational network” has been formed in the CIS space, which not only contributes to the promotion of nonproliferation ideas, but is also a mechanism for reproducing knowledge, attracting young specialists to work in this area, which means that it is a guarantee of sustainable support from Russia and other post-Soviet countries nonproliferation regime.

In the educational network in the field of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament formed in the CIS space, three main components can be distinguished

Emergence and development of national non-governmental organizations

Interactions between authorities, universities, civil and scientific institutions

Broad international cooperation

THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CULTURE OF NON-PROLIFERATION IN RUSSIA AND IN THE WORLD.

Today, politicians and experts both in Russia and abroad turn to the recommendations of Russian NGOs, including PIR Center. Moreover, thanks to publishing, information and educational activities, some of these NGOs have become real centers of Russian public diplomacy. It was NGOs that became the system-forming elements of the educational network. Independence, mobility, openness, the ability to attract the best experts from different institutions make it possible to achieve synergy of scientific, educational, informational work, the creative energy of young people and the experience of senior colleagues. NGOs can also become a good bridge between government structures, the expert and educational community. Independent NGO platforms make it possible to build relationships between scientists and authorities, conduct a real discussion, provide some with “intellectual nourishment”, and others with first-hand information.

Russian organizations have good experience of fruitful interaction with foreign scientific and educational structures (Nonproliferation Research Center of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Stockholm Institute for Peace Research, International Institute for Strategic Studies, etc.), foundations (MacArthur, Ford, Nuclear Reduction Initiative). Threats, the Plowshares Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, etc.), foreign governments and international organizations (UN, IAEA, ISTC, etc.).

Professional dialogue is necessary for everyone working in the field of nuclear energy or safety. An ongoing dialogue presents opportunities not only to promote a culture of non-proliferation, but also to maintain the sustainability of nuclear cooperation. 

Nowadays in Russia there is the entire infrastructure for the training of technical personnel – dozens and hundreds of foreign specialists at various levels of training are trained in Moscow, Obninsk, Tomsk, at operating nuclear power plants. Additional opportunities for expanding cooperation with foreign research centers and universities are created by their international associations. On the basis of MEPhI, in the interests of the EurAsEC countries, an International Nuclear Innovation Consortium was created, uniting the largest scientific and educational institutions of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.

With the support of the IAEA, the Asian Nuclear Education Network (ANENT) was created, which unites scientific and educational centers of 15 countries. Among these countries are such interesting for Russia as Bangladesh, Vietnam, India, China, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, UAE, South Korea, Syria and others. MEPhI cooperates with the network, but rather on technical issues, while political approaches also require promotion. Obviously, if contacts with this network are not developed, then little will be known about Russian initiatives and approaches there, and the opportunities for dialogue with students and young specialists will remain limited, that is, with those who tomorrow will determine the development of the nuclear industry in their country, including choosing partners.

The International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN), established by the IAEA and other international “nuclear” organizations, has become universal platforms for developing a culture of nuclear nonproliferation. Connecting Russian NGOs to these networks also opens up additional opportunities for developing our approaches and projects in the field of nonproliferation.

TRACK 2.5 – DIPLOMACY FOR NONPROLIFERATION
AND GLOBAL SECURITY

One of the PIR Center initiatives was the project “Young Professionals in the NPT Review Process”, aimed at increasing the representation of the next generation of nonproliferation experts in the sessions of the NPT Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) and the Review Conference. The project aims to increase the representation of Russian organizations and experts in the NPT review process so that the weight of Russian public and expert diplomacy matches Russia’s role in the fight to strengthen the nuclear nonproliferation regime. It is necessary to prepare the younger generation for work at international platforms of this level, and one of the elements of the new educational project is precisely the holding of seminars in the format of track 2.5 on the margins of the NPT review process.

Трек 1 ↗

Official diplomacy

Трек 2 ↗

Expert community

Трек 3 – дорожка 2.5

Young generation of specialists