PIR Center Celebrates Its 25th Jubilee At The Permanent Mission Of Russia To The Un In New York

MOSCOW, MAY 8. PIR PRESS. On May 2, more than 40 friends and partners of the PIR Center gathered at the Permanent Mission of Russia to the UN. Among them were heads and high representatives of delegations participating in the third session of the Preparatory Committee of the NPT Review Conference, the world’s largest experts in the field of non-proliferation, graduates of PIR Center programs working in New York, young scientists and master students of double degree in the field of non-proliferation.

The PIR Center has been actively participating in the NPT Review Process since the historic 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. During this time, the PIR Center has become one of the main and most effective tools for promoting the position of the Russian expert community on non-proliferation issues. This year, the PIR Center delegation also participated in the third session of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT 2020 Review Conference in New York.

Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vladimir Safronkov read out a greeting of Russian Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov, and the Head of the Division of Communications of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs John Ennis conveyed the congratulations of UN Under-Secretary-General, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Ms. Isumi Nakamitsu. Appeals of Russian Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu and the UN Under-Secretary-General, the head of the Counter-Terrorism Security Office Vladimir Voronkov were read out as well.

PIR Center’s role in promoting a constructive agenda aimed at strengthening the NPT and developing international dialogue on global security issues was noted by the Director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) Renata Dwan, Vice President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York Deana Arsenyan, Founder and Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) William Potter, Consultant to the CTBTO Tariq Rauf, an Argentine diplomat Rafael Grossi, elected at the end of the Preparatory Committee as Chairman of the 2020 Review Conference, the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association Daryl Kimball, Founder and Director of the Acronym Institute Rebecca Johnson, head of the International Security Programme at Chatham House Patricia Lewis and other prominent representatives of the non-proliferation community.

The reception was an event that confirmed the importance attached by the UN and Russian diplomacy to the activities of the non-governmental community in the work of the NPT Review Process. 

Photos can be found here.