The Programme’s past two cycles held in 2021 and 2022 were run virtually due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. Being trained in the symbolic city of Hiroshima will give participants a deeper learning experience.
The Programme also includes a public seminar “2023 Outlook on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation” to promote greater understanding in the Hiroshima community. The event will be held in Hiroshima on 18 February 2023 and is open to the public.
2023 cycle: Training workshop in Hiroshima
This year, nearly 20 diplomats and government officials nominated by their governments will join the NDNP training programme. The participants will learn about the current state of the global nuclear debate, and the challenges and opportunities concerning the possession and use nuclear weapons. The officials will discuss in depth the following topics:
- Outline NPT 2022 Review Conference: Assessment and next cycle review
- UN disarmament and non-proliferation bodies
- Humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons
- Cyberthreats and nuclear weapons
- New technologies and their impact on nuclear disarmament
UNITAR will introduce cutting-edge technologies as part of the learning experience. A virtual reality tour at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is set for an immediate immersion to the rich history of Hiroshima. The guided tour using the virtual reality googles is set on various locations around the park. It provides a 360-degree simulated experience of Hiroshima City before, during and after the atomic bombing of the city. The storyline conveys Hiroshima’s perpetual message of peace and allows engagement among participants for further interpretation.
In Hiroshima, participants will listen to the testimony of hibakusha (atomic bombing survivor), Keigo Ogura. They will also meet young activists to learn about young people’s initiatives for a nuclear-free world.
Public seminar: A community discourse
UNITAR Hiroshima Office, with UNITAR Association, will also host an in-person public seminar “2023 Outlook on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation”. This seminar will encourage the audience to take concrete actions, whether or not they are already engaged in the issue.
Date and time: 18 February 2023, 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. JST
Venue: Dahlia Room, B2F, Hiroshima International Conference Center, Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima
Panellists:
- Mr. Tariq Rauf, former Head of Verification International Atomic Energy Agency (Consulting Adviser on Policy and Outreach to the Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization)
- Mr. Michael Karimian, Director, Microsoft Digital Diplomacy Team
- Ms. Tomoko Watanabe, Executive Director of ANT-Hiroshima and Co-founder of Green Legacy Hiroshima
Registration: Please register through this link, https://forms.gle/jMLhBy86AtJFUV4J8.
The event will be held in person only (no online session or recording).
Simultaneous interpretation in English and Japanese will be available during the seminar. The session will be moderated by Mihoko Kumamoto, UNITAR Division for Prosperity and Hiroshima Office Director.
Since 2015, UNITAR has run the Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme with the support of the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the City of Hiroshima.
Promoting collective international understanding on the threat of nuclear weapons and facilitating discussion towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons are made ever more urgent with the escalating crisis in Ukraine. Training diplomats and communities to realize a safer world is essential for the peaceful evolution of regional geopolitics and for the advancement of humanity.
The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) provides innovative learning solutions to individuals, organizations and institutions to enhance global and country-level action for a better future. Located in Hiroshima, the Division for Prosperity trains present and future change-makers from developing countries, particularly youth and women, so they may shape a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous world. https://www.unitar.org/sustainable-development-goals/prosperity
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