Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) bootcamp | UN Disarmament Chief

On 13 May 2022, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs recalled that during the Cold War, the Reykjavik Summit kickstarted a defining period in disarmament that led to a safer and more secure world for all.
In a world that is no longer bipolar, the challenges for the nuclear order are more multifaced, she stressed. To avoid catastrophe, the world needs disarmament and arms control.

The lessons learned during the cold war must be used to reduce the risk of escalation and to foster dialogue between states, the High Representative said. “The current crisis in Ukraine has clearly increased the risk of a nuclear weapon being used, but it has also demonstrated the need for – at a bare minimum – continued engagement on these issues.” Seeking practical risk reduction mechanisms cannot be understated, and maintaining the seventy-six-year norm against the use of nuclear weapons is in the vital interests of both NATO and the Russian Federation, she said. “It must be the priority."