Contrary to ill-founded expectations, the end of Cold War did not eliminate the threat of nuclear weapons. Although we have likely escaped the danger of a nuclear Armageddon, the presence and proliferation of nuclear weapons continue to pose a serious threat to today's global security and the risk of their deliberate or accidental use due to human or technical failure is high.

The concept of global nuclear governance describes the complex, multi-level web of actors, rules, treaties, informal arrangements, initiatives and networks that together form the regime that the international community has over the years set up to deal with the management and regulation of nuclear weapons, their sensitive technologies and delivery means. The fundamental goal of the system of global nuclear governance is to combat the proliferation of nuclear weapons, thereby assuring the safety and security of nuclear material, while also delegitimizing the weapons' value and helping create the conditions for sustained progress toward disarmament.

The 2015 Isodarco Winter School will address and deepen our understanding of the main elements of the nuclear governance system, review their functions, highlight strengths and limitations, and propose possible remedies to enhance their effectiveness.

The program is divided into three main thematic sections, each of them sub-divided in several presentations: 1) Actors and policies: it will deal with the main actors (organizations, NGO, informal groupings, etc.) comprising the system, including IAEA, CTBTO, UN-ODA, European Union, Humanitarian Initiative, NATO, Arab League, Global Zero movement; 2) Treaties and initiatives: it will consider the key formal treaties and informal arrangements that regulate relations and behaviors in the global governance system, including the NPT, the regime to control missile proliferation (MTCR), ban nuclear testing (CTBT), stop the production of fissile material (FMCT), regulate the export of sensitive technologies and goods (Nuclear Suppliers Group) and prevent non-state actor proliferation (Resolution 1540); 3) Issues: the course will address some of the main outstanding issues that will be likely to characterize the 2015 NPT Review Conference, including nuclear arms reductions, eliminating tactical nuclear weapons, US/Russia relations, IAEA safeguards, the establishment of a WMD Free-zone in the Middle East, humanitarian approaches to nuclear disarmament, the Iranian interim deal and its comprehensive solution, negative security assurances, and nuclear safety and security.


Sameh Aboul Einen (Ambassador, Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister, Cairo, Egypt); Alexei Arbatov (IMEMO and Carnegie Endowment, Moscow, Russian Federation); Nadia Arbatova (IMEMO and Deputy Chair of Russian Pugwash, Moscow, Russian Federation); Paolo Cotta-Ramusino (Secretary General of PUGWASH Conferences on Science and World Affairs, Milan, Italy); Mark Fitzpatrick (International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, UK); Catherine Kelleher (University of Maryland, College Park, USA); Robert Kelley (formerly IAEA Department of Safeguards and Los Alamos National Laboratory, Vienna, Austria); Feroz Khan (US Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA; Brigadier (ret’d.) Pakistan Army); Stefan Klement (Strategic Planning Division, European External Action Service, Brussels, Belgium); Jeffrey A. Larsen (NATO Defense College, Rome, Italy); Martin Malin (Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard University, USA); Grégoire Mallard (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland); Vladimir Orlov (President, PIR Centre, Moscow, Russian Federation); Benoît Pelopidas (University of Bristol, UK, and CISAC affiliate, Stanford University, USA); Wolfgango Plastino (Roma Tre University, Rome, Italy); Enrique Román-Morey (Ambassador of Peru to Portugal; Chairman, 2014 NPT PrepCom; Vice President UN General Assembly 2012-
2013); Carlo Trezza (Chairman, Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), Italy). Confirmation is expected from additional scholars who have been invited to the School. The course will be articulated in formal lectures, round tables, seminars offered by the participants and general open discussions.
 
A.    English will be the working language of the School. There will be approximately 80 participants.

B.    Applications should be addressed to the Director of the School:   
Prof. CARLO SCHAERF, Physics Department, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy;
Tel.: (+39) 06 6892340    --    E-mail: isodarco@gmail.com    --    URL: www.isodarco.it We suggest that you apply on-line at www.isodarco.it/courses/andalo15/andalo15-info.html

C.    Applicants who need a visa to come to Italy should apply to Isodarco by October 6th 2014 and indicate in their application to which Italian Consulate they intend to apply. Applicants must provide the Italian Consular Authorities with evidence of their professional qualifications and their specific professional interest in the topic of the course. Isodarco, as a NGO, is not able to influence the decisions of the Italian Authorities. Applicants who do
not need a visa should apply by November 17th 2014. All applicants will receive a reply.

D.    The registration fee, which includes attendance, accommodation and full board, is 500 Euros. A reduced fee of 300 Euros is applied to students with no income born in 1989 or after and to participants from Countries with foreign currency problems. Participants will be housed in double or triple rooms. The admission fee for single rooms, if requested and available, will be 800 Euros.