About Us

Structure

The EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, managed jointly by six institutes entrusted with the project, works close in cooperation with the representative of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The six institutes are La Fondation pour la recherche stratégique (FRS), the Peace Research Institute in Frankfurt (HSFK/ PRIF), the International Affairs Institute in Rome (IAI), the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP). The Consortium, originally comprised of four institutes, began its work in January 2011 and forms the core of a wider network of European non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks and research centers which are closely associated with the activities of the Consortium.

Mission

The main aim of the network of independent non-proliferation and disarmament think tanks is to encourage discussion of measures to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems within civil society, particularly among experts, researchers and academics.

The scope of activities shall also cover issues related to conventional weapons, including small arms and light weapons (SALW). The fruits of the network discussions can be submitted in the form of reports and recommendations to the responsible officials within the European Union.

The aim of the network is to enhance the awareness in third countries of the challenges related to WMD and conventional weapons proliferation through activities such as dedicated education and outreach projects. Furthermore, the network aims at raising awareness on the need to work together with the European Union and other multilateral fora, such as the United Nations, to prevent, deter, halt and where possible, eliminate proliferation programmes of concern worldwide and the illicit trade and excessive accumulation of SALW and their ammunition.

To that end, the Consortium may establish cooperation with specialized institutions and research centers in third countries, in particular in those with which the EU is conducting specific non-proliferation dialogues.

Activities

The Consortium works through the organization of expert meetings, international conferences, ad hoc seminars and consultative meetings with representatives of EU institutions.

In particular, one of the flagship events of the project, the Annual Conference, has raised awareness over the years about the EU Strategy against the proliferation of WMD and the EU Strategy to combat illicit accumulation and trafficking of SALW and their ammunition, and associated implementation efforts by the EU. It helped increase the visibility of the EU’s policies in these fields as well as its actions in the fields of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) non-proliferation and disarmament.

In addition, the Consortium provides ad-hoc expertise through reports, recommendations and policy papers to the office of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. It also produces publications on the full range of non-proliferation and disarmament issues, including both conventional and non-conventional arms. Finally, the Consortium provides relevant e-learning courses, internships, proliferation awareness training for specialists in natural sciences and other relevant fields and arranges annual study visits to Brussels for the participants in the UN Programme of Fellowships on Disarmament.