APLN in collaboration with the European Leadership Network, and the Toda Peace Institute, and with support from the Nuclear Threat Initiative, convened a workshop in Seoul, ROK, 22-23 March under the title of ‘Closing the Gap: Harmonizing the NPT and the Nuclear Ban Treaty’. The aim of this initiative was to work to enhance convergence between the NPT and Ban Treaty, to positively influence the 2020 NPT Review Conference and strengthen the global disarmament and non-proliferation regime.

In preparation for the workshop APLN and the Toda Institute commissioned several background Policy Briefs which have been published here: https://www.apln.network/analysis/policy-briefs/list

Products of the meeting included:

– Framing papers prepared by APLN and ELN research staff covering the main developments and challenges in their respective regions.

– Rapporteurs reports of three sessions

o Assessing the Gaps between the NPT and the Ban Treaty

o Key elements of Convergence

o Objectives for the 2020 NPT Review Conference.

Key takeaway:

For the APLN, the key product of the meeting was a document entitled

– “The NPT and the Prohibition Treaty: Towards Convergence: Outreach Themes for 2020”

The initial draft of this document was prepared by APLN and finalised by the Facilitator of the final session of the workshop, APLN Co-Convenor Ramesh Thakur, taking account of the intensive discussion at the workshop. The paper provides concise background to the issues facing global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation efforts against the background of the opening for signature last year of the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty, and the preparations underway for the 50th Anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2020.