The Director of ELS, Dr. Daniel Mekonnen, gave a presentation in a colloquium on nuclear disarmament that was organised by the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to the Conference on Disarmament. The colloquium, which took place in Geneva on 15 April 2019, aimed at sharing views and experiences on what is deemed an optimal climate for renewed and real progress in nuclear disarmament.
The presentation of Dr. Mekonnen focused on the role of regional collective security arrangements in nuclear disarmament, with particular focus on the African Union, including its newly introduced concept of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). The presentation highlighted the need for transcending conventional academic thinking, by inviting alternative voices from less represented corners of the world, Africa being one such corner.
Dr. Mekonnen’s observations were based on his most recent academic publication titled “African Perspectives on Denuclearization and the Use of Nuclear Energy for Peaceful Purposes,” which appeared in J. L. Black-Branch & D. Fleck (eds.), Nuclear Non-Proliferation in International Law: Human Perspectives on the Development and Use of Nuclear Energy (Springer/Asser, 2019, Volume IV), pp. 167-187.
ELS’s participation in such kind of events is part of its commitment of advancing the application of public international law for matters that deal with issues of global peace and security.