On 29 May 2015, experts and students met at the International Maritime Organization in London to explore some long-standing issues around nuclear disarmament using an innovative new format.
The event was convened by the United Nations Association – UK and the British American Security Information Council (BASIC). It required participants to engage with a thought experiment that asked how Britain would protect itself and function effectively in the world if it did not possess nuclear weapons.
The morning saw two parallel roundtables meet to discuss this question. One was composed of experts representing a broad range of perspectives – nuclear and security specialists, arms control campaigners, former diplomats and journalists. The other consisted of university students from UNA-UK and BASIC’s networks, who had gone through a rigorous selection process ahead of this event.
After lunch, both groups presented their ideas to a live audience of over 100 students from across the country. The audience interrogated and voted on the proposed solutions, contributing some suggestions of their own. At the end of the event, the groups and the audience were asked to reflect on the day’s discussions and decide whether they believe a nuclear-weapon-free UK is viable - the majority voted 'yes'.
The event was followed by a reception at which attendees had the opportunity to talk to the experts about their international careers and seek advice from them about their own first steps.
The venue for this event was generously provided by the International Maritime Organization, to whom we owe thanks.
Photos from the event
Blog post by attendee
