The US State Department launched a potentially significant global dialogue on nuclear disarmament this month, though relatively little information has yet been provided about it. CNS Director William Potter had the opportunity to interview some of the participants in the two-day session, which he noted was marked in part by "the absence of acrimony," an unusual characteristic in today's notoriously caustic disarmament fora.

Seventeen outstanding undergraduate students from around the country have joined us in Monterey as part of our Undergraduate Fellowship Program. Hailing from some of the nation's top schools—including Middlebury, Brown, Yale, Colby, Cornell, Columbia, College of William and Mary, University of Georgia, Bryn Mawr, Georgetown, Pomona, and Smith—these diverse students have the rare opportunity to study in-depth nonproliferation and disarmament issues to complement their emerging specializations.

Halfway through their Fellowship, the students presented on their ongoing research at a luncheon with CNS experts, MIIS professors, and major supporters of CNS, Sarah and Tom Pattison.

Spanning a wide range of research foci—including new technologies, radiological threats, regional issues, and international engagement—the students showcased the methodologies of their research, their interim findings, and explored the next steps of their projects.

Although prohibited by the UN Security Council since 2006, luxury goods—like Rolls Royce limos, yachts, and even ski lifts—continue to pour into North Korea. One reason is that many states have never implemented this ban in their national laws. To help improve this record, CNS developed a model luxury goods embargo law that can be easily adapted by UN Member States.

Citing a new report from the Center for Advanced Defense Studies, both the New York Times and the Financial Times look at how high-end Western goods make their way to North Korea, detailing a tortuous process involving port transfers, secrecy on the high seas, and shadowy front companies. This research illuminates the utility of the CNS Model Law in ensuring compliance with nonproliferation sanctions.

Elena Sokova, who served as the CNS Deputy Director in Monterey from 2015–19, has returned to her previous role as Executive Director of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. As the founding VCDP Director, a role she held from 2011–15, Ms. Sokova helped establish VCDNP as a major forum for dialogue among national governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental experts. She is replacing Ms. Laura Rockwood, who assumed VCDNP directorship in 2015 after a prominent career at the International Atomic Energy Agency. We wish Laura the best of luck in her new adventures.

Back in Monterey, Jessica Varnum has been named Deputy Director, where she will manage numerous CNS projects from development through implementation. She oversees a wide range of research, budget, personnel, fundraising, outreach, and strategic initiatives, as well as CNS's corporate partnerships.

Rhianna Tyson Kreger has been named CNS Communications Director, in addition to continuing her role as Managing Editor for the Nonproliferation Review.

We are also excited to welcome three new experts to our team.  Richard Pilch has been named as the new Chemical and Biological Weapons Nonproliferation Director. MIIS alumna Margaret Rowland Croy joins us in DC as a Research Associate working on the East Asia Nonproliferation Program, the Nonproliferation Review, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative. And lastly, James Johnson has joined us as a Postdoctoral Fellow, where his research will focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on nuclear security, escalation risk, deterrence, and strategic stability, particularly between the United States and China.

Please join us for a luncheon at the CNS Washington, DC, office on August 2, 2019, for a discussion with Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation Christopher Ford on the issue of a Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone.

Lunch will be served at 12:30; the event will start promptly at 1:00.

The session will be live-streamed and recorded, and is open to the public and the press.

It is with great sadness that we observe the passing of a friend and colleague, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Yukiya Amano.

CNS Director William Potter reflected on the two sides of Dr. Amano that he knew personally: the widely respected diplomat and international servant, and the dedicated family man, sailor, and opera lover.

Dr. Amano will be sorely missed by all who knew and worked with him.