Description

From June 26-30, CTBTO Youth Group (CYG) members will report from the 2017 Science and Technology (SnT) conference at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. As the first activity of its kind, the SnT 2017 Youth Newsroom Project will highlight the perspectives of the next generation on the Treaty’s International Monitoring System (IMS).

Under the leadership of veteran reporters, youth participants will create daily briefs on sessions, topics, and themes they observe during the week-long event. Their reports will showcase how science and technology can advance the entry into force of the Treaty.

Although the CTBT forms a cornerstone of the international nonproliferation and disarmament agendas, it has not entered into force more than two decades after its opening for signature. The role of the next generation to advancing ratification is frequently emphasized by Dr Lassina Zerbo, executive secretary of the CTBTO. On this basis, Dr. Zerbo established the Youth Group in February 2016.

At that time, the CYG had fewer than ten members; it now has nearly 200 members. A particular strength of the group is its diversity: with members from 55 different countries, the Youth Group capitalizes on its wide-ranging expertise to advance the Treaty’s entry into force. The Youth Newsroom will be no exception. Informed by their diverse backgrounds, the reporters will bring the importance of the Treaty and its verification regime to new audiences. Doing so will help secure buy-in from a wide range of actors and to raise the profile of the CTBT in international discourse.

CTBTO Youth Group Member Sarah Bidgood Vienna, June 26 2017

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