As part of her doctoral research on the People’s Republic of China’s role in the global WMD non-proliferation regime, affiliated PhD researcher Martyna SZOJA of the Research Training Group GRK 2833 “East Asian Futures” participated in the first half of the 11th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT RevCon), held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York from April 27 to May 8, 2026.
During the conference, she was affiliated with and participated in the work of three delegations: the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs Youth Leader Fund (UNODA YLF). Her participation included observation of official plenary sessions, state interventions, civil society forums, and diplomatic side events organized both by states and non-governmental organizations. The conference provided direct insight into the functioning of contemporary multilateral disarmament diplomacy and interactions between diplomats, parliamentarians, experts, activists, and youth representatives, including participants from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ms. SZOJA served both as a speaker and moderator during several international events organized within the framework of the Review Conference.
Selected Activities and Contributions
as Moderator
- PNND: Nuclear Risks and Risk Reduction
Organized by Abolition 2000 Nuclear Risk Reduction Working Group, Basel Peace Office, Human Survival Project, and PNND
April 27, 2026, United Nations Headquarters - PNND: A Nobel Effort: The Roles and Actions of Parliamentarians to Support Diplomacy, Disarmament and International Humanitarian Law
Organized by PNND and the Inter-Parliamentary Union
May 6, 2026
as Speaker
- Mayors for Peace Youth Forum
April 28, 2026, Conference Room A, UNHQ - UNODA YLF: “Youth Leaders Acting for Disarmament”
May 1, 2026, Conference Room 1, UNHQ
She also participated in additional PNND and disarmament-related meetings and discussions, including: PNND: Live from the NPT, Common Security vs Nuclear Deterrence, discussions on parliamentary leadership regarding AI and nuclear risks, and events related to the UN Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. Several of these meetings and discussions were livestreamed through United Nations Web TV, contributing to broader public engagement and accessibility of the debates, where Ms. SZOJA was a speaker: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1z/k1zeks0jvt
Importantly, participation in the NPT RevCon also constituted part of the fieldwork research planned for the dissertation project. During the conference, Ms. SZOJA conducted preliminary expert conversations, networking meetings, and political ethnographic observations related to China’s role conception within the non-proliferation regime and broader dynamics of international disarmament diplomacy. The conference offered empirical material regarding norm contestation, multilateral negotiations, leadership claims, and interactions between state and non-state actors in the nuclear governance sphere.
The participation significantly contributed to the development of the dissertation project by providing direct access to contemporary diplomatic practices, expert communities, and ongoing debates concerning the future of the global non-proliferation regime.