Third Meeting of States Parties to The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)
The Third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) took place March 3-7, 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) played a key role at this important meeting, organizing and participating in plenary sessions and side events throughout the week. We collaborated with diplomats, civil society leaders, and youth activists from our initiative, Reverse the Trend: Save Our Planet, Save Our People (RTT), to work toward a world free of nuclear weapons.
Read and watch our statements below and explore our events. Together, we’re working towards a world free of nuclear weapons, with the TPNW as an essential tool for achieving that critical goal.
Team NAPF at the Third Meeting of States Parties to TPNW in March 2025
Our Statements at 3MSP
Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Christian N. Ciobanu, Republic of Kiribati
Annie Jacobsen, author of Nuclear War: A Scenario
Maverick Peter Seda, NAPF and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend
Yulianna Acuña, NAPF and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend
Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Oemwa Johnson, Republic of Kiribati
Taraem Taukaro, Republic of Kiribati, on behalf of Affected Communities
Informal Working Group on Articles 6 & 7 Presentation – Kazakhstan & Kiribati
NAPF Activities at 3MSP
Dr. Ivana Hughes delivers address to campaigners. (Photo by ICAN | Darren Ornitz)
Sunday, March 2: ICAN Campaigners Meeting
Riverside Church
On March 2, NAPF joined ICAN partners at Riverside Church in New York for a one-day campaigners meeting ahead of the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Dr. Ivana Hughes welcomed participants and reflected on the history of Riverside Church and its relevance to the moment—[click here to watch her statement]. The meeting featured 2024 Nobel Peace Laureates Nihon Hidankyo, discussions on nuclear justice, and strategies to build support for the TPNW.
Team NAPF and RTT at ICAN Campaigners Forum
The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Photo by ICAN | Darren Ornitz)
Christian Ciobanu greets Setsuko Thurlow (Photo by ICAN | Darren Ornitz)
Sunday, March 2: Midtown Mixer and ‘Shades of Disarmament‘ Film Screening
On March 2, NAPF and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend, hosted a social evening in New York featuring a screening of Shades of Disarmament, a short documentary revisiting the 1982 March and Rally for Nuclear Disarmament.
The event brought together youth leaders, advocates, and community members for an evening of conversation, connection, and reflection. Produced by Reverse the Trend and its supporters, the film explored how nuclear disarmament intersects with environmental justice, social justice, and human rights—and underscored the importance of amplifying historically marginalized voices.
Read here for full event details.
Panel Discussion: Christian Ciobanu, Annie Jacobsen, Jim Anderson, Dr. Ivana Hughes, Jeremiah Williams
Screening of Shades of Disarmament
Youth activists, community, and experts socialize at the venue in New York City
Annie Jacobsen, author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, discusses the dangers of nuclear winter
High Level Panel: Alei Rizvi, Véronique Christory, Dr. Ivana Hughes, Christian Ciobanu, Daniel Högsta, Saana Annala
Monday, March 3: International Youth Orientation
On March 3, youth leaders from around the world gathered at the Church Center in New York for the International Youth Orientation ahead of the Third Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW. The event featured panels on youth engagement and the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, including testimonies from affected communities in Kiribati, Kazakhstan, and Japan.
Organized by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend, the orientation emphasized the importance of youth leadership in global disarmament efforts.
Read here for full event details.
Affected Communities Panel: Alei Rizvi, Oemwa Johnson, Keita Takagaki, Maverick Peter Seda, Kosaku Okamoto, Daiki Katsuwara, Yerdaulet Rakhmetulla
Youth activists are briefed on the upcoming week at 3MSP
Youth Panel: Rooj Ali, Sarah Rohleder, and Stella Rose
Tuesday, March 4: Advancing Nuclear Justice
Trusteeship Council
On March 4, diplomats, advocates, and representatives from nuclear-affected communities gathered to call for nuclear justice through the creation of an international trust fund. Co-sponsored by Kiribati, Kazakhstan, Solomon Islands, NAPF, Reverse the Trend, and the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Communities Coalition, the event highlighted the urgent need for reparations and remediation.
Panelists shared the lasting impacts of nuclear testing and emphasized the importance of centering affected communities in global disarmament efforts.
Read here for full event details.
Left to Right: Aigerim Seitnova, Maverick Peter Seda, Christian Ciobanu, Anais Maurer, H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito, Bonnie Docherty, Dr. Ivana Hughes
H.E. Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin of Kazakhstan and President of the 3MSP provides opening remarks for the panel
View of the Trusteeship Council inside the UN Headquarters in New York
Christian Ciobanu moderated this discussion
Screening of Silent Fallout at Uris Hall, Columbia University
Wednesday, March 5: Film Screening of ‘Silent Fallout’ and Panel Discussion
Columbia University
On March 5, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend, hosted a screening of Silent Fallout at Columbia University. Directed by Hideaki Ito, the film highlights the devastating effects of U.S. nuclear testing on downwind communities in the Southwest.
A panel discussion followed with Dr. Ivana Hughes, Shiho Burke, Jay Coghlan, and Archbishop John Wester, who emphasized the urgent need to address the long-term health and environmental impacts of nuclear fallout. Click here to explore the full recap.
Following the screening, attendees participated in an interactive panel including Shiho Burke, with a special message from the film's director, Ito Hideaki
Left to Right: Jay Coghlan (NukeWatch New Mexico), Archbishop John Wester, Dr. Ivana Hughes (NAPF/Frontiers of Science), Shiho Burke (Silent Fallout)
Jay Coghlan and Archbishop John Wester
Thursday, March 6: Nuclear Weapons and Gender
Conference Room 12
On March 6, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Reverse the Trend, the Simons Foundation Canada, Kiribati, and Mexico—gender focal point for the TPNW—co-convened a special event on nuclear weapons and gender. The discussion featured Dr. Jennifer Simons, Dr. Ivana Hughes, Sylvia Paola Mendoza, Oemwa Johnson, Rooj Ali, Senator Marilou McPhedran, and was moderated by Stella Rose.
Speakers examined the disproportionate effects of nuclear violence on women and children and emphasized the need to integrate gender perspectives into disarmament and justice efforts. Read the full event recap here.
Dr. Jennifer Simons and Dr. Ivana Hughes
Oemwa Johnson shares her personal story of how Kiribati was affected by nuclear testing
Stella Rose of NAPF/RTT moderated the discussion
Canadian Senator Marilou McPhedran of Manitoba and Ms. Sylvia Paola Mendoza
Youth Voices for a Sustainable, Nuclear Weapons-Free Future
Thursday, March 6: Youth Voices for a Sustainable, Nuclear Weapons-Free Future
Sponsors: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Kazakhstan, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Marshallese Educational Initiative (MEI), Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition (QNFC), Reverse The Trend (RTT), and Soka Gakkai International (SGI)
This event will present the results of the Youth Peace Awareness Survey, which gauges youth perspectives on nuclear abolition. We will discuss ways to increase youth involvement in the disarmament movement. The second segment will feature young leaders from the Pacific Islands and global disarmament groups sharing firsthand accounts of nuclear legacy and innovative disarmament education strategies.
Thursday, March 6: Examining the Relationship Between the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons and the TPNW
New York University
On March 6, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend (RTT), held a special event at NYU titled “Examining the Relationship Between the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons and the TPNW.” The discussion was moderated by Yulianna Acuña, NYU student and RTT activist, and featured diplomats, hibakusha, youth leaders, and civil society representatives.
Speakers included Ambassador Elayne Whyte (Costa Rica), Ambassador Alexander Kmentt (Austria), Masako Wada (Nihon Hidankyo), Yayoi Tsuchida (Japan Council Against A and H Bombs), Taraem Taukaro (Kiribati), and youth advocates from RTT. Discussions highlighted the lived experiences of affected communities and the urgent need to universalize the TPNW. The event emphasized youth leadership, the role of civil society, and the moral imperative of centering people over weapons in global security conversations.
Read the full event recap here.
Ambassador Elayne Whyte of Costa Rica and Ambassador Alexander Kmentt of Austria
Group photo of all panelists
Event Room at NYU
Panelists at NYU
Masako Wada of Nihon Hidankyo and Yayoi Tsuchida of the Japan Council Against A and H Bombs
Friday, March 7: Lasting Physical and Psychological Effects of Nuclear Weapons
On March 7, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend, hosted a side event at the UN focused on the lasting effects of nuclear weapons. Moderated by Ibraheem Waraich, Youth Advisor to RTT, the panel featured Mr. Shivanand Sivamohan (Malaysia), Véronique Christory (ICRC), youth speakers Adam Danial Bin Azahari, Izzah Binti Ishak, Johnathan Lam (RTT), and Yathisa, a youth mental health fellow at Orygen.
Speakers addressed the diplomatic, humanitarian, and psychological impacts of nuclear weapons, with a focus on youth and intergenerational collaboration. The discussion highlighted the power of social media, youth mobilization, and coalition-building in advancing disarmament. The event closed with an engaging Q&A session with participants.
For summary of the event, please see here.
Izzah Binti Ishak
Venue at Church Center
Adam Danial Bin Azahari, Ibraheem Waraich, and Véronique Christory
March 3-7, 2025: Art Gallery and Reception
United Nations
The art exhibit highlighted the difficult realities faced by many youth in the Asia Pacific region and Kazakhstan as a result of the use and testing of nuclear weapons in the 20th century. The exhibit presented art pieces from communities in the Pacific and their allies, drawing attention to the intergenerational effects of nuclear weapons on populations across the globe. The art pieces conveyed the emotions of youth arising from the traumatic impact of nuclear weapons, aiming to motivate diplomats to support nuclear justice initiatives and build international kinship. In addition, a series of paintings about the Lucky Dragon and other fishing boats exposed to radiation fallout from the U.S. test Castle Bravo, conducted in the Marshall Islands in 1954, were also exhibited.
For details about the reception and panel, see here.
Art Gallery at UN Headquarters in New York
The exhibit also contained works of art by additional international youth who, in solidarity with frontline communities, expressed deep concern about the ecological impact of nuclear weapons. The Chair of the Third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP) convened a reception about this exhibit on March 4, 2025.
Panelists at the Church Center
From the Pacific to the Steppes
Karipbek Kuyukov (Kazakhstan)
Thank you to everyone who helped make this week possible!
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Dr. Ivana Nikolic Hughes – NAPF President; Senior Lecturer in Chemistry at Columbia University and Member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the TPNW; Cynthia Lazaroff – NAPF Board Member and Founder of Women Transforming Our Nuclear Legacy; Christian Ciobanu – NAPF Director of Policy and Advocacy, TPNW Advisor to the Republic of Kiribati and RTT Coordinator; Kenneth Chiu – NAPF Communications and Media Coordinator; and NAPF Interns
Reverse the Trend
Christian Ciobanu, Alei Rizvi, Amir Ruzain, Ibraheem Waraich, Sarah Rohleder, Rooj Ali, Maverick Seda, Stella Rose; RTT Participants: Yulina Acuna, Naya Ali, Julina Alocer, Valentia Capri Arroyo, Zein Blacks, Riley Bryant, Shajuti Dey, Sabeeha Farhana, Emmi Freeman, Laila Goodman, Tai Halpern, Gabriela Hilario, Fletcher Hoven, Minjoo Kim, Yu Sun Kim, Anabel Kinsey, Jonathan Lam, Linda Li, Dani Mccorkindle, Abhinav Madahar, Jana Majnova, Brandon Medina, Max Miniewicz, Susie Prigozen, Mikhail Pyltsov, Julia Roberto, Taylor Solomon, Brigette Uriarte, Elaine Wen, and Asuka Oka
Sponsors
Ploughshares Fund, Telemachus Foundation, Walden Foundation