NAPF at the 2026 NPT Review Conference
The 2026 NPT Review Conference took place from 27 April to 22 May 2026 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, bringing together states parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) to assess progress on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
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.
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) attended as a civil society organization advocating for stronger action on nuclear disarmament, an obligation enshrined in Article 6 of the NPT. Our delegation included NAPF President Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, Director of Policy and Advocacy Christian Ciobanu, Communications Coordinator Kenneth Chiu, Outreach Coordinator Anduin Devos, and a large youth delegation. NAPF also attended the 2025 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting in New York.
See below to read and watch our statements and explore our side events at the 2026 NPT Review Conference.
NAPF Delegation at the 2025 NPT PrepCom at the UN in New York
NAPF Delegation at the 2024 NPT PrepCom at the UN in Geneva
Our Statements at the 2026 NPT Review Conference
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation delivered two civil society interventions to the 2026 NPT review conference. One on behalf of the organization, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and another as part of a youth consortium with Reverse the Trend and other civil society coalitions.
Watch the intervention of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at the 2026 NPT Review Conference given by Dr. Ivana Hughes. For the written statement, please see HERE.
Read the intervention from our youth initiative Reverse the Trend and coalition partners, co-delivered by Jahrik Browner (PEAC Institute) and Rooj Ali (NAPF/RTT). For the written statement, please see HERE.
NAPF Activities at the 2026 NPT Review Conference
Saturday, April 25: International Youth Summit
Tower 49, 18th Floor, 12 E 49th St, New York
On April 25, global youth delegates gathered for an afternoon of dialogue on nuclear disarmament, survivor testimony, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The program brought together diplomats, civil society representatives, Hibakusha, and youth leaders for opening remarks, a testimony panel, a discussion on the complementarity of the TPNW and the NPT, and breakout sessions on feminist approaches to nuclear disarmament and nuclear justice. The event was co-sponsored by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), its youth initiative Reverse the Trend (RTT), Soka Gakkai International (SGI), Office of Senator Marilou McPhedran of Manitoba, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Peace Messengers, Peace Boat US, Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, Youth for TPNW, and Association Katawara.
Read here for full event details.
Wednesday, April 29: Revitalizing Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education
UN Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, 2nd Floor, New York
On April 29, Austria, Mexico, Kiribati, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF), and its youth initiative Reverse the Trend (RTT) hosted a side event focused on strengthening nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation education within the NPT framework. The program brought together government representatives, UN officials, academic experts, and youth voices to examine the continued underuse of disarmament education despite its recognition since 1978. Discussions emphasized integrating education into formal and informal systems, expanding youth engagement, and connecting nuclear issues to broader global challenges.
Read here for full event details.
Thursday, April 30: Choose Hope: Addressing Extended Deterrence Through the Lens of the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
UN Church Center, 777 UN Plaza, 2nd Floor, New York
On April 30, diplomats, civil society representatives, and experts gathered for a side event building on the “Choose Hope” initiative and its March 2025 symposium outcomes, including the Choose Hope Declaration. Co-sponsored by Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Soka Gakkai International, the Philippines, and Kiribati, the program examined extended deterrence through the lens of the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and focused on Article VI obligations under the NPT, with speakers addressing nuclear justice, climate vulnerability, legal and policy pathways for disarmament, and the medical consequences of nuclear weapons alongside critiques of nuclear deterrence.
Read here for full event details.
Friday, May 1: Film Screening of “The Postman of Nagasaki” and Panel Discussion
Columbia University, Schermerhorn 501, New York
On May 1, a screening of “The Postman of Nagasaki” was held at Columbia University. The film is based on Peter Townsend’s 1984 book on Taniguchi Sumiteru and the legacy of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The screening was followed by a panel discussion featuring filmmaker Isabelle Townsend, Véronique Christory (ICRC), Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes (NAPF), and Mitchie Takeuchi (A Vow From Hiroshima). The event was co-sponsored by the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Reverse the Trend, and Columbia University’s Frontiers of Science.
Read here for full event details.
Monday, May 4: Brushstrokes for Peace: Art, Memory, and the Movement to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Conference Room E, UN Headquarters, New York
On May 4, Thailand, Kiribati, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and its youth initiative Reverse the Trend convened a side event marking the 30th anniversary of the Treaty of Bangkok and the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone. The program combined diplomatic remarks, artistic performance, and youth exhibitions, highlighting the role of art and intergenerational testimony in advancing nuclear disarmament. Speakers included representatives from Thailand, Kiribati, Japan, the Obama Foundation, the ICRC, Kazakhstan, and civil society, alongside multimedia artist Kei Ito and NAPF-RTT youth representatives.
Read here for full event details.
Friday, May 8: Addressing Verification and Dismantlement of Nuclear Weapons and Victim Assistance: Bridging Policy and Practice
Permanent Mission of Malaysia, New York
On May 8, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Kiribati, together with the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative Reverse the Trend, convened a side event focused on verification, nuclear dismantlement, and victim assistance. The program brought together diplomats, civil society representatives, and experts, with keynote remarks by award-winning author Annie Jacobsen, author of Nuclear War: A Scenario, on escalation risks and the dynamics of nuclear conflict based on her reporting and interviews. Speakers also discussed humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons, technical approaches to verification, victim assistance and environmental remediation, and the role of incremental confidence-building measures in advancing disarmament frameworks.
Read here for full event details.
Tuesday, May 12: Genocide, Omnicide, Those Who Profit
Conference Room A, UN Headquarters, New York
On May 12, Veterans For Peace, Pax Christi International, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and its youth initiative Reverse the Trend convened a side event examining the links between the global war economy, nuclear weapons production, and ongoing violence in Gaza. The discussion highlighted how militarism and occupation are sustained through interconnected systems of states, arms manufacturers, and financial actors, while also addressing escalating regional risks including the potential for nuclear use in the Middle East. Speakers emphasized accountability through public pressure, investment choices, and renewed calls for nuclear disarmament and a Middle East nuclear-weapon-free zone.
Read here for full event details.
April 27 – May 22, 2026: Youth Art Exhibit – Envisioning a World Free From Nuclear Weapons
United Nations South Wall
Co-hosted with Kiribati, Thailand, UNRCPD, in partnership with NAPF and Reverse the Trend
The exhibition is co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Thailand, the Permanent Mission of Kiribati, and UNRCPD to mark the 30th anniversary of the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (Treaty of Bangkok) and its relevance to the broader disarmament frameworks.
Featuring selected winning and shortlisted artworks across multiple media, including photography, video, digital art, and traditional art, it will present a total of 22 artworks, with winning artworks from the competition, artworks from Kiribati, and selected pieces from Japanese artist Kei-Ito. This special exhibit helps connect Southeast Asia’s experience under the Bangkok Treaty with wider regional perspectives on nuclear-weapon-free zones and nuclear disarmament.
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; Member of the Scientific Advisory Group to the TPNW
Christian Ciobanu — NAPF Director of Policy and Advocacy
Kenneth Chiu — NAPF Communications and Media Coordinator
Anduin Devos — NAPF Outreach Coordinator
Other Delegation Members
Elaine Whyte Gomez, Emlyn Hughes, Annie Jacobsen, Anaïs Maurer
We also extend our appreciation to the youth delegation of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and its youth initiative, Reverse the Trend.
Youth Delegation Members
Yulianna Acuna, Douaa Ahmed, Rooj Ali, Mohammed Alkurashi, Nicholas Campos, Mélanie Isabel Castillo, Griffin Cederquist, Heewon Grace Choi, Hadia Choudhary, Brinda Dass, Anthony Dyjak, Hana Elzayat, Lydia Veronica Fan, Mehek Kandru, Elise Kelso, Rory Kurzenberger, Jonathan Lam, Isabella Lauchengco, Jampa Lhanyitsang, Marcello Maturi, Stephanie McManus, Robert Mugno, Isabella Planas, Isabel Ponce, Zohal Raouf, Sarah Rohleder, Machi Sakurai, Maverick Peter Seda, Anastasia Shakhidzhanova, Lily Sternlieb, Muhammed Wariach, Adam Young, Elan Zakim, Valeriya Zherebtsova