We toured the UN’s Vienna Headquarters today. The UN complex itself is considered nonaligned territory, so when we stepped onto the grounds, we left Vienna itself. The modern, towering buildings house mainly branches of the UN dealing with science and technology. The UN café, in comparison with the rest of Vienna, is extremely cheap and has amazing food. I got an entire meal for less than 5 euro. I would come here to eat everyday, if it wasn’t such a hassle to get in.
Our first lecture was from the IAEA, or the International Atomic Energy Association. This organization focuses on limiting the number of nations that have access to nuclear weapons. The Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 sought to halt the development of nuclear weapons production by restricting nuclear weapons development to only those countries that had exploded a nuclear device before January 1967. Of the 144 current member states, only five fit these requirements: the US, Russia, the UK, France, and China. Any other countries that had signed the treaty, known as Non-nuclear Weapon States, pledged not to develop nuclear weapons. To me, this treaty seems a little one-sided and gives these countries an edge over other countries in terms of military strength. I asked the lecturer why countries would agree to this treaty, and his response was that the IAEA’s goal is that one day no states will possess nuclear weapons. This seems to me too optimistic of a view, because the organization is not involved in decreasing the number of warheads in any of the countries allowed to possess such weapons. The organization depends heavily on the volunteer involvement of its member nations, because any of them could choose to back out of the arrangement and develop nuclear weapons in spite of UN disapproval, as was the case with North Korea in 2003. Since then, North Korea has conducted two nuclear tests. The nations of India, Pakistan, Israel, are outside of the NPT as well, and according to the New York Times, Iran has opened its first nuclear reactor, despite the UN’s attempts to investigate it and confirm it is going to be used only for peaceful purposes. The UN also helps countries dismantle their nuclear programs, which is easier said than done. A country may destroy every trace of a nuclear plant, but the knowledge will live on through the scientists that worked at the plant.
The IAEA focuses on three areas for regulating the nuclear industry: Safeguards, Safety, and Technology. If a country does decide to go nuclear, it will be evaluated by the IAEA to determine if it is able to undertake such an extensive project. The country’s economic and political situations are factored into the decision to determine if the country is stable enough for a plant and if it has the necessary capital. If the country is given the green light to proceed, then they will spend approximately the next 30 years building the plant, which itself is active between 50 to 70 years. The 2nd area the IAEA focuses on, Safety, is exactly what it sounds like. It sets the standards for the nuclear industry so it can be safely used. Radioactive materials have many uses across a wide range of fields, from industry and medicine to agriculture and mineral exploitation. Another subcategory of Safety is Security. It is very easy for a country to secretly divert some of the resources bound for peaceful power plants to weapons-developing plants. To counter this, the IAEA can send inspectors to suspect countries to inspect their nuclear facilities. Those skeptical of Iran’s intentions with its new power plant think that the country may be using it to refine uranium for weapons. Iran itself has repeatedly blocked UN investigations of its premises. Terrorists may target power plants as a mean of undermining one nation’s power—the towering columns provide an easy target, or they may also detonate dirty bombs—regular bombs with a small amount of nuclear material inside them. These ‘dirty bombs’ can have psychological consequences on the inhabitants of the area, as they may think that they have been exposed to nuclear radiation. The amount of material used is usually negligible, however, but nevertheless can spark a great deal of fear. The 3rd area of IAEA expertise deals with ‘Techology’. In exchange for agreeing not to proliferate nuclear weapons, the IAEA will offer technology and information on how to improve power efficiency. While restricting the weaponizable aspects of nuclear power, the IAEA is trying to improve and innovate its peaceful use.
Our second lecture was from the UNODC, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, where a representative spoke about human trafficking. Human trafficking entered the UN arena in 2000, when a protocol was put forth that accurately defined what it was and required its member nations to ban it. Human trafficking is a global problem. What surprised me about the issue was not the locations that the victims were being trafficked from, it was where they were headed. Most of the victims are sent to affluent nations like the US. The US had one of the highest, if not the highest, number of trafficked people imported into it. Trafficking can come in many forms: prostitution, forced labor, or even organ harvesting. The root of this issue is vulnerability, with the victim rendered initially willing to comply with the perpetrator. People are more vulnerable in times of crises, war, persecution, corruption, and the like. Most victims come from poorer countries experiencing these hardships and generally have a lack of education or face poverty or discrimination to some degree. The UNODC trains local police to look for signs of trafficking and helps promote public awareness of the issue. It also has a number of NGOs (non-government organizations) active in countries that have high rates of trafficking to combat this terrible issue and give victims a place they can turn to for support.
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