UN Youth4Disarmament Forum

High-level opening of Youth4Disarmament Forum

The High-level opening of Youth4Disarmament Forum took place on 16 October at 10am (New York time), and was broadcasted via UNWebTV. Watch the recording of the livestream below via UNODA's YouTube channel.

Objectives 

• Engage youth and disarmament stakeholders in intergenerational dialogue
• Educate and raise awareness of the intersection between nuclear weapons and emerging technologies
• Empower youth to influence and meaningfully participate in global-level disarmament and non-proliferation efforts
• Elevate and strengthen networks among young people contributing to disarmament issues 

Participants  

A total of 30+ participants have been selected for their recognized expertise in leading or contributing to impactful disarmament initiatives. All participants were nominated by key partners and screened against clear selection criteria. These criteria included strong interest and prior engagement with the Forum’s core themes, along with a commitment to diversity in gender, geography, and professional background. While prior knowledge of disarmament, non-proliferation, or arms control is preferred, it was not required. The selected participants include alumni from previous ODA Youth4Disarmament initiatives, youth active on disarmament issues in civil society, and UN Youth Delegates engaged on disarmament issues. The Forum brings together youth aged 18–29 who are dedicated to advancing peace and security. 

Meet the Forum Participants  

The diverse cohort represents young leaders, advocates, researchers, and innovators from around the world. Together, they bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and expertise, united by a shared commitment to advance disarmament and shape the future of global peace and security.

Anna Grace Manuel (Canada) is a graduate student specializing in global governance and security at the University of British Columbia. She has worked on international trade at Global Affairs Canada and in Natural Resources Canada’s Nuclear Energy Division, providing international relations advice and research on nuclear energy. A member of the CTBTO Youth Group, she is passionate about dual-use technology governance and arts-based advocacy.  

Ana Paola Palada Barahona (Honduras) is a political scientist and business graduate with a Master’s in Settlement of Disputes, Peace, and Development. She is Co-founder of Centuria Consulting and serves on the Board of El Milenio.  Ana is a member of United Network of Young peacebuilders, and Americas Youth Advocacy Team, a participant of the Youth Leader Fund and works as a Corporate Social Responsibility consultant. She is passionate about advancing youth and women’s leadership.

Ayleen Roy (Austria) is a Program Officer at Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, where she specializes in nuclear policy. She is currently pursuing studies in International Security at Sciences Po Paris, having previously studied at King’s College London. She recently relaunched Youth Fusion to strengthen youth-led disarmament advocacy, co-drafting policies and representing youth at United Nations forums to advance strategic disarmament. 

Beom Joon Baek (Republic of Korea) is a software engineer and Leaders4Tomorrow, UNODA Alumnus. Born in South Korea, Joon Baek served in the Republic of Korea Army at the Demilitarized Zone, inspiring his commitment to nuclear disarmament. A Columbia University graduate in computer science and physics, he led the Columbia College Student Council, championing international student rights and privacy.  

Dina Tawfik (Egypt) is a PhD candidate at Lund University, Sweden, conducting research on Middle East nuclear politics. She is a fellow at NATO Defense College fellow working on strategic foresight, and Glasgow University's Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age project. She also took part in CTBTO and Center for Energy and Security Studies Research Fellowship and has previously worked at the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding, and the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.

Emma Wyman Sandifer (USA) is the program coordinator at the DC-based Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation and Council for a Livable World. She is the creator and author of the Congressional Nucleus, the Center’s hill-focused newsletter, and a Nuclear Futures Fellow. Emma holds a master’s degree in international affairs from GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs and a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University. 

Eunhee Lee (Republic of Korea) is a master’s student in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program. She has worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea since 2022, where she gained experience working on issues related to the military applications of AI. 

Isabella Galeano Carvajal (Colombia) is an undergraduate student at Pace University, studying Sociology/Anthropology. Her family is from Colombia, and she spent a large part of her formative childhood living there before moving to South Africa and later New York. She is a member of the Pace University Institute of Disarmament and specializes in intersectionality, which she is excited to connect to her work and discussions in this forum.    

Irving Jimenez (Mexico) holds a degree in Criminology and Criminalistics, a Master’s in Criminalistics, and a PhD in Forensic Sciences. He is currently pursuing a Law degree and works as an Expert in Forensic Ballistics. He participated in UNLIREC’s GenerAcción Paz, a program to empower youth in Latin America and the Caribbean to create a region free of armed violence. In addition to his academic and professional roles, he is also a dedicated peace promoter. 

Jord Nguyen (Vietnam) is a safety researcher focused on preventing catastrophic risks from advanced AI. He conducts research on evaluating dangerous capabilities and monitoring AI system internals, with publications at venues including ICLR, ICML, and AAAI. Previously a fellow at Apart Research and Pivotal Research, he also founded and leads the Hanoi AI Safety Network, working to build capacity for AI safety research in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. He is a winner of UNODA Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge. 

Joel Naoki Ernesto Christoph (France/Japan) is the Founder of 10Billion.org, a PhD researcher in Economics at the European University Institute in Florence, and a member of International Student/Young Pugwash. His work focuses on incentive design for global public goods and cross-border cooperation to govern emerging technologies. Over the next year, he will be conducting research with the Centre for the Governance of AI in London, the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston, and ASEAN in Jakarta.

Juho Lee (Republic of Korea) is an undergraduate majoring in International Relations with Quantitative Methods at the University of Edinburgh. Juho is an award-winning representative from the Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Youth Delegation 2025 in the Republic of Korea. His engagement with disarmament began in 2022 when he won the debate competition, and he continues his focus on regional and international security.  

Kseniia Pirnavskaia (Russia) is the Engagement and Network Coordinator at Open Nuclear Network, a programme of PAX sapiens. She has worked in the nuclear policy field for more than seven years, with experience in NGOs in Russia, Republic of Korea, and Austria, as well as in international organizations such as the CTBTO. In her current role, she focuses on stakeholder engagement and advancing nuclear risk reduction. She is also an alumna of UNODA Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons.

Kokoro Nishiyama (Japan) is a PhD Student at Nagasaki University and a Visiting Researcher at Research Center for Nuclear Weapons Abolition (RECNA).

Katlego Khoza (Canada) is a UN youth delegate of Canada and a student passionate about emergency management and ensuring communities are safe and prepared for disasters. He interested in how policies, planning, and collaboration can reduce risks and protect lives, and aspire to contribute to discussions on disarmament and safety from a youth perspective.

Leonard Günzel (Germany) is a PhD candidate at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology specializing in underwater robotics. His research advances robotic autonomy by combining acoustic and optical perception with machine learning to protect critical marine infrastructure under the Safeguard initiative. With experience at leading marine institutions worldwide, he has taken part in UNODA’s project to promote the responsible and peaceful use of emerging autonomous technologies. 

Nicolò Miotto (Italy) is a Project Assistant at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Conflict Prevention Centre. At the OSCE, he supports projects on conventional arms control and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Alongside his work, he is pursuing a PhD in Science and Technology Studies at the University of Vienna, where he researches space security.

Oemwa Johnson (Kiribati) is a youth advocate and an undergraduate at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, pursuing majors in Biology and Accounting. Passionate about nuclear justice, environmental protection, and sustainable development in the Pacific, she has represented Kiribati youth at TPNW meetings and the UN General Assembly, advocating for Pacific perspectives and a peaceful, resilient future for island communities. 

Patrick Karekezi (Rwanda/Uganda) is a Development Strategist, and UNODA Youth Champion for Disarmament (1st edition). He is currently leveraging his cross-sectoral agility to research and develop predictive tools that enable policymakers to interact with the future outcomes of policies in the face of existential-level risks. He holds a Masters Degree in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University, Schwarzman College.

Roberta Bojang (Gambia/Germany) is a youth activist focused on migration, peacebuilding, and gender in Afro-European contexts. She holds a degree in Political Science, where her research examined the role of women-led media in conflict resolution. As UNODA Youth Champion for Disarmament (2nd edition), she explored the use of arts as a tool to raise awareness on disarmament. She now works at BMW foundation on the topics of urbanisation and energy.  

Siri Jansson (Sweden) is a Master’s student in Peace and Conflict Studies at Uppsala University, working group member of Alva Myrdal Centre for Nuclear Disarmament (AMC) working group 3 and previously the project leader of AMC's data programme AMC Data.

Shimona Mohan (India) is an Associate Researcher at UNIDIR working on Gender & Disarmament and Security & Technology. Named one of the 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics for 2024, she explores the links between security, AI, cybersecurity, gender, and disarmament. She has published widely, led global capacity-building on AI and cybersecurity, and actively contributes to UNODA’s Youth4Disarmament initiatives, including #Leaders4Tomorrow, #Leaders2Future, and the Sci-fAI Futures Youth Challenge.

Tayyaba Khurshid (Pakistan) is a Research Officer at the Arms Control and Disarmament Desk, Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS) AJK, Pakistan. She is an Emerging Voices Network member at BASIC, a NESA alumna of the National Defence University, Washington DC, and a Gaming for Peace Fellow (2024). Her research interests include arms control and disarmament, emerging and disruptive technologies, and great power competition.

Ulysse Richard (France) is an alumnus of UNODA Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons. He recently completed a Master’s in International Security at Sciences Po and Peking University and served as an AI Policy Fellow at the Institute for AI Policy & Strategy. His work focuses on how emerging technologies affect national and international security—and what policy responses are needed to address these challenges.  

Umi Joelle Ariga (Japan/France) is a Research Fellow at the Japan Institute of International Affairs, focusing on emerging technologies and U.S.–Japan relations. Previously at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, she led research on nuclear norms and divestment in controversial weapons. With experience at J.P. Morgan, UNODA, and NATO, she holds dual master’s degrees from the University of Tokyo and Seoul National University, and a bachelor’s from University College Maastricht.

Vhaire Gudgeon (United Kingdom) is a master’s student in National Security Studies at King’s College London and an intern in Nuclear Knowledge Management at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Both her bachelor’s and master’s research focus on the impact of artificial intelligence on nuclear deterrence, work she has presented at the UK PONI Annual Conference in 2024 and the CSIS Winter Conference in 2025. She is a member of Youth for TPNW.

Vivianne Boertejin Manlai (Sweden-Mongolia) holds a BSc in Engineering Physics and a BA in Philosophy, and will soon be relocating from Stockholm to London to pursue a master’s degree. She has been engaged with AI safety since 2020 and, over the past two years, has focused her work on AI policy. She also took part in UNODA’s project to promote the responsible and peaceful use of emerging autonomous technologies.

Venessa Yasmin Ameen Hanson (Ghana/Italy) is a Digital Communications and Advocacy Strategist working at the intersection of storytelling, advocacy, and global governance. At the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, she led global strategies amplifying youth and civil society voices. As co-founder of Youth4TPNW and Nyuklia Eureka, she champions youth inclusion in nuclear disarmament and peacebuilding, recognized in the Oxford Handbook of Digital Diplomacy and with the Gorbachev–Shultz Legacy Youth Award.

Victoria Viana Souza Guimarães (Brazil) is a Graduate Professional with the Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme at UNIDIR. She holds a PhD in International Relations from the State University of São Paulo and was a Visiting Student Fellow at the University of Queensland’s School of Political Science and International Studies. Victoria is a participant of the first cohort of UNODA Youth Leader Fund for a World without Nuclear Weapons. Her areas of expertise and research interests include nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and verification. 

Yorgo El Moubayed (Lebanon) is a Program Coordinator at the iGEM Foundation. His work focuses on strengthening synthetic biology ecosystems through research, education, and community-building, while advancing a culture of responsible innovation and risk management to ensure safe and secure synthetic biology projects. In addition, he took part in UNODA Youth for Biosecurity Fellowship and collaborates with the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science, supporting the development of the Common Mechanism, a globally available tool for DNA synthesis screening. 

Yerdaulet Rakhmatulla (Kazakhstan/Hungary) is a civil society practitioner and scholar from Shymkent, South Kazakhstan, currently based in Budapest, Hungary. They co-run the Qazaq Nuclear Frontline Coalition, an alliance of nuclear-affected community members and allies, and are also the founder of JASA, a social venture on responsible AI governance and policy in Central Asia. Since 2021, their work has focused on addressing the humanitarian and environmental consequences of Soviet nuclear harm in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. 

Expected Outcome of Youth4Disarmament Forum

Preparatory Webinar Series (June-September 2025)  

In advance of the Forum, a series of three interactive webinars and a writing workshop have been organized to engage and prepare the selected youth participants. These sessions have offered a safe and inclusive platform for learning, dialogue, and collaboration.  The webinars have been co-shaped in collaboration with the Forum participants with the aim to: 

• Foster intergenerational dialogue with disarmament experts.

• Educate on challenges at the nexus of nuclear weapons and emerging technologies 

• Empower youth to contribute meaningfully to disarmament, non-proliferation, and arms control efforts 

The Webinar series have also informed the Forum’s outcome document, helping to shape a long-term youth-led advocacy strategy with impactful policy recommendations. Interested in learning more about the topics covered in the thematic webinars? Explore the news stories below for highlights from the Youth4Disarmament Webinars.

Webinar Highlights