Student-Faculty Research Team Attends UN Nuclear Conference

A team of researchers from UMass Amherst’s Human Security Lab presented early findings this week from a research project on Military v. Civilian Attitudes on Nuclear Use and Legality, arguing that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons is complementary not only with disarmament and non-proliferation norms enshrined in earlier treaties but also with the norm of nuclear non-use arguably grounded in the Geneva Conventions and state practice. The researchers cited preliminary evidence from a survey conducted by in July 2024 and currently under analysis at Human Security Lab.

The presentation was part of the Third Meeting of State Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, held at UN Headquarters in New York. Professor Charli Carpenter of UMass Amherst Department of Political Science spoke at the session on “Complementarity of the TPNW With Existing International Law.” Eleonora Mattiacci of Amherst College also assisted with the statistical analysis on the project.

Six undergraduate student-researchers - Grace Bernheart, Joe Mara, Fatima Marashi, Judith Okwara, Manas Pandit, and Ava Pujado - and doctoral student Geraldine Santoso accompanied Carpenter to New York and observed the conference. The student-researchers are instrumental in assisting with interpretation and analysis of the open-ended comments from the survey collected, through the Undergraduate Research Engagement Program at UMass Amherst’s Department of Political Science.

Doctoral student Geraldine Santoso said of the experience: “Attending the UN for the TPNW conference was a profoundly transformative experience. Witnessing the mobilization of diverse groups—scientists, civil society members, and national delegates—united in their commitment to nuclear non-proliferation was humbling and empowering. It was inspiring to see how collective action could challenge the narrative of nuclear escalation as a means of security… as a graduate student working on my prospectus, I found the conference invaluable for connecting with scholars and organizations.. This experience has profoundly influenced my academic work and resolve to contribute to global efforts for peace and sustainability.

The project has been supported by Lex International and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and is expected to finish in Summer 2025. According to Dr. Carpenter: “Now we just need to find out if we see a similar finding in other nuclear-possessor states.’'