Weapons negotiations in the midst of global conflict

Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)

"Weapons negotiations in the midst of global conflict" is episode 12 in this GCSP Podcast Series. Dr Paul Vallet interviews Mr Marc Finaud, Head of Arms Proliferation at the GCSP and former French diplomat. Dr Paul Vallet: Welcome to the Geneva Centre for Security Policy weekly podcast. I'm your host, Dr Paul Vallet, Associate Fellow with the GCSP’s Global Fellowship Initiative. For the next few weeks, I'm talking with subject- matter experts to explain issues of peace, security, and international cooperation. Thanks for tuning in. Current tensions and flashpoints across the globe remind us not only that escalations into armed confrontations are possible, they also feed the technological development of weapons. And the recent years have also shown that negotiations and efforts at arms control can stall or even suffer setbacks, yet the crises are also the reason that they need to be kept going or to resume. To discuss the situation, I'm joined this week by Marc Finaud. Marc Finaud is the Head of Arms Proliferation activities on the staff of the GCSP. He is a former French diplomat, who was seconded to the GCSP from 2004 to 2013. Mr Marc Finaud joined the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs back in 1977. And along with postings in Leningrad, as was then, Warsaw, Tel Aviv and Sydney, much of his career was connected to the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and also the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, as well as to the French delegation to the United Nations. As well as a diplomat and practitioner Marc Finaud was a lecturer on arms control and disarmament for a postgraduate course at Marne-la-Vallée University. And along with frequent media appearances, he is a very prolific author of numerous articles chapters of books on arms control and disarmament, as well as on the Middle East and International Humanitarian Law. In addition, from August 2013 to May 2015, Marc Finaud was a senior resident fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). Throughout this year, Marc Finaud is leading the July and November courses on Building Arms control capacities in the Middle East and North Africa region, and two in April and December on building capacities for effective implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty. So, you see, we have here a very knowledgeable person on the issues of arms control. So, thank you very much for taking time to join us. And welcome to the podcast Marc.