Learning from Hiroshima about Nuclear Disarmament: Thai Diplomat Manchulika Wongchai

Thailand is committed to nuclear disarmament and was one of the first three countries to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on the first day of its opening for signature. Thailand is also a State Party to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ or commonly referred to as the Bangkok Treaty), which prohibits nuclear weapons in the region with an aim to promote international peace and security. 

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force on 22 January 2021 and includes a comprehensive approach to nuclear disarmament. States Parties agree not to develop, possess, stockpile, use or threaten the usage of nuclear weapons. Manchulika says that:

if more countries join the TPNW, we would achieve our common goal of total elimination of nuclear weapons.

Manchulika’s responsibilities relate to the First Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, specifically nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as cybersecurity and cybercrime within the United Nations framework. She sees the global discussion around disarmament as stagnating, despite the need to account for the rapid advancements in cyber, AI and outer-space technologies that, in her view, “if wrongly used, or used irresponsibly, could pose a serious threat to our international peace and security”.

As part of her job, she must understand the technical details as well as understand the scientific reasons for countries’ positions on nuclear weapons. This can be a challenge, as a diplomatic career means being reassigned from time to time to different fields. Manchulika had to learn quickly after being rotated from her initial position in bilateral relations. In this context, the UNITAR training was immediately useful for her.

The training helped me to connect the dots and see what role Thailand can play in [… this] important mechanism [for nuclear disarmament]. —Manchulika Wongchai, Thai diplomat and UNITAR training programme alumna