2024 John Gee Memorial Lecture: Testing Times, Bold Choices

Successes, lessons, and challenges on the road to a world without nuclear testing.

This 2024 John Gee Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Organisation. 


About the speaker
Robert Floyd began his tenure as Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) on 1 August 2021. He is the fourth Executive Secretary of the CTBTO. Prior to joining the CTBTO, Dr Floyd was the Director General of the Australian Safeguards and Non-proliferation Office (ASNO) from 2010 to 2021, where he was responsible for Australia’s implementation of and compliance with various international treaties and conventions including the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and the Chemical Weapons Convention. During his time as Director General of ASNO, Dr Floyd also chaired the advisory group to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency on safeguards implementation (SAGSI), co-chaired the Preparatory Committee for the review of the amended CPPNM, co-chaired one of the working groups of the International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification, was the lead official (“Sherpa”) for Australia in the Nuclear Security Summit process, and chaired the Asia-Pacific Safeguards Network.

About John Gee
Dr John Gee AO was a distinguished Australian diplomat known for his significant contributions to disarmament, particularly in chemical weapons. Following the Gulf War, he served as a Commissioner on the UN Special Commission on Iraq and later as Deputy Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) until 2003. His outstanding work in these roles was honoured with membership in the Order of Australia in January 2007.


Agenda
6-6.30 pm - keynote address
6.30-7 pm - Q&A


This public lecture is jointly hosted by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Coral Bell School’s Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), ANU College of Asia and the Pacific. If you require accessibility accommodations or a visitor Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan please contact bell.marketing@anu.edu.au.