The Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) is an international and multi-institutional collaboration led by and hosted at the Negotiation Task Force at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, in collaboration with the Woodrow Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program, Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, and the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard University's Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

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Our Story 

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In 2019, six organizations joined forces to launch the Arms Control Negotiation Academy: the Negotiation Task Force at Harvard University’s Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, the Woodrow Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program, Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre, the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and Peace Research Institute Frankfurt.

 

In 2021, the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and the Project on Managing the Atom at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs joined ACONA as affiliated organizations.

 

In March 2022, the membership in the ACONA Consortium of National Research University—Higher School of Economics and Moscow State Institute of International Relations was suspended.

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Our Partner Organizations

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​​​The History and Public Policy Program (HAPP) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars focuses on the relationship between history and policy making. A leader in uncovering and publishing policy-relevant documentation, the Program works with a global network to build next-generation research capacity, foster dialogue and debate on history, and push for greater archival access.

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Höfði Reykjavík Peace Centre, a collaborative effort of the City of Reykjavík and the University of Iceland, is a forum for international multidisciplinary cooperation, with an emphasis on the role of small states, cities and citizens in promoting peace. Höfði is the name of the house where Reagan and Gorbachev met in Reykjavík in 1986 and refers to the role Iceland played as a small non-militarised state in the conflict between two superpowers.

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The Negotiation Task Force (NTF) at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University promotes innovative solutions to Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security challenges by creating spaces for cross-cultural negotiation research, training, and strategic analysis. We pioneer new models for high-impact knowledge dissemination, train practitioners in advanced negotiation skills, and build long-term conflict management capacity.

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The Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) is one of the leading conflict resolution think tanks in Europe. PRIF scholars conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research with the pursuit of passing practical outcomes on to politics and society. The institute develops options of action and provides background information and analyses for ministries, parties, NGOs and companies. PRIF scholars advise politicians and expert committees, contribute to expert consultations, and participate in delegations and committees of the German Federal Foreign Office on European and international level. 

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Our Affiliated Organizations

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The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) strives to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by training the next generation of nonproliferation specialists and disseminating timely information and analysis. It is the largest nongovernmental organization in the United States devoted exclusively to research and training on nonproliferation issues. It is located at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey.

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The Project on Managing the Atom (MTA) at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School conducts and disseminates policy-relevant research on nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, and nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The project supports an international group of pre- and post-doctoral fellows and other experts working on these issues and helps to advance their research work through seminars, workshops, and conferences.