Room: LS 033
Phone: +49 (0)203-379-1916
E-Mail: leonardo.bandarra[at]uni-due.de

▶ Research Focus
▶ Selected Publications
▶ Research Projects
▶ Transfer Activities
▶ Curriculum Vitae

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Current Projects

► Verification in a Complex and Unpredictable World: Social, Political and Technical Processes (VeSPoTec)

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Policy Briefs

Bandarra, Leonardo / Emad Kyaiei / Sharon Dolev 2023: The Biological Weapons Convention and the Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East, Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Policy Paper.

Bandarra, Leonardo / Carmen Wunderlich 2022: “The Nuclear Governance Multiverse in a Nutshell: The 2022 Conferences on the Prohibition and Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons.” INEF/sef: Development and Peace Blog. 05 October 2022.

Bandarra, Leonardo / Carmen Wunderlich 2022: "(Análisis) Primera Reunión del Tratado de Prohibición de las Armas Nucleares." El Espectator, 30 de junho de 2002.

Bandarra, Leonardo / Dolev, Sharon 2021: “Pathways to a WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East”. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. 02 December 2021

Bandarra, Leonardo 2020: “Fresh Wind Out of the South: What to Expect from a Binding Nuclear Ban Treaty.” GIGA Focus Global, no. 05

Bandarra, Leonardo 2019: “Towards a Global Zero for Nuclear Weapons: Three Lessons from Latin America.” GIGA Focus Global, no. 03

Bandarra, Leonardo 2019: “Brazilian Nuclear Policy under Bolsonaro: No Nuclear Weapons, but a Nuclear Submarine.”Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 12 April 2019

Lectures

Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Verification, for the network NewComer4Nuclear, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on invitation, on March 18, 2025 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso 

Understanding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime: Institutions and Technological Capabilities. The Professional Association of Security Sector (PASS) and the Institute of International Politics and Economics (IIPE) in Belgrade, Serbia, on invitation, on December 12, 2024 in Belgrade, Serbia

Nuclear Latency and the Participation Puzzle, as part of Séminarie de Recherche IESD (Institute des Études de Strategie et de Défense), Faculté de Droit, Université Jean Moulin Lyon III, Lyon, France, on invitation, on October 15, 2024 in Lyon, France

Global WMD Conventions and Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones, as part of METO’s Winter School “WMD Disarmament & Security & Technology Nexus” held online, on invitation, on February 19, 2024

Dismantling the bomb: working on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The University of Sheffield, UK, on invitation, on May 12, 2023 in Sheffield

Introduction to Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. Sheffield Hallam University, UK, Master in International Relations and Global Crisis, lectured by Dr Mitxy Mabel Menezes Gutierrez, on invitation, on March 27, 2023 in Sheffield (UK)

Introduction to Nuclear Safety and Security. University of Sheffield, UK, Master in International Politics, lectured by Dr Patrícia Martuscelli, on invitation, on March 06, 2023 in Sheffiled (UK)

Gegenstand: atomwaffenfreie Zone im Nahen Osten (eng.: Current stand: Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zone in the Middle East”. Palästina Initiative (Region Hannover), on invitation on November 07, 2022 

Regimes e Instituições para Não-Proliferação e Desarme de Armas de Destruição Massiva. Instituto Brasileiro de Ensino, Desenvolvimento e Pesquisa (IDP), on invitation, on September 26, 2022 in Brasília, Brazil

Interviews

Latin American Perspectives on Nuclear Weapons: an Interview with Dr. Leonardo Bandarra: Interview with The Arms Control Poseur, Season 2 Episode 6, by IISS and the European Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium, 28 April 2024

Revolução Iraniana, 45 anos: como a revolta popular deu origem ao atual regime dos Aiatolás. (Eng.: The Iranian Revolution at 45: how did a popular uprise led to the Aiatolahs’ regime). Interview (quote) to BBC News, 11 February 2024

The Power of Latent Nuclear Powers & What’s Next for the TPNW with Dr. Leonardo Bandarra. Interview to the Podcast Nuclear Diplomacy, Episode 4, by Young Pugwash UK, 17  January 2024

Anarcocapitalismo: o que é a ideologia que o novo president argentino Javier Milei diz seguir.  (Eng.: Anarcho-Capilalism: what is the ideology that the new Argentine President said to follow), Interview to BBC news, 23 November 2023

Quem foi Oswaldo Aranha, o brasleiro que ajudou a criar o Estado de Israel. (Eng.: Oswaldo Aranha, the Brazilian who helped to create the State of Israel), Interview to BBC News, 04 November 2023

Interview on the politics and regulation of small and light arms in Latin America (“Tenencia de armas en América Latina”), at the “Telediario Internacional” (International News), RTVE (Radio y Television Española), 04 April 2023

Após um século, ideas de Ruy Barbosa ainda regem a diplomacia. (Eng.: After a century, ideas of Ruy Barbosa still guide Brazilian diplomacy) Interview to Deutsche Welle. Online Edition, 01 March 2023

O que mudou desde a primeira vez que Lula foi eleito, há 20 anos.  (Eng.: what changed since Lula was first elected twenty years go). Interview to Deutsche Welle. Online Edition, 27 October 2022

Elecciones en Brasil: Bolsonaro sale reforzado; Lula tendría problemas para gobernar. (Eng.: Elections in Brazil: Bolsonaro is strenghtened and Lula will have problems to govern). Interview to El Espectador (EE). Online Edition, 03 October 2022

¿Cómo está la normatividad sobre el control de armas en America hoy? (Eng.: How are norms for arms control in the Americas today?). Interview to El Espectador (EE). Online Edition, 21 June 2022

Um raio X da esquerda brasileira desde a redemocratização. (Eng.: An X-Ray of the  Brazilian Left since the redemocratization). Interview to Deutsche Welle (DW). Online Edition, 10 May 2022

Wahlen in Brasilien: Die Macht der Jugend. (Eng.: Elections in Brazil: the power of youth). Interview to Deutsche Welle (DW). Online Edition, 24 April 2022

Entre auxílios e benefícios, parlamentares do Brasil estão entre os mais bem pagos. (Eng.: Between benefits and financial support, parlamentarians in Brazil are among the most well payed). Interview to CNN Brasil. Online Edition, 18 March 2022

Impact Activities

Presentation at the third TPNW Meeting of State Parties Side in New York, USA. Speaker at the side event “Regional Pathways to Global Disarmament”, co-hosted by the International Peace Bureau (IPB), VeSPoTec, METO, Blue Banner (Mongolia), and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, 03.03 - 07.03.2025.

Organisation of the “Nuclear Verification Winter School”, co-hosted by VeSPoTec and the University of Duisburg-Essen, in Duisburg, Germany, 10.02 - 14.02.2025.

Moderation and Facilitation at the “Seminar on the impact of the current global situation on prospects for nuclear disarmament and verification”, co-hosted by the University of Witwatersrand Johannesburg, and VERTIC’s African Research and Innovation Hub, in Pretoria, South Africa. Panel and Discussion title: “The impact of the current international situation and current geopolitical climate on nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control verification mechanisms.” 29.01.2025.

Presentation at the 2024 NPT Preparatory Conference, Vienna, Austria. Panelist at the Side Events “Peace and Disarmament in the Middle East”, co-organised by METO and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, and the International Peace Bureau (IPB); and “Untapping the potential of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones: the Importance of expanding NWFZs and the Role of Single States in a Shifting World Order”, organised by the International Peace Bureau (IPB), 22.07 - 23.07.2024.

Presentation at the BWC (Biological Weapons Convention) Meeting of State Parties Side in Geneva, Switzerland. Speaker at the Side Event “The BWC and the WMDFZ in the Middle East”, co-organised by METO and the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP), 11.12.2023.

Presentation at the Second TPNW Meeting of State Parties Side in New York, USA. Head of METO’s delegation and speaker at the following events: (1) “The Urgency of Disarmament”, organised by the International Peace Bureau, Peace Action New York State, Brooklyn For Peace, and Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung New York Office, on 29 November 2023; and (2) “The TPNW & WMD Free Zone in the Middle East: Opportunities & Synergies”, hosted by the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and the Middle East Treaty Organization, on 30 November 2023, 27.11. - 03.12.2023.

Co-organisation of and Presentation at the NPT Review Conference Side Event “Achieving the Possible: a Regional Organization for a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East”, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in New York and the Middle East Treaty Organization, New York, USA, 09.08.2022.

Co-organisation of and Presentation at a closed meeting for diplomats participating at the UN Conference on a WMD-Free-Zone in the Middle East entitled “Thematic Elements of a WMDZ Treaty for the Middle East”, held online by the Middle East Treaty Organization, 30.11.2021.

Co-organisation of and Presentation at the UNGA First Committee Side Event “Achieving the Possible: a Regional Organization for a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East”, held online by the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the UN in New York and the Middle East Treaty Organization. Presentation title: “Draft Treaty 4 – an Overview", 27.10.2021.

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Since April 2025
Senior Researcher at INEF, University of Duisburg-Essen

February 2024
Guest lecturer in the Master of Human Rights and Sustainability, OSCE Academy, Kyrgyzstan 

Since February 2024
Director of the Middle East Treaty Organisation (METO)

June 2022 - March 2025
Research Associate at the Institute for Political Science (IfP)

Since May 2022
Coordinator of the Draft Treaty Team, Middle East Treaty Organisation (METO)

April 2019 - May 2020 and October 2021 - April 2022
Associate Lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Hamburg

August 2017 - July 2018
University Diploma in International Nuclear Law, University of Montpellier and OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), France
Thesis title: The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Quest for Updating the Global Regime for Nuclear Non-Proliferation

October 2016 - May 2022
Research Associate at the Institute for Latin American Studies (ILAS) in the research programme ‘Foreign Policy and Global Orders’, German Institute for Global Area Studies (GIGA)

October 2016 - April 2021
Doctorate in Social Sciences / Political Sciences at the Georg-August University of Göttingen and the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
Dissertation topic: Nuclear Latency and the Participation Puzzle: Constructing the international non-proliferation regime

February 2015 - September 2016
M.A. International Relations, University of Brasília, Brazil 

August 2011 - February 2012
Internship at the General Economic Coordination for South America (CGDECAS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Brazil 

March 2010 - December 2013
B.A. in International Relations, University of Brasília, Brazil