The Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation is an international non-governmental organization established on the initiative of the Austrian Foreign Ministry in 2010. It is operated by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The official opening ceremony of the VCDNP was held on 25 February 2011 at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria. The VCDNP’s mission is to promote international peace and security by providing a platform for independent analysis and dialogue in the field of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. In order to fulfill its mission, the VCDNP employs conferences, seminars, and other fora to foster result-oriented discussion among international organizations, national governments, non-governmental experts, scholars, and civil society. The Center partners with other academic and non-governmental institutions, as well as international organizations in conducting research, outreach, education, and training on non-proliferation and disarmament.