- Teri Elbon is an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), responsible for the Bureau of Multilateral Affairs.
- In 2024, she joined the UNITAR Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme in Hiroshima to enhance her understanding of nuclear disarmament and build her negotiation skills.
- The Marshall Islands, once the site of extensive nuclear testing between 1946 and 1958-including the devastating 1954 Castle Bravo detonation-carries a legacy that continues to shape its moral and political stance. Drawing from this history, Teri is committed to advancing her country's leadership in global nuclear disarmament efforts.
- Teri will use the tools from the UNITAR programme to strengthen the Marshall Islands' advocacy for peace, justice, and world free of nuclear weapons.
20 October 2025, Hiroshima, Japan - Teri Elbon serves as an Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Marshall Islands, where she oversees multilateral affairs and coordinates the RMI's participation in international engagements. In 2024, she joined the UNITAR Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme to strengthen her capacity as a diplomat and ensure the Marshall Islands' voice is heard in global efforts to advance nuclear disarmament and promote lasting peace.
70 Years After Castle Bravo
On 1 March 1954, the US test detonated the hydrogen bomb Castle Bravo in the Marshall Islands. The blast had 1,000 times the explosive power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima and created the worst radiological disaster in the US's testing history. It caused widespread radioactive contamination that exposed people to "radioactive ashes that caused immediate and long-term health and environmental effects" that continue to affect the people of the Marshall Islands.
Growing up in the Pacific islands, Teri has always been aware of the vulnerabilities of island nations to global challenges and the urgency of international cooperation. She was particularly inspired by the RMI's leadership in pushing for the 1.5-degree temperature target in the 2015 Paris Agreement.
I felt compelled to be part of the global conversations that directly impact my country,
she says. Today, she is at the centre of the Marshall Islands' multilateral efforts, which also include nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
In her view, the need for global disarmament is ever more urgent as nuclear powers modernize their arsenals.
The 70th anniversary of the Bravo test in 2024 and the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 2025, serve as stark reminders that nuclear weapons are not just a relic of the past. The need for disarmament is urgent.
- Teri Elbon, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marshall Islands
UNITAR Training Programme: Tools for Advocacy
To help her fulfil her role, Teri joined the 2024 UNITAR Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Training Programme in Hiroshima, Japan. Since 2015, the programme has been training government officials from Asian countries who are on the front line of nuclear disarmament negotiations. The programme enhances diplomats' understanding of the debates surrounding nuclear disarmament and equips them with the skills to advance regional discussions on disarmament and non-proliferation.
The UNITAR programme was transformative for Teri. She describes the training as a unique opportunity for diplomats from non-nuclear states to deepen their understanding of the complexities of nuclear disarmament negotiations. Participating in the training in Hiroshima added a powerful emotional dimension-standing in a city marked by the devastating legacy of nuclear weapons, she was deeply moved by the stories of survivors and the enduring scars of history. Coupled with the Marshall Islands' own lived experience of nuclear testing, the programme reinforced for her that disarmament is not merely a matter of policy-it is a moral imperative. The urgency of global action was made unmistakably clear.
Nuclear disarmament remains a slow-moving process, but the training gave me the tools to better advocate for our position and to ensure that the Marshall Islands remains an active player in pushing for global disarmament.
- Teri Elbon, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marshall Islands
Teri Elbon leads a small, dedicated team managing the RMI Government's multilateral affairs-an ambitious task that reflects the Marshall Islands' active international engagement. While resource constraints and geographic distance present challenges, she approaches them with creativity and strategic focus. She therefore welcomes opportunities like the UNITAR programme to expand her expertise in nuclear disarmament and build stronger partnerships with like-minded countries and organizations, emphasizing that diplomacy requires creative problem-solving.
A Call for Collective Action and the Path Forward
Teri finds it a responsibility and honour to be in a position to help shape global policies that directly affect the future of her country. To aspiring and fellow diplomats, she stresses the importance of engaging in multilateral discussions and continuously learning. Highlighting the power of unity and collective action in achieving global change, she encourages them not to be discouraged by the complexity of the issues.
The road to nuclear disarmament is long, and the challenges are many, but diplomacy is about being present, understanding your country's stance, and working towards the collective goal of peace and disarmament.
-Teri Elbon, Assistant Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Marshall Islands
The National Nuclear Commission of the Marshall Islands works tirelessly to educate citizens about the country's nuclear legacy and to integrate this history into school curricula. Local NGOs also play an active role in raising awareness about nuclear issues and advocating for action at both the national and international levels.
As to the future, Teri plans to evaluate the Marshall Islands' position on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and outer space, which could impact nuclear policy. In the long term, she hopes to keep the Marshall Islands at the forefront of nuclear disarmament efforts and to see a world where nuclear weapons no longer threaten humanity's future.
UN Volunteer Naluwu Aisha contributed to this article.
About the UNITAR Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Programme
Since 2015, the UNITAR Hiroshima Office has been conducting the Hiroshima Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (NDNP) Training Programme for diplomats from countries in the Asia-Pacific region, with the support of the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and the City of Hiroshima.
Hiroshima Training Programme on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation | UNITAR
