Aiyarat became a diplomat from his motivation to serve his country and take on dynamic issues. He was one of the 18 government officials from the Asia-Pacific who met for a week in February 2024 in Hiroshima for the 2024 Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (NDNP) Training Programme. Supported by the Hiroshima Prefectural Government and Hiroshima City, the programme sought to update the diplomats’ understanding of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, build their negotiation skills and encourage networking among those in the region on the front lines of negotiation.

Aiyarat said the UNITAR NDNP Programme was comprehensive and effective, allowing him to engage with top-notch lecturers and field experts while providing Hiroshima-specific nuance and depth to his experience. Aiyarat was especially struck by the visit to the Hiroshima Peace Museum, where participants saw the relics left behind by the victims of the atomic bombing. The experience powerfully communicated to him the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons. 

It is the best opportunity for all the participants to learn not only in academic ways, but to experience [themselves] the impact of the nuclear weapons on the people and on the city.” —Aiyarat Kosakul, First Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand

Although Aiyarat does not currently work directly in nuclear disarmament, he found the UNITAR programme useful, as nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are closely related to his field of work. “For example, when I analyse or work for a biological weapons issue, we will consider the elements of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, to compare to those bodies”, he says. Given that diplomats rotate assignments, he also feels better prepared should he one day be assigned to nuclear disarmament.