We are a small and effective team of advocacy and policy experts working to reduce harm to civilians in conflict.
We are based primarily in the UK, but work within international legal and policy discussions on weapons and the protection of civilians. We have expertise in crafting detailed practical policies and long-term political strategies, conducting independent research and analysis, establishing, supporting and leading civil society coalitions, and creating space for stakeholders from different backgrounds to work productively together.
Pioneering new instruments
We are committed to building legal and policy instruments that strengthen the protection of civilians. As Article 36 we have led the development of the 2015 Safe Schools Declaration, the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the 2022 Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas.
Supporting coalitions
We believe that multi-stakeholder coalitions of states, international organisations and civil society have the capacity to work together to change international practices, rules and norms. Article 36 has had a leading role in coalitions including INEW, Stop Killer Robots and the Nobel Prize-winning ICAN. We have also built key partnerships across wider stakeholder groups in order to make new instruments happen.
Thinking differently
Across all of our areas of work, Article 36 has pioneered new thinking and new policy approaches. We have created key policy formulations that continue to shape international discussions. Our current thinking is driven by a commitment to building a full understanding of the costs of conflict - and to working for the full protection of civilians as a response.
Article 36 team
Richard Moyes
Director
Richard Moyes is a Director at Article 36. He works across all our current focus areas (autonomous weapons, explosive weapons and protecting civilians) looking to develop policies and strategies that can generate political movement. Through to 2024, Richard also coordinated Stop Killer Robots, the international coalition working for a legal instrument to prohibit and regulate autonomous weapons. Previously, he played a key role in the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and of the Safe Schools Declaration. He promoted the framing of 'explosive weapons in populated areas' as a humanitarian issue formulation and 'meaningful human control' as an organising term in discussions on autonomy in weapons systems, and he co-produced our working in global coalitions resource.
Richard was previously Director of Policy at Landmine Action, and Co-Chair of the Cluster Munition Coalition. Prior to that he established and managed explosive ordnance disposal projects for the UK NGO Mines Advisory Group. He is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Exeter and serves on the UK Ministry of Defence's AI Ethics Advisory Panel.
Laura Boillot
Director
Laura currently focuses on policy and practice around explosive weapons and coordinates the International Network on Explosive Weapons. She recently led a project on universalisation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. She also provides organisational management. Laura has contributed substantially to our work and strategy on autonomous weapons, nuclear weapons and safe schools and our organisational expertise on ways of working and partnerships.
Laura previously worked as a Campaign Manager and subsequently as the Director of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). Prior to that she worked as Program Officer on the Control Arms campaign and for the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).
Megan Wiseman-Searle
Operations Coordinator
Megan works across the organisation to ensure that all areas of Article 36 run smoothly. She focuses on maintaining and improving operational management systems, processes and best practices.
Megan has worked as a coordinator for multiple non-profit organisations and completed her MA in Conflict, Security and Development at The University of Sussex.
Meet the board at Article 36
We are looking to expand and diversify our Board. If you are interested in applying to join Article 36's Board, please contact Richard Moyes richard@article36.org
Rosy Cave
Rosy Cave is a member of Article 36's board.
Jonathan Fell
Jonathan Fell is a founding partner of Ash Park Capital, a specialist fund management company focused on investments in the global fast-moving consumer goods industry. Prior to 2013 he worked as an equity research analyst following the tobacco and beverages sectors at the investment banks Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and, most recently, Deutsche Bank.
Richard Lloyd
Richard Lloyd is interim Chair of the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, Senior Independent Director at the Financial Conduct Authority, and a non-executive director of the Advertising Standards Authority. Richard led Which? as executive director from 2011 to 2016 and was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to the economy and consumer rights. He was previously director of Landmine Action and has also worked as a special adviser to the Prime Minister.
Paddy Walker
Paddy Walker is managing director of the Leon Group, a fourth-generation Family Office. He co-chairs the London Committee of NGO Human Rights Watch and has a PhD in the field of autonomous weapons.
Article 36’s work has been supported by:
- Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Canadian Department of National Defence, Defence Engagement Programmers
- The Counter Proliferation and Arms Control Centre, part of the Government of the United Kingdom
- Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Affairs (ECHO)
- DeepMind
- Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Switzerland
- Future of Life Institute, in partnership with Arizona State University
- Open Society Foundations
- Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
- The Holy See
- The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Ireland (through Irish Aid)
- The Network for Social Change
We have also received support from NGO partners, such as the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), PAX, and Norwegian People's Aid. Article 36's work is independent of its funders and civil society partners. Our statements and positions do not imply the agreement of those partners, nor do the positions of those partners and funders imply the agreement of Article 36.