Media Advisory
Advance notice of panel discussion and press conference
 
Prospects for Breakthrough at the NPT Review Conference?
Thursday 26 May - UNCA Club Rm. 326, New York
14.00 hrs
The nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference
is drawing to a close after four weeks of deliberation in the corridors
of the United Nations in New York. It took almost two weeks to agree
an agenda and wrangling over which issues should or should not be
discussed, delayed substantive work until near the end of the third
week.
'Prospects for Breakthrough?' will provide
an 11th hour opportunity for delegates, NGOs and journalists to
discuss where the conference is at and where it may, or may not
be heading by its close the following day - or Saturday if the precedent
from 2000 is followed. And after such a difficult month, what are
the common points for future discussion, whether or not there is
a consensus document?
Former US Ambassador Thomas Graham, with vast diplomatic
experience during the Clinton Administration, has agreed to share
his last minute thoughts with those who gather in Room 326 at 14.00
on Thursday 26 May. Also on the panel will be Daryl Kimball, Executive
Director of the Arms Control Association in Washington DC, and Janet
Bloomfield, Security Consultant for Oxford Research Group UK.
Dr. Ian Davis, Executive Director BASIC, who will
chair the meeting said, "This event will provide an opportunity
for delegates and NGO representatives to examine the priority issues
on which agreement is needed and where progress looks possible".
In their pre-conference publications, BASIC and ORG
made several recommendations across a range of issues in the hope
of assisting national delegations to arrive at a balanced and progressive
outcome on non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. See http://www.basicint.org/npt/index.htm
and http://www.oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/
for more information.
Dr. Davis will take the opportunity to review these
key recommendations, not least the absolute need for transparency
across the board to address the problem of non-compliance, the withdrawal
of all sub-strategic nuclear weapons from Europe en route to a US-Russian
agreement to eliminate them and a halt to all modernisation programmes
in the five 'declared' nuclear weapon states.
With kind thanks to the UN Correspondents Association
for hosting this event.
For further information, please contact Matt
Martin on 202 468 0638 (US cell phone).
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