An announcement is widely expected this week that the intergovernmental conference in Helsinki, on the establishment of a nuclear and WMD-free Zone in the Middle East, will be postponed.
Non-Proliferation and Disarmament in the Middle East
Istanbul Workshop Final Report: Preparing for the Helsinki conference on a Middle East Nuclear and WMD-free zone
This is the final report to come out of a roundtable workshop held by BASIC in Istanbul on October 24-25th, 2012 on preparing for the Helsinki conference on nuclear and WMD-free zone in the Middle East. Participants included Jaakko Laajava, facilitator for the Conference on a nuclear and WMD-free zone in the Middle East, and senior officials and experts from the region and beyond.
Russia’s Iran Game
Russia’s refusal to follow the leadership of the West, and to resist attempts to strengthen multilateral sanctions, has complicated efforts to put stronger pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
Emphasis on the Middle East at NPT PrepCom
Diplomats at the 2012 NPT Preparatory Committee have been discussing an extraordinary range of issues, but the highlight of this week’s agenda was Jaakko Laajava, Finnish Ambassador and facilitator of the 2012 Conference on a WMD free zone in the Middle East, on Tuesday morning giving his first official presentation of his consultations throughout the past seven months.
Themes arising from the BASIC Workshop in Doha
About 50 participants – representatives of Gulf states and experts from the region, and U.S. and European experts and officials, exchanged views on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf during a conference on March 21st and 22nd. The workshop highlighted a number of themes, including: justice and rights, disarmament, universality and the health of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and Iran.
Nuclear chief Blix allays any fear of disasters
An article in The National cites remarks from Hans Blix and Bahraini representative Abdullah Abdul Latif Abdullah regarding the different regional impacts of nuclear safety and Iran's Bushehr reactor. The remarks were made during BASIC's conference on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf.
Hans Blix opens first day of nuclear non-proliferation conference in Qatar
Hans Blix delivered the keynote address for a BASIC conference on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf. The former chief U.N. weapons inspector for Iraq and chair of the WMD Commission warned of the dangers from nuclear weapons and material, and called for greater inter-governmental cooperation and transparency.
BASIC in Doha – Conference on Nuclear Non-Proliferation in the Gulf
From March 21-22, 2012: BASIC organised a two-day conference at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, in association with the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.