Anne Penketh: Edging towards a nuclear-free world

The stage is set for the signing in Prague of the first arms control treaty of the Obama era. It is the initial step on the road to the US President's declared goal of a world without nuclear weapons, which he vibrantly described in the Czech capital a year ago.

But now that the applause has died down after the US and Russia reached agreement on capping their deployed long-range nuclear weapons in the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start) follow-on pact, the treaty's limits have become apparent. T

Treading Water in 2010: The Nuclear Weapon States and Nuclear Disarmament

Country by country review of nuclear weapons states’ arsenals and their positions before the NPT Review Conference

Time for the Test Ban

The presidents of the United States and Russia have proclaimed that they will work for a world without nuclear weapons. Vice President Joe Biden reaffirmed that goal in a recent major policy speech. But the speech was more than that: Biden affirmed that a world without nuclear weapons would also be a compass by which the administration would steer current policy.

Declaration of Support for the Global Disarmament Agenda

Visions for a New Century: Brian Eno hosted this event on behalf of BASIC and the Ploughshares Fund on February 1st, at which people joined together to sign a declaration of support for the global dis

Getting to Zero Update

This last year has been one of rising hope for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, but finishes with a big question as to whether the two international conferences – the world's first nuclear security summit of April 12th and the NPT Review Conference in May – will meet expectations.

Two missed opportunities for GTZ during the presidential debate

The first US Presidential debate between senators John McCain and Barack Obama was supposed to be the big chance for the candidates to showcase their foreign policy visions and differences. Unfortunately, both candidates missed two opportunities within the debate to mention their vision for a world without nuclear weapons. It's actually one issue that both of them seem to agree on, at least in a general way.

British Parliamentary Perspectives on Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation

During their All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and BASIC organized-visit to Washington, DC, the Rt. Hon. Des Browne, MP (Labour), Dr. David Lidington, MP (Conservative), Tony Lloyd, MP (Labour), and Lord Hannay of Chiswick (Crossbench), shared their views on the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and the prospects for success on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation at this joint Carnegie Endowment for International Peace-BASIC event.

Senior UK parliamentarians to discuss nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament

Cross-party delegation will talk with their US counterparts.

From next Tuesday (8 September 2009), the most senior cross-party parliamentary delegation focused on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation ever to visit Washington will be holding talks with key Senators and administration officials. Their meetings come at a critical and timely juncture with: