Middle East nuclear weapons free zone subject of panel discussion at the NPT Review Conference

Anne Penketh, BASIC Program Director, backed Egypt's proposals for a Middle East international conference to work towards a Middle East nuclear weapons free zone at a side event on the margins of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

The May 21 event was hosted by Greenpeace whose Israeli representative, Sharon Dolev, described how she has been trying to raise awareness for nuclear disarmament in Israel, where discussion of that country's presumed nuclear arsenal of up to 200 weapons remains taboo.

Disarmament timeline could be deal-breaker at NPT Review Conference

Day 14: There is widespread dismay at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference where the latest draft on the treaty's disarmament pillar has excised all references to a timetable for the nuclear weapons states to disarm.

Iran sanctions ‘holding up nuclear treaty negotiations’

The unveiling of the Iran sanctions resolution “has changed the atmosphere here”, noted Anne Penketh who is monitoring the view. The conference, she noted, “has been on a knife-edge from the get-go and I think it still is”.

Russia rejects German proposal on tactical nuclear weapons

Day 13: Russia has rejected a proposal from Germany to include a call for the “irreversible reduction and elimination” of US and Russian tactical weapons in a draft action plan of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Treaty Conference.

The exchange took place during a closed-door session which was discussing the disarmament pillar of the NPT.

Security Council draft resolution on Iran overshadows NPT Review Conference

Day 12: Two dramatic interventions could influence the outcome of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference.

One was the presentation of the Non-Aligned Movement's suggested wholesale amendments to the committee focusing on the non-proliferation pillar of the NPT.

NATO ‘Experts Group’ misses an opportunity for leadership on nuclear posture

BASIC and Arms Control Association Press Release

(London/Berlin/Washington, D.C./New York) — U.S. and European nuclear arms control and security experts reacted to the elements of a report from a group of senior advisors on reform of NATO\’s basic mission statement describing recommendations on Alliance nuclear policy as a missed opportunity to look forward and take the chance to mould the future of the Alliance.

Now is the time for action on tactical nuclear weapons: non-governmental organization statement

Letter of May 14, 2010 at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference (signatories listed below):

As the United States and Russia negotiate reductions in their arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons, the world is at an historic moment that provides unique opportunities to withdraw from deployment, reduce and eliminate the particularly destabilising class of short-range nuclear weapons variously described as non-strategic, sub-strategic, tactical or battlefield weapons.

Lines Drawn at NPT Review Conference

Day 10: The scene has been set for the negotiations at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference following the release of the draft documents from the main committees which summarise discussions of the past two weeks and lay down an action plan for the future.

The following areas are some of those which will be hotly debated in the final two weeks of the Review Conference:

Programmes

BASIC and Arms Control Association Press Release