Day 17: The NPT Review Conference president, Libran Cabactulan, has moved towards the endgame by submitting a draft final document which contains both a treaty review and a forward-looking action plan covering all three pillars of the treaty (disarmament, non-proliferation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy).
France
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”.
Hague’s half page of waffle will not do to bind the shreds of union.
The Royal United Services Institute suggested cut of £11bn by keeping the Trident submarines in harbour quoted BASIC's information.
Read more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/may/20/hague-shreds-european-union-cameron
Constructive atmosphere after conclusion of General Debate at NPT Review Conference
Day 4: Delegates to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have wrapped up the general debate on Day 4 of the Review Conference so it is possible to take stock after states staked out their positions in public.
US shows its nuclear hand in bid to show sincerity on arms
“I think the Americans have got an uphill struggle based on the speeches here today.”
BASIC Program Director Anne Penketh quoted in The Guardian, on the opening-day of the NPT Review Conference.
Read more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/03/iran-ahmadinejad-us-nuclear-threats
Getting to Zero Update
In the run up to the NPT Review Conference (3-28 May), there have been a number of critical developments. Russia and the United States have signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Obama Administration just released its Nuclear Posture Review, and Washington is about to host one of its largest summits ever, on nuclear security.
Considering NATO’s Tactical Nuclear Weapons after the US Nuclear Posture Review
Essential questions for NATO as the alliance considers calls for the further drawdown of US tactical weapons in Europe.
Keeping the lid on: Nuclear security and the Washington summit
Far more remains to be done before the world can feel assured that nuclear security issues are being addressed seriously enough…..