The INES Global Responsibility Newsletter reports and comments – from a global perspective – on political, technical and societal developments and comprises of regular internal news sections.
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One very positive outcome of the Review Conference was its endorsement of practical steps to achieve a Middle East Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. The Final Document called up the UN Secretary-General, along with others, to convene a regional conference in 2012 for the establishment of a “Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.”
The 2010 NPT Review Conference resulted in a reaffirmation by the nuclear weapon states of their “unequivocal undertaking to accomplish...the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.” In the end, the Final Document was largely aspirational. It brought the parties back to where they stood in the year 2000, but provided few specific guidelines for success to measure progress in 2015. One such guideline, albeit a difficult one, will be the attainment of a Middle East Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.
Ban All Nukes generation (BANg) The European Youth Network for Nuclear Disarmament
Read the report of Nina Eisenhardt on youth activites at the conference and of NGO actions in the last conference week "Kicking the door open!" here: www.bang-europe.org/news2.php
See interviews with Jonathan Granoff, Jayantha Dhanapala, Rebecca Johnson, John Burroughs (and more) at NPT-TV a project of the Student Peace Bureau: npt-tv.net/
Article in the German Newspaper "Frankfurter Rundschau", 29. May, 2010
Of Elephants and Ants
On Saturday, the eighth Review Conference of the Nuclear Weapons Disarmament Treaty ended in New York. Powerful interest groups have geared up even further. The majority of people want a nuclear-free world. What is there to do? Reiner Braun, of the freedom movement, calls for a nuclear weapons convention, and Giorgio Franceschini, of the Hessian Foundation for Peace and Conflict Studies, favours pragmatic steps. Read on
At the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, the Abolition 2000 Network organized its traditional morning caucus, where international NGOs gathered each morning at 8:00 AM before the start of each day’s proceedings, to develop strategies for monitoring and impacting the four week conference. Appalled by the shameless commercially driven untrammeled support by many nations for so-called “peaceful” nuclear power in the Main Committee III meetings, established to address the use of civilian nuclear technology, the NGO Abolition Caucus released the following statement:
Response to the Report of Main Committee III:
Chairman’s Draft on Substantive Elements
May 20, 2010
The NGO Abolition Caucus of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference 2010 is generally opposed to the findings of the Report of Main Committee III: Chairman’s Draft on Substantive Elements released on Friday, 14 May 2010. In particular, the Caucus finds there is no evidentiary basis to support the Chair’s assertion in paragraph 6 that nuclear power contributes “in an important way to meet energy needs, improve health, combat poverty, protect the environment… thus helping to achieve the Millenium Development Goals…” The Chair's draft does not acknowledge that there is disagreement among states parties on the characterization of nuclear energy as sustainable and safe.
Report on IPB-INES Session at NPT: Misuse of brainpower: the conversion of science and technology for human and environmental needs.
This seminar, arranged by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) and International Network of Engineers and Scientists (INES), was chaired by Reiner Braun (INES) and brought attention to the military industrial complex.
15.781 signatures of the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World were handed over to to the President of the NPT Libran N. Cabactulan by INES Program Director Reiner Braun.
May 1, 2010
UN Secretary General Keynoted International Peace Movement Conference to Abolish Nuclear Weapons on eve of NPT Review Conference.
U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, addressed an international conference of leading peace, justice and environmental activists this evening at the historic, Riverside Church in New York City to push for a world free of nuclear weapons. The conference and related events are being organized on the eve of this May’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.
Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, said to nearly 1,000 participants from around 30 countries regarding the NPT, “Let it heed our call. Disarm Now!” He continued, “Our shared vision is within reach…a nuclear-free world.” And that “nuclear disarmament is my top priority.”
The Secretary noted the significance of the Riverside Church hosting Nelson Mendela’s first speech in the U.S and Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous speech against the Vietnam War.
The INES campaign "Scientists for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World"
15.781 signatures of the Campaign for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World were handed over to to the President of the 8th Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Libran N. Cabactulan by INES Program Director Reiner Braun on May 4th, 2010.
The INES campaign "Scientists for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World" had started on August 6th, 2009 (Hiroshima Day). 49 first signatories, 31 of them Nobel Laureates, supported the campaign and gave it a remarkable start. For at least 25 years, there has been no comparable campaign supported by so many prominent members of the scientific community and beyond.
INES and NGO activities at the 8th NPT Review Conference in NYC
30. April – 1. May International Conference: For a Nuclear Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World
Riverside Church, New York City/USA
Further information:http://www.peaceandjusticenow.org
International Demonstration of the worldwide peace movement
Start near Times Square, 13:00
Monday, 3. May Opening of the NPT Review Conference and presentation of endorsers of the worldwide calls against nuclear weapons (among others the INES appeal "Scientists for a nuclear weapons-free world and "Für eine Zukunft ohne Atomwaffen") to General Secretary Ban Ki Moon
Tuesday, 4. May
Workshop: "NATO and Nuclear Weapons - Discussion about the new NATO strategy"; (International Coordinating Committee "No to War - No to NATO" / IALANA Europe)
Church Center, 2nd floor, 10:00-12:00
Analysis of the character of the new NATO Strategy with a special perspective on the nuclear first strike doctrine, expansion and global interventions.
Discussion held with Phyllis Bennis (USA) ● Luis Gutiérrez Esparza (Mexico) ● Agneta Norberg (Sweden) ● Pierre Villard (France)
Wednesday, 5. May
Workshop: "Nuclear Weapons in Europe - for a nuclear weapons free world" (INES / IALANA) Church Center, 2nd floor, 10:00 -12:00 Description of different European initiatives for nuclear weapons free Europe and analysis of those movements.
Discussion held with Dave Webb (UK) ● Pierre Villard (France) ● Lisa Clark (Italy) ● Peter Becker (Germany) ● Pol D'Huyvetter (Belgium)
● Victor Kamyshanov (Russia). Moderation: David Krieger
Workshop: The misuse of brainpower: the conversion of science and technology for human and environmental needs. (INES / International Peace Bureau (IPB) NGO Room: A , Temporary North Lawn Building: 15:00-18:00
Where do we want our best science brains to be deployed? Militarisation is not only an economic and social burden. It is an issue for the future of science, engineering and technology.
Discussion held with Christopher Paine (NRDC USA, requested) ● Jackie Cabasso (USA) ● Andy Lichterman (USA) ● Dave Webb (UK) ● Subrata Ghoshroy (MIT USA)
Moderation: Reiner Braun
See report below.
IGSE* Panel on the Detectability of Clandestine Nuclear Materials Production
Church Center for the United Nations, 777 United Nations Plaza, 13:30
*Independent Group of Scientific Experts on the detection of clandestine nuclear-weapons usable materials poduction
Tuesday 11. May - Wednesday 12. May
Simulation conference on the Nuclear Weapons Convention
The Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcker Centre for Science and Peace Research (University of Hamburg) and IANUS (TU Darmstadt) would like to invite you to a simulation conference that is going to negotiate the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
Wednesday, 12. May
Workshop: Nuclear Weapons Convention and the NPT- Legal Challenges and Prospects (IALANA Germany)
NGO Room A, Temporary North Lawn Building, 15:00 – 16:30
Overview of the Nuclear Weapons Convention and the view and role of the governmental politics on the implementation of the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
Discussion held with: Robin Borrmann ● Jürgen Scheffran (Germany) ● Stefan Kordasch (Second Head of Division of Nuclear Arms Control and Non- Proliferation of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs). Moderation: Robin Borrmann.
Workshop: On the way to banning uranium weapons (IALANA)
NGO Room A, Temporary North Lawn Building, 16:30 - 18:30
Analysis of the character of uranium weapons and the possibilities to outlaw these weapons. Discussion held with Robin Borrmann (Germany)
Contact in INES & IALANA Ad-hoc US Office
NPT Conference Office NYC,
234 E 52nd St b; New York, NY 10022, United States
Reiner Braun, INES Program Director and IALANA Executive Director
Phone: +49 (0)172 231 74 75, hrbraungmxnet
Lucas Wirl, IALANA, Phone: +49 (0)176 641 03 500; lwirlgmxnet
Nuclear debate: See opinions on a successful outcome of the NPT Review Conference.
Political relevance of the NPT review conference in 2010
Interview with Joseph Gerson, AFSC
INES: Dr. Gerson, in 1995 the governments decided about the indefinte extention of the NPT. Why are Review conferences held? What is the political importance of the one in 2010?
Joseph Gerson: As part of the deal made to win the indefinite extension of the NPT in 1995, the nuclear powers, led by the United States, accepted non-nuclear nations’ demand that review conferences be held every five year to monitor implementation of the treaty – especially Article VI which requires the nuclear powers to begin “good faith” negotiations for the elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
Consistent with its belief that unilateral U.S. military actions and threats could enforce what Vice President Cheney termed ‘the arranged for the 21st century,” the Bush Administration subverted the 2005 Review Conference. By refusing to agree to an agenda until the Conference was half way over, and then refusing to engage in good faith negotiations, the Review Conference failed to reach any agreements and collapsed in failure. This resulted in delegitimizing the Treaty, placing it in jeopardy and increasing the likelihood of proliferation of proliferation of genocidal and omnicidal nuclear weapons.
Contact in INES & IALANA Ad-hoc US Office
