Asleep at the Controls
Kofi Annan on the importance of balancing disarmament and non-proliferation for international security.
No Nukes, No Proliferation
Nuclear weapons could not proliferate if they did not exist. Because they
do, they will. The policy implication of this logic is that the best guarantee
of nuclear nonproliferation is nuclear disarmament through a nuclear weapons
convention that bans the possession, acquisition, testing and use of nuclear weapons,
by everyone. This would solve the problem of nonproliferation as well as
disarmament. The focus on nonproliferation to the neglect of disarmament
ensures that we get neither. If we want nonproliferation, therefore, we must
prepare for disarmament.
Nukes Worldwide: Disarmament, Iran, and New Military Doctrines
Jayantha Dhanapala, former Under Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs of the United Nations, says that there is a need for political solutions to resolve the nuclear proliferation in recent times.
Dhanapala is now the Secretary General of the Secretariat for Coordination of the Peace Process in Sri Lanka. He has also served as a Commissioner in UNSCOM and the Head of the Special Group visiting the Presidential Sites in Iraq in addition to his duties as Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs.
In 2006 he will likely be Asia’s candidate for the post of the United Nations Secretary General.
Dhanapala feels passionately about disarmament. He spoke to Ravi R. Prasad at his office in Colombo.
New Year, Old Conflicts: Nuclear crises in 2011 and their implications for US-China relations
Rob van Riet follows three conflicts with nuclear potential — rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, continued animosity between the US and Iran, and the persistent India-Pakistan dispute — set against the backdrop of shifting Sino-American relations. While each of these conflicts has a potential to undermine efforts toward international security, and may trigger war on a nuclear scale, van Riet argues, much will depend on the willingness and ability of US and Chinese leaders to work together towards their resolution.
From Vienna to New York: Diverging attitudes and expectations among NPT members spell trouble for the 2015 NPT Review
The resurgence of Cold War style rhetoric between Russia and “the West”, ongoing concerns over North Korea’s nuclear program, a still elusive nuclear deal with Iran, and the recurrent fear of nuclear-armed non-state actors all stand as stark reminders that humanity still lives with the unacceptable risk of nuclear war. In this timely and important article, Rob van Riet reviews the promises and ambiguities of recent conferences, summits, working group sessions, legal actions, and negotiations on nuclear weapons, and evaluates the potential of the NPT review conference in May this year to make real political progress towards the goal of nuclear disarmament.
Iran and the Centrality of the IAEA
Iran and the Centrality of the IAEA Author: Dr. Aldo Zammit Borda Originally published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on 03/15/2005 Introduction In February 2005, Iran rejected an EU-3(1) offer that would have limited its nuclear capabilities, to replace its heavy-water nuclear reactor with a lightwater reactor2. This offer was made as part of the […]