AFRICA'S DEVELOPMENT AND THE THREAT OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

UPDATE: Acknowledgments of the entry into force of Pelindaba at the Conference on Disarmament

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:34:00 +0000

Unofficial transcript:

Algeria, Deputy Representative Boualem Chebihi
25 August 2009

"Mr. President, at a time when the Conference on Disarmament is continuing with its consultations in order to decide upon the best possible way of envisaging how to tackle its substantive work I wish to refer to the Pelindaba Treaty, which makes of Africa a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, and which entered into force following the deposit on the 15th of July 2009 of 28 ratification instruments. Algeria is one of the first few member states of the African Union that ratified this treaty. It signed it on the 11th of April 1996, ratified it on the 23rd of December1997 and deposited the instruments of ratification relevant thereto on 11th of April 1998.

We welcome this fortunate development that is taking place 13 years after official opening of this treaty for signature. This treaty, which is an important component of the architecture of the African Union concerning peace and security, prohibits the development, manufacture, stockpiling, acquisition, possession and use of nuclear weapons throughout the African continent and neighboring islands.

With this important stage, Africa is significantly strengthening the concept of a nuclear weapon free zone and is making significant contribution to the international regime at disarmament of non nuclear proliferation. The African continent is thereby reflecting its active commitment to the global combat in order to preserve humanity from the specter of nuclear war, and creating a world which is free of weapons of mass destruction.

In order to guarantee respect for the provisions by non party states, three protocols are annexed to the Treaty, including one which calls upon nuclear weapon states not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against parties to the treaty and against any territory within the zone. We take this opportunity to call upon those countries which has not yet done so, to accede to these protocols. We also encourage the other African signatory states to ratify the Treaty.

The establishment of nuclear weapons free areas, apart from strengthening the regime of nuclear non proliferation, strengthens peace and security in the regions covered, and also enables the states concerned to dedicate their resources to priorities of economic and social development. It is also important to highlight that with the entering into force of a nuclear weapons free area in Africa, it is henceforth the whole of the southern hemisphere that has become free of nuclear weapons".

Unofficial transcript:

Mexico, Deputy Representative Mabel Gómez Oliver
20 August 2009

"I finalize, Madame President, by referring to a comforting and encouraging fact. Amongst the very positive developments that we noted in the international community, concerning disarmament, my Delegation wishes to highlight and express its gratitude to the countries of the African continent for the entry into force, last 15th of July, of the Pelindaba Treaty, establishing a nuclear-weapons free area in Africa. With this, the Southern Hemisphere as a whole will be free of these weapons. No doubt Africa will be showing its commitment nuclear disarmament and non proliferation and I invite other States to acknowledge this fact".

Source: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches09/index.html

OPANAL Council Resolution C/Res.52 on the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean
20 August 2009

COUNCIL RESOLUTION C/Res.52

Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Africa

The Council,

Recalling the preamble of the Treaty of Tlatelolco which states that “the military denuclearization of vast geographical zones, adopted by the sovereign decision of the States comprised therein, will exercise a beneficial influence on other regions where similar conditions exist;”

Recalling further the Declaration on the Denuclearization of Africa, issued by the Heads of
African States and Governments of the Organization of the African Unity during its first Ordinary
Session in Cairo, from 17 to 21 July 1964, which committed the African States to negotiate an
international agreement, to be concluded under the auspices of the United Nations not to
manufacture or acquire control of nuclear weapons;

Recalling also the signing of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of
Pelindaba) in Cairo on 11 April 1996;

Convinced that the establishment of nuclear-weapon-free zones is an important step toward
strengthening the nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation regime and the promotion of
regional and international peace and security;

Reiterating the provisions of the Final Document of the Tenth Special Session of the
General Assembly which “called upon the nuclear-weapon States to take steps to assure the non-
nuclear-weapon States against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons;”

Bearing in mind the Declaration of the Conference on Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones,
adopted in Mexico on 28 April 2005, which expresses the interest of the States Parties and

Signatories to Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones in promoting cooperation and
consultation mechanisms among themselves,

Resolves:

1. To welcome with satisfaction the entry into force of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free
Zone with the ratification of the Government of Burundi on 15 July 2009.

2. To call upon African States that have not yet done so to sign and ratify the Treaty of
Pelindaba as soon as possible.

3. To exhort the nuclear-weapon States and any other State contemplated in the Protocols of
the Treaty of Pelindaba that have not yet signed and ratified them to do so as soon as
possible.

4. To reaffirm our commitment to fulfill the common objectives established in the Treaties
of Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok, Pelindaba, Central Asia and the Nuclear-Weapon-Free
State of Mongolia in order to promote nuclear-weapon-free zones and to contribute to
strengthen the NPT regime and achieve nuclear disarmament.

5. To entrust the Secretariat General to deliver the text of this Resolution to the President of
the Commission of the African Union, to the States Parties of OPANAL, to the Secretary
General of the United Nations and to the Focal Points of the other Nuclear-Weapons-Free
Zones.

(Adopted by the Council
on August 20, 2009)

Original Document: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1329157&da=y

Liberia Ratifies the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Liberia yesterday became the 149th nation to ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

Thirty-seven states in Africa have now ratified the pact that prohibits members from conducting explosive tests of nuclear weapons. Another 14 of the continent's 53 nations have signed but not yet ratified the treaty, according to the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization.

The treaty cannot enter into force without being ratified by the 44 "Annex 2" nations -- those that possessed nuclear power or research reactors while participating in negotiations on the

document in 1996. The pact has been fully approved by 35 of those countries; the holdouts are China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States.

"Liberia’s ratification comes at a time of great political support for the CTBT and its entry into force. On 24 September 2009, a meeting of the U.N. Security Council will address key issues of nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, including the CTBT," the commission said in a press release. "The meeting will be chaired by U.S. President Barack Obama who earlier this year announced that he would pursue U.S. ratification of the CTBT 'immediately and aggressively.' A two-day gathering of states to promote the entry into the force of the treaty... will commence on the same day in New York. In light of the current political momentum, the conference, and the period leading up to it, offers a great opportunity for more states to sign and ratify the CTBT" (See Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization release, Aug. 19 for more info:

http://www.ctbto.org/press-centre/press-releases/2009/liberia-ratifies-comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty/).

Source: http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090819_5976.php

Breaking News: Burundi ratification brings Treaty of Pelindaba into force

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 11:10:00 +0000

Africa is now officially a zone free of nuclear weapons!

Thirteen years after it officially opened for signature, the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba) has finally come into force with the twenty-eighth deposit of its ratification instrument by Burundi on 15 July 2009.

This important milestone follows concerted efforts by the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies based in Monterey, with the support of several other organisations, including the Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament (PNND), Groupe de Recherche et d’Information sur la Paix et la Sécurité (GRIP) and the World Council of Churches (WCC) to promote the ratification of the Treaty by the remaining members of the African Union (AU) and Morocco who have signed the Treaty, but not yet ratified it. The Treaty, which covers the entire African continent as well as its surrounding islands, ensures that nuclear weapons are not developed, produced, tested, or otherwise acquired or stationed in any of the countries on the continent.

Full text: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1309211&da=y

Reality Check: The Hiroshima and Nagasaki Bombings in Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:20:00 +0000

Daryl Kimball

August 2009

The first nuclear bomb detonation in July 1945 and the surprise attacks on the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of that year ignited a global debate about the role, the morality, and the control of nuclear weapons that continues to this day.

Then as now, some judged that the catastrophic dangers inherent in nuclear weapons outweigh any justification for their existence or at least for large numbers of such weapons, leading them to seek meaningful nuclear restraints. Others considered nuclear weapons to be legitimate military and political instruments that guarantee national security by deterring threats or attacks. In an effort to maintain a technological edge or at least a balance of terror, they argued for an ever increasing array of nuclear capabilities. Still others, including much of the American public, have embraced some elements of both perspectives.

Since the bombings in Japan, nuclear weapons have not been used in a military attack. Yet they have left a trail of devastation, including: cancer victims from the fallout from atmospheric nuclear test explosions, contaminated workers and radioactive and toxic pollution from nuclear weapons production plants.

Although the U.S.-Soviet superpower competition that gave rise to the development, testing, and deployment of tens of thousands of nuclear weapons and thousands of strategic and tactical nuclear delivery systems ended nearly twenty years ago, many of the weapons and the policies developed to justify their possession and potential use persist.

Russia and the United States still possess nearly 20,000 nuclear bombs--more than 90 percent of the world total. In addition to the United States and Russia, there are now seven more nuclear-armed nations: the U.K., France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.

In recent years, the overall number of nuclear weapons has declined and their use viewed as increasingly unacceptable. However, many U.S. and Russian weapons remain primed for quick launch, nuclear weapons material stocks remain insecure, some states continue to produce nuclear bomb material, a few states still refuse to ratify a global ban on nuclear testing, and some states retain the option to use nuclear weapons in conflicts that begin with conventional weapons. There is a risk that additional countries may utilize “peaceful” nuclear technologies to produce fissile material for bombs. Consequently, our nuclear anxieties persist, and the struggle to contain and eliminate the nuclear weapons danger continues.

As President Barack Obama said in an eloquent July 27 speech: “… together, we must strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by renewing its basic bargain: countries with nuclear weapons will move towards disarmament; countries without nuclear weapons will not acquire them; and all countries can access peaceful nuclear energy. A balance of terror cannot hold. In the 21st century, a strong and global regime is the only basis for security from the world's deadliest weapons.”

To back up his words with meaningful action, President Obama can and must direct the Pentagon to shed Cold War thinking about nuclear weapons and nuclear targeting as it undertakes the congressionally-mandated Nuclear Posture Review that is due by the end of this year.

As I said in my July 29 address to a symposium sponsored by U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, so long as the United States hangs on to these obsolete Cold War nuclear missions and implies the potential use of nuclear weapons in response to conventional, chemical, and biological threats, U.S. nuclear weapons will be more of a liability than an asset in addressing today’s highest national security priority: preventing the use of nuclear weapons and their proliferation to terrorists and additional states.

President Obama can and should immediately restrict the role of U.S. nuclear weapons to a core deterrence mission: maintaining a sufficient, survivable nuclear force for the sole purpose of deterring the use of nuclear weapons by another country against the United States or its allies.

However one feels about nuclear weapons and their role, it is essential that the devastating and horrific effects of just one nuclear detonation are clearly understood and that the experience and lessons of the people affected are not forgotten. Otherwise, the very motivation behind the decades-long effort to reduce and eliminate them, to deter and refrain from their use, and to stop their spread may diminish, and political leaders and military theoreticians may come to believe in the “usability” of these most terrible killing machines.

It is everyone’s task to understand the devastating power and tremendous human, environmental, and financial costs of nuclear weapons. It is everyone’s responsibility--especially the leaders of the world nations--to take action now to reduce and eliminate the chance nuclear weapons are used again.

On the occasion of the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Arms Control Today presents the following short, annotated photo essay to help recall and confront the consequences of nuclear weapons and nuclear war in ways that words cannot describe.

Photo Essay link: http://www.armscontrol.org/system/files/Hiroshima_Nagasaki_Special_Feature_Aug2009.pdf

Remembering Hiroshima: 64th Anniversary of First Atomic Attack

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 11:01:00 +0000

Call for a nuke-free world

Hiroshima - The Japanese city of Hiroshima on Thursday marked the 64th anniversary of the world's first atomic attack as its mayor called for the total abolition of nuclear weapons in the coming decade.

Some 50 000 people, including atomic bomb survivors as well as Prime Minister Taro Aso and representatives from more than 50 nations, gathered at a memorial to the dead.

Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba praised US President Barack Obama for his anti-nuclear views as he delivered a speech at the memorial, within sight of the A-bomb dome, a former exhibition hall burned to a skeleton by the bomb's intense heat.

The mayor noted Obama said in an address that as the only nuclear power to have used an atomic weapon, the United States has "a moral responsibility to act" to realise a nuclear-free world.

"Nuclear weapons abolition is the will not only of the hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) but also of the vast majority of people and nations on this planet," he said.

"We refer to ourselves, the great global majority, as the 'Obamajority', and we call on the rest of the world to join forces with us to eliminate all nuclear weapons by 2020."

Those attending the memorial ceremony stood up and offered silent prayers at 08:15, the exact moment in 1945 when the bomb was dropped.

The single bomb killed some 140 000 people in 1945 alone. They died instantly or in the days and weeks that followed as radiation or horrific burns took their toll.

Three days after the Hiroshima bombing, the United States dropped a second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, which killed another 70 000 people in the southern port city.

Japan surrendered in World War II on August 15. The nation has since been officially pacifist and become one of the United States' closest allies, hosting some 47 000 US troops.

- SAPA

http://www.news24.com/Content/World/News/1073/655b987cf193415ca1df8da8e74d765f/06-08-2009%2008-08/Call_for_nuke-free_world#

Why go nuclear when better and cheaper options exist?

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 06:40:00 +0000

Why go nuclear when better and cheaper options exist?

Eskom's hikes in the electricity price by around a quarter and a third in two years and its need to repeat such price increases for the next three years bring one issue to a head.

Why are Eskom and the departments of energy and public enterprises so grimly determined to generate electricity by the most expensive and complicated of all options -- atomic power stations and their high-level radioactive waste depositaries?

Eskom and other power companies have set up Westcor (Western Corridor Power Company), incorporated in Botswana. This has spent years conducting road shows for the World Bank and others, estimating the Inga3 hydro-electric power project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at around R70-billion.

By contrast, French multinational Areva's tender for an atomic power station generating a similar amount of power was reported variously at R140-billion and R200-billion. That Eskom refuses to release the price indicates defensiveness, suggesting the higher price tag is the actual one.

Beyond Inga3, Grande Inga could double Eskom's current. Grande Inga is a proposal to provide renewable energy -- green electricity with a small environmental footprint -- by building the world's largest hydro-electric power station on rapids on the Congo River in the far west of the DRC. This is a peaceful region under control of that government. Transmission lines would bring that power directly to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Engineers have been refining this project for four decades. It will create synergy between South Africa's industrial and foreign policies by binding closer together in trade Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Namibia, South Africa and the rest of the SADC, through the Southern African Power Pool.

The head of Eskom's renewable energy division has announced plans to build a prototype 100MW concentrating solar power (CSP) plant in the Northern Cape, followed by as many 1 000MW plants as needed. Yet the recent plans of the department of public enterprises project finance only for atomic power stations and allocate zero funding to hydro and CSP.

The environmental impact assessment reports released by Eskom consultants on three proposed nuclear stations read as tendentious propaganda, pushing only the atomic power option. They assert -- without substantiation -- that CSP is unproven. They are either ignorant of, or censoring information about, California's generation of 350MW from CSP for over a decade -- with a better track record of reliability than Koeberg. Most bizarre of all is the state throwing good money after bad into the ever-escalating price of the pebble-bed modular reactor (PBMR). The PBMR generates less electricity than any other type of atomic reactor costing the same price.

There are two bombshell facts for taxpayers and neighbouring residents. The first is that the PBMR generates more than 10 times the volume of radioactive waste than any other known type of atomic reactor. This will require taxpayer funding of 10 times the volume of underground excavation for high-level radioactive waste depositaries.

The second fact never aired by PBMR promoters is that its defects include the radioactive gas by-products of nuclear fusion, such as a radioactive isotope of xenon, seeping and percolating through their famous pebbles and escaping into the coolant. The German prototype PBMRs had five orders of magnitude more leakage of radioactive gas than any conventional type of atomic reactor.

"Five orders of magnitude" is scientific jargon for 100 000 times more radioactive gas escaping than in conventional reactors.

The mantra of the PBMR promoters is that their atomic reactor is so "safe" that it does not need shielding; that it needs only a primary and not a secondary cooling circuit.

This means that the helium circulating through their turbines will contain a dirty mix of everything from radioactive xenon to graphite dust. Every maintenance break will need to be done in the added complexities and dangers of this radioactive environment.

To perform atomic experiments on an industrial scale within the municipal borders of South Africa's second-largest city is reckless irresponsibility. It might well be judged culpable in civil lawsuits.

Let us not give science and technology a bad name in a country that needs more of both. Eskom and the departments of energy and public enterprises should go for the cost-effective, simpler options mix of Grande Inga and CSP.

Keith Gottschalk is in the political studies department at the University of the Western Cape

This article originally appeared in the Mail & Guardian Online on 2 August 2009

http://www.mg.co.za/article/2009-08-02-why-go-nuclear-when-better-and-cheaper-options-exist

Africa: Nuclear Science &Technology - Africans Evaluate Path Covered

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 07:46:00 +0000

An excerpt from an article entitled "Africa: Nuclear Science &Technology - Africans Evaluate Path Covered: by Godlove Bainkong

"The African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) is currently evaluating the path covered in 20 years, their challenges and what could be done to improve the future. This is in a five-day 20th Technical Working Group meeting of the programme that is currently going on at the Yaounde Mont Febe Hotel.

Nuclear power, participants said, is a controversial issue for humans because everyone sees it as entailing weapons of mass destruction but that the rational use of it is envisaged. They say AFRA is playing the role of initiating and carrying out actions and mechanisms in the context of the peaceful use of nuclear technology for development.

AFRA is an intergovernmental agreement under the auspices of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and seeks to promote the development and application of nuclear science and technology in Africa. IAEA provides technical and scientific assistance as well as financial and administrative support to AFRA."

For the full article please visit the following link: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907290604.html

Nuclear mindset to change?

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:02:00 +0000

Nuclear mindset to change?

The international community needs to change its mindset on the production of nuclear weapons to herald in an era of peace and security, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on Tuesday.

Briefing the media in Pretoria, the agency's director general Mohamed el Baradei said countries needed to adopt the philosophy of Ubuntu - I am because we are - in order to tackle disputes around nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

"There's a lot of lack of trust, there's also a lot of double standards...I would encourage different points of view but I would discourage mistrust," he said following a meeting with President Jacob Zuma. "If we work as one human family, not on the assumption that it is the North versus the South and the East versus the West... [but] unfortunately that's not the case yet." He said sanctions placed on countries that continued to produce nuclear weapons would not help bring about peace and security.

"We need more of dialogue and less of muscle flexing."

He said the mindset around establishing global peace also needed to be revisited and not with a sole focus on nuclear disarmament. "We need a new system of security that does not rely on nuclear weapons," he said adding that cyber security, social conditions and climate change impacted on these systems. "You need to look at the one in six people who goes to bed hungry every night. "As long as we continue to see people dying... then we have been failing as the international community, then we have been failing as an international agency."

South Africa's ambassador to the agency Abdul Minty said the country would continue to support the policies of the IAEA. He said South Africa continued to be a front runner in its application of nuclear energy for peaceful means. This included being the biggest producer of medical isotopes using low enriched uranium to aid in fighting cancer. Research on applications for tsetse fly and Malaria were also ongoing under the auspices of the IAEA.

"These are some of the useful aspects of nuclear technology," said Minty.

Sapa

Source: http://news.iafrica.com/sa/1811540.htm

Picture courtesy of EPA / Roland Schlager

Nuclear 'essential to any global solution' according to United Kingdom's Road to 2010

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:31:00 +0000

Nuclear 'essential to any global solution'

16 July 2009

The case for using nuclear energy forms the foundation of the UK's Road to 2010 strategy. The opening paragraphs list nuclear's benefits in low-carbon generation and security of supply before adding sustainability and a role in tackling poverty.

Every country has a right to use nuclear energy peacefully, the UK noted, and the country will facilitate them by setting up a Nuclear Centre of Excellence. The research centre will "be at the forefront of international efforts to prevent nuclear proliferation and reduce the costs, environmental impact and carbon footprint of civil nuclear power." It will be funded with £20 million ($32 million) from state funds over five years, the government said, and is proof of Britain's seriousness about its obligation under the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty to assist other states in employing civil nuclear energy.
However, the widespread use of nuclear energy must not see any increase in nuclear armed states. "Iran is a test case," warned a statement. "We make the same offer to Iran as to other countries - we will help you gain access to nuclear power for peaceful purposes, but we will do everything we can to prevent weapons proliferation."

In line with this sentiment and a call for universal compliance with safeguards agreements, the International Atomic Energy Agency should be rejuvenated the UK said, adding that it would push for significantly increased funds. A multilateral fuel cycle could also give the IAEA a greater role and remove potential proliferation points such as uranium enrichment and used fuel reprocessing. The UK will submit its proposal for an multilaterally supervised fuel regime to the IAEA board in September.

Source: http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Nuclear_essential_to_any_global_solution_1607092.html

The Road to 2010: Addressing the nuclear question in the twenty first century

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:28:00 +0000

Britain's road to zero

16 July 2009

The UK has issued a policy paper outlining its beliefs on how the world can move to employ nuclear energy to its full development potential while at the same time eliminating its military use.

The document, The Road to 2010, makes clear the UK's stance in the approach to the 2010 review conference on the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the 'grand bargain' in which 189 countries have promised not to spread nuclear weapons. In the past the treaty has appeared troubled because of a lack of progress in the other half of the bargain - that countries with nuclear weapons should steadily abandon them.

Given that a serious expansion of nuclear energy is required worldwide, the document said, it is essential to ensure the expansion does not result in more nuclear arms. To do that the NPT must be strengthened as must the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) charged with implementing it.

Every country should sign the agreements that allow the IAEA to monitor their nuclear activities in sufficient detail and with sufficient freedom, the UK said, and if the IAEA finds non-compliance there should be a common understanding of what that means and automatic tough action from the UN Security Council. Accordingly, the IAEA and its leadership will have to be properly funded and empowered to take on that role. The UK said it would push hard for those developments, including that it would "encourage" Israel to sign the NPT.

It will be key to resolve tensions that cause countries to see nuclear weapons as the ultimate deterrent to potential aggressors, and manage a shifting balance of power so that the reduction in nuclear capabilities does not cause a conventional arms race. This is to be a main UK aim, according to today's announcement.

Security was a major topic in prime minister Gordon Brown's announcement. He said it would be "a vital fourth pillar of any strengthened nuclear regime." The UK promised to ratify an amendment to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials, to pressure other countries to do the same and to share advice with any other country on the topic. A £3 million ($5 million) boost to research at the Atomic Weapons Establishment into 'nuclear forensics' should make it impossible for any state to supply nuclear materials to a terrorist group without it ultimately being traced back.

The UK will host the recognised nuclear weapons states at a conference on confidence-building measures towards nuclear disarmament. Those states will likely have to develop a transparent system of verification for any arms reductions as well as complete ratification of the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty to put an ultimate upper limit on the amount of weapons material in the world. Key figures in that discussion will of course be the American and Russian presidents, who between them control 95% of the world's nuclear weapons. A recent agreement by the countries should see them both limit their operational arsenals to 1675 warheads each under a forthcoming treaty.

For its own part, Britain's nuclear weapons policy was renewed in 2006 when the decision was made to keep its submarine-based missile system. The country "will retain only the minimum nuclear deterrent capability necessary to provide effective deterrence," which is currently a limit of 160 operational warheads. The total explosive power of the UK stockpile has been reduced by 75% since 1991 and using the weapons would only be considered to defend the UK or a NATO ally "in extreme circumstances." The missiles are not targeted and require several days' notice before being fired.

Source: http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP_Britains_road_to_zero_1607091.html

Non-Aligned Movement needs more unity

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:58:00 +0000

Here is an excerpt from a speech delivered by the South African International Relations and Co-operation Minister, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) preparatory ministerial meeting of the 15th heads of state and government summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on Monday.

"We must remain united in all our endeavours to rid our planet of weapons of mass destruction and achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and stop the elicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons."

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=6&art_id=nw20090713165815439C426320

2009 G8 Summit, L'Aquila: Statement on Non-Proliferation

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:22:00 +0000

Excerpt from the G8 statement on Non-Proliferation:

"We underscore that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the nuclear non- proliferation regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament, and reiterate our full commitment to the objectives and obligations of its three pillars: non-proliferation, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and disarmament. We will work together so that the 2010 NPT Review Conference can successfully strengthen the Treaty’s regime and set realistic and achievable goals in all the Treaty’s three pillars. We call upon all States Parties to the NPT to contribute to the review process with a constructive and balanced approach" (page 1)

Link to full document:

http://www.g8italia2009.it/static/G8_Allegato/2._LAquila_Statent_on_Non_proliferation,0.pdf

Experts Meeting on Africa’s Development and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction - 29 June 2009

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:58:00 +0000

Towards the Implementation of Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention Instruments in Africa: An Expert Meeting on Africa’s Development and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction, 29 June 2009, Premier Hotel, Pretoria, South Africa

On 29 June 2009, the Institute for Security Studies’ (ISS) “Africa’s Development and the Threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction” Project, with the financial support of the Royal Government of Norway and the United Kingdom’s High Commission to South Africa, convened a workshop in Pretoria, South Africa, to discuss Africa’s role in curtailing the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Please see the Workshop Summary, as well as formal presentations made by Amelia Broodryk, Researcher, ISS below:

Workshop Summary: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1254750&da=y

Presentation: Amelia Broodryk Session 1 http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1254546&da=y

Presentation: Amelia Broodryk Session 2 http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1254547da=y

Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano has been elected the next director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:30:00 +0000

Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano has been elected the next director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), diplomats say.

Mr Amano won the required two-thirds majority from the IAEA governing board, defeating his South African rival, Abdul Samad Minty, by 23 votes to 11.

The present head, Mohamed ElBaradei, is scheduled to end his term in November.

A previous round of voting by the UN nuclear agency's 35-nation board in March was indecisive.

Internal split

Mr Amano had the support of many industrialised countries while Mr Minty was favoured by most developing nations.

The vote reflected that split, with Mr Amano scraping through to victory by the bare minimum margin, without the support of developing states. There was also one abstention.

Mr Amano has held senior arms control posts in Tokyo and most recently was Japan's representative at the IAEA.

Correspondents say his narrow victory may weaken his position, as many countries had stressed the need for the new head to be chosen with the broadest possible backing, to be able to tackle the threat of nuclear proliferation.

Some diplomats see Mr Amano as less political than the outgoing chief, Mr ElBaradei who, they say, has been too soft on Iran and too ready to speak out on matters outside his mandate.

The three terms of Mr ElBaradei, who has been in office since 1997, were marked by rows with the George W Bush administration over Iraq and Iran.

YUKIYA AMANO

Aged 62, veteran Japanese diplomat

Specialises in disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation

Seen as close to US on major issues, including Iran

Backed by industrialised nations

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/8131107.stm

Conference on Disarmament adopts CD/1863 as its programme of work

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Excerpt from Reaching Critical Will's website: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches09/reports.html#29may

29 May 2009
Conference on Disarmament adopts a programme of work

On Friday, 29 May, the Conference on Disarmament (CD) adopted a programme of work for the first time in ten years. Before the decision was called, a few delegations spoke about the proposed programme of work, CD/1863, including Ukraine, Iran, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and Morocco. The current president of the CD, Ambassador Jazaïry of Algeria, took the floor to see if there were any objections to its adoption—there were none, so the gavel came down and the room burst into applause. After the adoption, a great number of delegations delivered interventions, voicing their support for the programme of work. Two, India and Pakistan, elaborated their positions on negotiating a fissile materials treaty.

Brief highlights

The CD adopted CD/1863 as its programme of work.
Delegates from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Morocco said they would not block consensus on the proposed programme of work and Ukraine’s delegation voiced its support for CD/1863.
Iran’s delegation announced it had just now received instructions from capital.
After the programme was adopted, the delegations of India and Pakistan gave details on their positions on FMCT negotiations.
The delegations of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the United States welcomed the adoption of the programme.

Nations Agree to Work Plan for Conference on Disarmament

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 05:49:00 +0000

Nations Agree to Work Plan for Conference on Disarmament

Friday, May 29, 2009

The United Nations announced today that the 65 member nations of the international Conference on Disarmament have agreed on a working plan for the first time in 13 years, Agence France-Presse reported (see GSN, May 27).

The change at the permanent forum for talks on disarmament followed indications of growing support for a compromise plan offered recently by states that do not possess nuclear weapons. It arrived amid positive signs on nuclear drawdowns, including U.S. and Russian negotiations on a follow-up to the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (see GSN, May 20) and the early approval of an agenda for the 2010 review conference for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (see GSN, May 8).

The Conference on Disarmament proposal calls for working groups to address several issues, including a fissile material cutoff treaty, a prohibition on space-based weapons and total global nuclear disarmament (Agence France-Presse/Spacewar.com, May 29).

Pelindaba Ratification Pack in French

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:06:00 +0000

Please click on the link below for the french version of the Pelindaba Ratification Pack.

http://www.issafrica.org/dynamic/administration/file_manager/file_links/RATPAKPELINDABATREATYOCT08FRENCH.PDF?link_id=3&slink_id=7563&link_type=12&slink_type=13&tmpl_id=3

ISS Seminar 25 March 2009: Global Nuclear Disarmament

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Please see below documents relating to the ISS Seminar of 25 March 2009 on Global Nuclear Disarmament, where Dr Ian Anthony, Ms Emily Williams and Mr Vitaly Fedchenko made presentations on areas related to the status of the world nuclear forces, fissile material and prospects for a successful outcome of the 2010 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Summary Report:

http://www.issafrica.org/dynamic/administration/file_manager/file_links/SIPRISEMREP.PDF?link_id=5391&slink_id=7465&link_type=12&slink_type=13&tmpl_id=3

Podcast: Interview with Dr Ian Anthony, SIPRI

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/250309sipri

Presentations:

Fedchenko: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1131210&da=y

Williams: http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=1131211&da=y

UN chief welcomes entry into force of treaty on nuclear-free Central Asia

noreply@blogger.com (WMD Africa Project) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 05:37:00 +0000

UNITED NATIONS, March 20 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon welcomed on Friday the entry into force of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia.

Opened for signature on Sept. 8, 2006, the treaty has been ratified by all five Central Asian countries, namely Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and will enter into force on March 21, 2009.

"This will be the first nuclear-weapon-free zone to be established in the northern hemisphere and will also encompass an area where nuclear weapons previously existed," Ban said in a statement issued by his press office.

"It will also be the first nuclear-weapon-free zone that requires its parties to conclude with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and bring into force an Additional Protocol to their Safeguards Agreements with IAEA within 18 months after the entry into force of the Treaty, and to comply fully with the provisions of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)," he said.

The secretary-general urged the states concerned to address any outstanding issues in order to ensure the treaty's effective implementation.

Ban expressed the belief that the entry into force of the treaty will reinforce efforts to "strengthen the global nuclear non-proliferation regime, underline the strategic and moral value of nuclear-weapon-free zones, as well as the possibilities for greater progress on a range of issues in the pursuit of a world free of nuclear weapons."

Source: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/21/content_11045400.htm

Disarmament and Nuclear Developments

noreply@blogger.com (Amelia) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:51:00 +0000

Minty argues for nuclear disarmament

The atomic bombing of Japan and South Africa's past nuclear weapons programme have been brought into play as diplomats from the two countries enter the final heat for election as leader of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The governing board of the UN nuclear watchdog is to meet on March 26 and 27 to elect a successor to director-general Mohamed
ElBaradei. South African diplomat Abdul Minty and the leading contender, Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano, need the votes of two-thirds of the board to secure the post. "As I come from a country that has experience of Hiroshima and Nagasaki," Amano, 61, told the board, "I am deeply convinced that a nuclear catastrophe should not be repeated." Amano held senior positions relating to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in the Japanese Foreign Ministry before being posted to Vienna as ambassador to the UN. Minty, 69, is a deputy director-general in the Department of Foreign Affairs and represents South Africa at the board. He is an advocate of disarmament, but this is not part of the agency's mandate. He and Amano emphasised the need to focus on inspections and promoting the peaceful use of the technology. If neither diplomat gets enough support from the 35 countries on the IAEA board, the race could be opened for new candidates.

(The Star) http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4873334

Unofficial transcript
South Africa
05 March 2009

Counsellor Johan Kellerman of South Africa echoed this perspective, saying, it “is most regrettable and unfortunate that yet once again this Conference has not been able to
reach consensus on allowing this particular NGO to address the Conference themselves.” He called for the CD to set aside time to debate and discuss the issue of broader civil society participation in the work of the Conference, “with a view to resolve it sooner rather than later.”

http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/speeches09/1session/5march
_southafrica.html

5 Myths About All Those Nukes Out There

noreply@blogger.com (Amelia) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 05:25:00 +0000

Here is a recent article in the Washington Post (01/03/09) by Michel Krepon - co-founder of the Henry L. Stimson Center.

"Last week's news that North Korea plans to test a ballistic missile that could reach Alaska gave doomsayers more grounds for gloom. But amid the fear about nuclear attacks by terrorists or leaders such as Kim Jong Il, let's not forget that the United States has managed to protect itself from such a catastrophe not only since 9/11, but since the birth of the bomb in 1945. That record could end tomorrow, and we have a lot of work to do to stay safe. But fear-mongering -- such as Dick Cheney's warning last month about the "high probability" of terrorists attempting a nuclear or biological attack -- can lead to costly mistakes. We don't need to scare ourselves silly to guard against the worst".

For the full-length article, click on the link below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/27/AR2009022703672.html

Statement by Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa, Zimbabwe

noreply@blogger.com (Amelia) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:59:00 +0000

Please click on the link below for the statement made by Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa at the Conference on Disarmament, 17 February, 2009.

http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B8954/(httpAssets)/9B303C46DD86C752C1257560003ADEED/$file/1124_Zimbabwe.pdf

(Excerpt from UNOG Press Release 17 February 2009)

The 17 Feburary meeting was the first under Zimbabwe’s presidency. "In his introductory remarks, Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa of Zimbabwe, the President of the Conference, said that Zimbabwe was greatly honoured to assume the presidency of the Conference on Disarmament. His country had become a member of the Conference soon after its independence in 1980 and took its membership seriously. They were also pleased to come from a nuclear free continent and it was their cherished goal that Africa remained a nuclear-free zone for all time. But this did not preclude their welcoming the civilian use of nuclear energy for power generations and in the medical sciences. Turning to the work of the Conference, he noted that the informal debates on the seven thematic issues were all well underway. It was his intention to follow the organisation of work they had adopted and he stood ready to engage with members and others who might desire consultations on any relevant issues. Their more immediate common cherished goal remained of course, to agree on a programme of work".

WCC FEATURE: A world safer from nuclear danger in 2009? Yes!

noreply@blogger.com (Amelia) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 05:37:00 +0000

WILL THE WORLD BE SAFER FROM NUCLEAR DANGER IN 2009? MANY, INCLUDING CHURCHES, SAY YES.

By Jonathan Frerichs

Prepare for some good news in 2009. Despite the terrible start in Gaza and other endemic conflicts, governments committed to shared security are set to reach an historic milestone this year. Specifically, the number of countries protected by nuclear-weapon-free zones is set to jump to 110 countries from 56
at present.

The change will come from an African capital, like Windhoek or Bujumbura, as soon as two more governments ratify the treaty
making Africa a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Churches are promoting the step, and linking Africa's action to the need for similar
progress in the Middle East.

"This will be good news on the nuclear front for Africa and the world," notes Ambassador Bethuel Kiplagat, a senior African statesman. Kiplagat is leading a World Council of Churches (WCC)
initiative to help bring the Africa Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone
Treaty into force, with church action nationally to support an
international goal.

A recent ecumenical delegation to Namibia received a positive
response from top government officials there. Ratification of the
Africa treaty will mean that the whole southern hemisphere and
adjoining regions are protected. Latin America and the Caribbean,
Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and Central Asia have also set
up zones that exclude nuclear arms and related activities.

For a link to the full-length article, click on the link below:



http://www.oikoumene.org/en/news/news-management/eng/a/article/1722/will-the-world-be-safer-f.html

U.S., Djibouti to Cooperate Against Nuclear Smuggling

noreply@blogger.com (Amelia) — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 07:06:00 +0000

The United States has agreed to deploy radiation detectors at a major port in Djibouti as part of an ongoing effort to deter smuggling of potential nuclear weapons materials, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced today.

“This agreement highlights the shared commitment of the United States and the Republic of Djibouti to combat nuclear terrorism,” NNSA Deputy Administrator William Tobey said in a press release. “The Port of Djibouti plays an important role in the global maritime shipping system by linking Europe, the Far East, Africa and the Persian Gulf. Djibouti’s strategic location as a crossroads between East and West underscores the importance of this agreement to increase international maritime security.”

Along with installing the technology, NNSA personnel would train workers in the African nation on its use.

The deployment is planned under the U.S. agency's Second Line of Defense program, which is intended to help other nations prevent terrorists from acquiring sensitive materials. Technology has been fielded in 19 ports through the Megaports Initiative and deployment efforts are continuing at more than 20 additional sites around the world (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration release, Dec. 11).

Link: http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20081211_5558.php