Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Nonproliferation Panel Gives Up Nuke Cut Target



HIROSHIMA, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- An international nuclear nonproliferation panel currently meeting in Hiroshima gave up Monday on making recommendations to reduce the number of nuclear warheads in the world from more than 20,000 at present to less than 1,000 by 2025, Japan's Kyodo news reported quoting sources close to the panel as saying.

The sources did not elaborate on the concrete figure to be stated but said the targeted figure appeared to have been raised from the previous one because of opposition from some nuclear armed states.

The International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament is expected to make final adjustments to reduction target figures for each nuclear power in Tuesday's session.
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=448135


Joint Statement by Commission Co-Chairs Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi on the Conclusion of the Meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament

Tokyo and Hiroshima, Japan 16-20 October 2009

Monday, October 19, 2009

Seeking nuclear protection from another state is deceptive

Australia and Japan make themselves targets by relying on a US shield.

IN JAPAN, the Democratic Party of Yukio Hatoyama has just swept to power with the same readiness for change and hope for a new kind of politics that saw Barack Obama become US president.

A new generation of Japanese leaders now has an unprecedented opportunity to join Obama and other leaders in the pursuit of a vital goal overwhelmingly supported by people the world over: ridding our planet of nuclear weapons.

It is a goal that Australia has also stated its support for. The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, established by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, is co-chaired by the former Australian and Japanese foreign ministers Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi. However, pressure from the Japanese Government is compromising the commission's ability to advocate boldly and independently.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/seeking-nuclear-protection-from-another-state-is-deceptive-20090917-ftmz.html



Sunday, October 18, 2009

International commission weighs no-first use of nukes

Discussions by an international commission that started Sunday are expected to focus on the need to call on nations to pledge not to use nuclear weapons except in retaliation against a nuclear attack.

The three-day closed-door session that began in Hiroshima will be the last meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND).

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200910190053.html


Friday, October 9, 2009

In Surprise, Obama Wins Nobel for Diplomacy

Published: October 9, 2009

OSLO — In a stunning surprise, the Nobel Committee announced Friday that it had awarded its annual peace prize to President Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” less than nine months after he took office.


“He has created a new international climate,” the committee said in its announcement. With American forces deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, President Obama’s name had not figured in speculation about the winner until minutes before the prize was announced here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10nobel.html?_r=1&hp

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

ICNND urges international community to work for disarmament


New Delhi, Oct 4 (ANI): The Co-Chairman of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) Gereth Evans on Sunday urged the global partners to work in order to make the world a safer place to live by disarming nuclear weapons.

Evans said this while addressing the media after the two-day regional summit of ICNND, which was convened with the support and assistance of the Delhi Policy Group (DPG) in the national capital. The summit looked forward to a successful review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in May 2010.

“It is the responsibility of the every country in every region of the world to contribute in making world a safer place to live,” Evans said.