Day Nine at the NPT

Today at the NPT PrepCom brought yet another morning of closed door discussions. The fate of the 2nd draft of chair's recommendations for 2010 hung in the balance. Upon resuming formal discussions in Conference Room 1, the Chair, Ambassador Boniface Guwa Chidyausiku of Zimbabwe, announced that consensus had not been reached on his Draft Recommendations version 2. At present the discussion is about how to proceed. Many delegations are urging the chair to move forward, to try to reach a consensus on a document. How this will turn out is anyone's guess.

Over lunchtime The Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy hosted a roundtable discussion with Max Kampelman, Dr Patricia Lewis and Dr Randy Rydell, chaired by Dr Rebecca Johnson. The focus was on the prospects for outlawing the use of nuclear weapons. In her final comments, Dr Patricia Lewis said "It is ideas that start in our minds that make things happen. Nuclear weapons are man-made, and we can get rid of them." This gathering coincides with the launch of Dr Rebecca Johnson's new book - Unfinished Business: The Negotiation of the CTBT and the End of Nuclear Testing. The entire document is now available online via the UNIDIR site. Just click on the link above and you too can read her work!

Yours from an expectant NPT PrepCom

Ruth Mitchell

Day Eight at the NPT - A new day and a new draft set of recommendations

My apologies for the delay in blogging the events to Day 8 at the NPT. After an afternoon and a morning of no general discussions in the main conference room, we finally heard back from the delegates regarding the discussions held behind closed doors. After a working paper was tabled by Belgium, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Poland and Turkey the meeting was once again adjourned so that a revised version of the Chair's recommendations could be drafted. These were handed down at about 6pm, allowing delegates and NGO participants alike to spend their evening dissecting the new document. Notably for those of us from ICAN and IPPNW, the reference to a nuclear weapons convention was removed. For in-depth analysis of the difference between the first and second documents from the chair, see the Reaching Critical Will article by Ray Acheson. 

During the lunchtime break, one of the NGO events was a session on the Medical and Environmental Consequences of Nuclear War. This was put on by IPPNW's US affiliate Physicians for Social Responsibility. I had the opportunity to chair this session and we began with introductory historical remarks by longtime medical activist and author Dr Vic Sidel. We then witnessed a dramatic presentation modeling the impact of both a regional nuclear conflict in South Asia, as well as a full blown war between the US and Russia. Steven Starr and Dr Ira Helfand worked together to present the data and the likely health impact of nuclear war. Much of the data including the brilliant images use are available on www.nucleardarkness.org, a website Steven has been constructing. In the near future it is hoped that this site will be available in a variety of languages.

Yours from the UN

Ruth Mitchell

Day Seven at the NPT

After this morning's government briefing by the Canadian Ambassador, Marius Grinius, general discussions began on the Chair's draft recommendations for the 2010 RevCon. A number of countries raised points, some of them procedural and others more substantive. Many countries like Australia and Canada raised concerns about specific points but this was balanced with a recognition of the need for progress. Other countries had more significant concerns, such as the US who have an impending nuclear posture review and for whom it seems that the level of detail in the draft recommendations is premature. From about 12 noon today 

The lunchtime NGO session was on the Operational Status of Nuclear Weapon Systems, and the panel included Ambassadors from Chile, who chaired, Switzerland, and New Zealand. Many excellent points were raised, including the observation that Candidate Obama spoke of de-alerting, but President Obama has yet to do so. Up to date technical details and analysis were provided by John Hallam of People for Nuclear Disarmament, Steven Starr of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Geoffrey Forden, from MIT. Dr Forden's entire presentation has been made available online and is entitled Dangers Inherent to Nuclear Arsenals

Finally, today saw the beginning of simulated negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention. This excercise, run by the International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation and the Technical University of Darmstadt, involves 30 students who take the roles of members of an enlarged Security Council, and it is very interesting to observe how it is proceeding. ICAN's very own Dimity Hawkins chaired this morning's session and the Chilean Ambassador is chairing this afternoon. 

Over the last few days the Swedish IPPNW (SLMK) delegates have been leaving, but reinforcements have arrived in the form of the Norwegians. And we look forward to more of our US based members from Physicians for Social Responsibility arriving over in the next day or two. 

Yours from the feverish simulated negotiations of a nuclear weapons convention

Ruth Mitchell

Day Six at the NPT - Clusters all done

Day Six, the second week of the NPT PrepCom, and the delegates are making progress. Yesterday brought the end of discussion on Cluster Three, which is about peaceful uses of nuclear energy. There was also discussion around "other provisions of the Treaty, including Article X". This is about provisions for withdrawing from the NPT. Some delegations have called for measures making withdrawal from the Treaty more difficult, in order to strengthen the NPT. Progress through the speaker's list was so brisk that the meeting was adjourned more than 1 1/2 hours early in the afternoon session.

On the NGO calendar, an event was organised by Soka Gakkai International, and co-sponsored by ICAN, which brought together some leading minds in the area of "Nuclear Abolition and Human Security". We heard from Kazuo Tase, Head of the Human Security Unit at the UN, Dr Patricia Lewis, Deputy Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, Monterey Institute of International Studies, and Dr Kathleen Sullivan, Education Consultant to the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs. This stimulating session explored the links between nuclear abolition and human security. Human security is all about putting people first, which makes us more pragmatic and focuses our thinking on people-protection measures, as Patricia Lewis pointed out. We explored the idea of empowerment, and agreed that empowerment comes through participation and through listening as well as speaking and acting. Kathleen Sullivan led us through an exercise of speaking and listening which took us from thinking to feeling to action. During the general discussion I had a chance to share the work of the Nuclear Weapons Inheritance Project, which I believe uses a human security framework to work for nuclear abolition. 

Today will bring general discussion around the chair's recommendations for the RevCon next year, and I will update you as to the direction these discussions take.

Yours in Peace

Ruth Mitchell

Day Five at the NPT - one week down, one week to go!

Well folks, the weekend is nearly here. Our morning NGO caucus meeting was a little longer this morning and included a strategy session. We set ourselves the task of making a short list of demands to focus on in the year before the Review Conference. We identified an overarching human security theme which unites all our demands. I will post these demands once we've had a chance to finesse the wording and discuss them further. This work will be continued in tomorrow's Abolition 2000 Annual General Meeting. 

In the official debate, today's big news today has been the release by the Chair of the PrepCom, Ambassador Chidyausiku of Zimbabwe, of his draft recommendations to the 2010 Review Conference. None of us have had a chance to digest these entirely but then neither have the official delegates.

Two weeks is a long time, and while your faithful blogger will be here for the duration, some people have had to leave to get back to their vital work elsewhere. IPPNW's Canadian affiliate, Physicians for Global Survival, have been well represented in the last few days by both the president, Michael Dworkin, and the executive director, Kim Kroeber, but both are now returning home, to host a wonderful PGS/ICAN event next Tuesday. If you are in the Ottawa area, RSVP quickly!

Listening to the debate in Conference Room 1 the temptation to stand up and say something is at times overwhelming. Don't worry, I haven't misbehaved yet. But what I'd really like to say is something like the words of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, which brings focus to any debate about the things that divide us. In 1955, their words to us were "We appeal as human beings to human beings: Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. If you can do so, the way lies open to a new Paradise; if you cannot, there lies before you the risk of universal death."

Yours from New York

Ruth Mitchell

Day Four at the NPT - Getting down to the nitty gritty

Day Four and temperature is rising. In Conference Room E, the room at the end of the building given to the NGOs for our many meetings, it is positively stifling. We can either open the doors and have some small amount of air to breathe, or we can close the doors and actually hear each other. And under these conditions we are trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons. There are 77 NGOs who are accredited for this PrepCom, and there are many more individual members of civil society. This morning our very own Dimity Hawkins of ICAN Australia and John Loretz of the IPPNW Central Office co-chaired a session on the implementation of the Nuclear Weapons Convention which called on both the experience of Jayanatha Dhanapala, President of Pugwash, and Randy Rydell, of the UN Department of Disarmament Affairs. We also heard the perspective from parliamentarians working to promote disarmament.

In Conference Room 1, the lunchtime session brought us the words of Michael Douglas, the actor, who told us this is "Not a moment for hesitation, cynicism or doubt, it is a time to be bold." He joined with voices from Disarmament Affairs, past and present, asking us to seize on the moment of extraordinary hope presented by statements by Ban Ki Moon as well as both Russian and US Presidents. 

The official "debate" has now shifted to Cluster 1 discussions. Or rather, Cluster 1 read statements. There were exciting moments at the end of yesterday however, with Syria and Canada disagreeing about the right to nuclear energy. A series of rights-of-reply culminated with Canada emphasising that rights come with obligations.

Over the last 2 days there have been some meetings with official delegations. The group from SLMK, the Swedish affiliate of IPPNW, met last night with the Swedish delegation, and today I had the opportunity to join with the president and the executive director of Physicians for Global Survival, the Canadian affiliate of IPPNW, as well as three other dynamic and wonderful Canadians, in meeting with the Canadian delegation. This was an excellent meeting and reaffirmed the need for ongoing dialogue between members of civil society and the diplomats and civil servants who work on these issues on behalf of our governments. Much of what takes place in these meetings is off the record, as is the content of our morning briefings from members of government, such as this morning's briefing with the UK Ambassador. It means I can't tell you all that was said and not said, but I think it represents the real work of NGOs at these gatherings - the nitty gritty.

Tonight New York will truly take off with a party to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Reaching Critical Will, and the 94th birthday of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. 

On that festive thought I leave you with big hopes for Peace

Ruth Mitchell

Day Three at the NPT - supermodels, rockstars, and an agenda for 2010

Today at the United Nations in New York we heard compelling and sensible words calling for nuclear abolition. From Christie Brinkley, the supermodel. It was a great speech grounded in her reality of being a mother of three children, calling for those in positions of power to waste no time in ridding the world of nuclear weapons. In the same session,  Henrik Salander, the new chair of the Middle Powers Initiative, and a former rock star, spoke about the role of Article IV forums in providing space for off the record policy debate, and emphasising the central role of a Nuclear Weapons Convention. He said that what had begun as a utopian dream is becoming a pragmatic reality, and that the document jump starts analysis and focuses our thinking. 

Many of us from the NGO community spent the morning in a very energising discussion about the work of ICAN around the world. We heard from those working on abolition in France, Japan, UK, US, Italy, Germany, and Australia.  The challenges of doing abolition work in different environments make our common commitment and our mutual cooperation all the more vital, and I think that everyone left with new ideas and a fresh sense of possibility.

The afternoon saw many parallel sessions, but I chose to attend one organised by IALANA with the participation of Dr Stefan Kordasch from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  He was asked to comment on Germany's position on a Nuclear Weapons Convention. He stated that Germany does not think the world is ready for a NWC, prefering a step by step approach. It seems that we need to get a lot closer to zero before Germany will get involved in an NWC approach, although how we will get closer to zero without a convention remains to be seen.

Finally, the big news for today from the NPT: We have a draft agenda for the 2010 NPT Review Conference. It's right here if you'd like to have a look: www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/2010Agenda.pdf

If it looks really familiar to you, that is because it is the same agenda as that was used in 2000 with one very minor non-substantive update. Other decisions taken in the official session today were the date of the Review Conference, which will be from 3-28 May 2010, and the Chair, who will be the ambassador from the Philippines. Next year will be a big year in the NPT cycle, and so if you can be in New York in May, you should try to get here.

With great hopes for zero

from New York City

Ruth Mitchell

Day Two at the NPT - busy day for the ICAN crew

Day Two at the NPT was busy. The day began with the first Abolition 2000 caucus meeting. These meetings, held every morning, are an opportunity for members of the NGO delegations to meet together and to talk about the events coming up. It also provides a chance to review the day that has just passed. Meeting members of other NGOs, many of which I have been aware of for a long time, is really encouraging. Those of us in IPPNW from MAPW and other affiliates who work on ICAN often feel a bit alone in our calls for nuclear abolition, but it is great to see the diversity of organisations and people who are pulling in the same direction.

The morning "general debate" included a number of indirect references to a nuclear weapons convention, including one from the representative from El Salvador, which prompted me to chase after her after she left the conference room and give her a copy of our model nuclear weapons convention. Perhaps the highlight of the morning's meeting was the statement of support read by the US delegate from President Barack Obama. This statement can be found at http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/statements/5May_US.pdf

At lunchtime a session was held by the International Commission on Non-Proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament (ICNND), which is the also known as the Rudd Commission. Co-chairs Gareth Evans of Australia and Yoriko Kawaguchi of Japan (both former foreign ministers) gave presentations on the work of the commission, including the timeline of their various meetings. 

They explained that they plan to deliver their final report either at the end of this year or early next year. During question time they were pressed to elaborate on their response to the model Nuclear Weapons Convention and Gareth Evans reaffirmed his previous statements that he feels it is a comprehensive and impressive document. However, he has concerns about how to use it most pragmatically. A full report by Dimity Hawkins is on page 6 of todays News in Review, the link is here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/NIR2009/No3.pdf

In the afternoon, the official session of the NPT PrepCom was dedicated to presentations of the NGOs. It was my honour to deliver the consensus statement on the Nuclear Weapons Convention on behalf of the drafting group. The document is available, along with all the other NGO presentations at  http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/ngostatements.html

The statement on the Nuclear Weapons Convention responds to some of the most common concerns and questions about the suitability of an NWC approach, including the question of undermining the NPT. 

For more information about the NPT PrepCom you can look at www.npt-tv.net for interviews with diplomats and NGOs and daily reports on the state of the PrepCom. There is also another blog at reachingcriticalwill.blogspot.com which extends beyond the timeframe of the NPT.

Today we have the session on ICAN around the world, sharing ideas and campaign strategies for nuclear abolition. This will be followed by a session tomorrow on the Nuclear Weapons Convention and the NPT, and I will keep you updated.

With best wishes for peace and abolition from New York

Ruth Mitchell

Day One at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepCom

Greetings from New York! I am here at the United Nations, sitting in Conference Room 1, listening to the general debate at the beginning of the 3rd session of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee. This is my first PrepCom and I'll be trying to update you on most days about what it is like to be at the meeting.

Yesterday was Day One, and it started out with a very long queue. Dimity Hawkins of ICAN Australia, John Loretz, Program Director at IPPNW, and I waited for about two hours to get our shiny blue United Nations ID badges. Then we rushed to the main conference room to hear the speeches beginning. We heard a number of speeches, including those of the Russian Federation, Malaysia, Canada and Australia. The full speeches have been uploaded at www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/statements.html by the wonderful people at the Reaching Critical Will. Those of us from down under were listening with particular interest to the statement by the Australian delegation, which mentioned the work of NGOs and the need to get to zero nuclear weapons, but did not explicitly call for a Nuclear Weapons Convention. 

During NPT meetings like this one, non-governmental organisations have sessions which run in parallel to the official delegates proceedings. Yesterday an excellent session was hosted by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research on their recent study "Carbon-Free and Nuclear Free: a Roadmap for US Energy Policy". In their presentation Dr Arjun Makhijani and Jennifer Nordstrom outlined the arguments for wind, solar and other renewable energy sources and the arguments against use of nuclear power. The book outlining these arguments is available for free download at www.ieer.org. 

Finally, the day concluded with the US premier of the movie "The Strangest Dream". This film, by the National Film Board of Canada, is the story of Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Watching this new film at the United Nations in the company of many who knew Joseph Rotblat was a very moving experience. More information about the film can be found at www3.nfb.ca/webextension/strangest-dream/.

Today we hear from the United States in the general debate, have a session on the International Commission on Nuclear Disarmament and Nonproliferation, established last year by Kevin Rudd, and in the afternoon during the NGO presentations I will read the statement on the Nuclear Weapons Convention. Stay tuned for more updates from New York, and let me know if you have questions about what's going on here which I can address in this blog.

Yours for Peace

Ruth Mitchell