Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to be weakened - US stance
KyodoNews: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty signatory members are likely to water down their commitment to nuclear disarmament at an upcoming review conference by abandoning the "unequivocal undertaking" they agreed to in 2000, Brazil's disarmament envoy indicated to Kyodo News in a recent interview.
Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, who will chair the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York in May, said the signatories will "probably" refrain from adopting the same wording as used in the previous meeting in confirming the nuclear states' commitment to nuclear disarmament during the upcoming meeting.
The "unequivocal undertaking" was the centerpiece of the 13 steps agreed on by the signatories in 2000 to implement the NPT. But the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has been reluctant to take these steps, with Undersecretary of State John Bolton declaring last year that the pledge was invalid.
The expected toning down of the commitment apparently reflects the U.S. stance and is likely to draw criticism from nonnuclear states, which are demanding that the commitment be upheld, analysts say.
In the 2000 review conference, 187 signatories to the NPT adopted the final document, which includes the 13 steps to nuclear disarmament to be implemented by the five nuclear powers - the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia - as well as nonnuclear weapon states.
But U.S. officials have described the accord as a "simply historical document" and said a new document should reflect drastic changes in international security conditions, including the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
The NPT, which was signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970, is reviewed every five years.
Analysts are concerned that backtracking of the treaty may lead to possible nuclear proliferation, such as encouraging nonnuclear states to start developing nuclear arms and follow the footsteps. Link
See Noam Chomsky: Nuclear Terror At Home
Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, who will chair the Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in New York in May, said the signatories will "probably" refrain from adopting the same wording as used in the previous meeting in confirming the nuclear states' commitment to nuclear disarmament during the upcoming meeting.
The "unequivocal undertaking" was the centerpiece of the 13 steps agreed on by the signatories in 2000 to implement the NPT. But the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush has been reluctant to take these steps, with Undersecretary of State John Bolton declaring last year that the pledge was invalid.
The expected toning down of the commitment apparently reflects the U.S. stance and is likely to draw criticism from nonnuclear states, which are demanding that the commitment be upheld, analysts say.
In the 2000 review conference, 187 signatories to the NPT adopted the final document, which includes the 13 steps to nuclear disarmament to be implemented by the five nuclear powers - the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia - as well as nonnuclear weapon states.
But U.S. officials have described the accord as a "simply historical document" and said a new document should reflect drastic changes in international security conditions, including the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
The NPT, which was signed in 1968 and entered into force in 1970, is reviewed every five years.
Analysts are concerned that backtracking of the treaty may lead to possible nuclear proliferation, such as encouraging nonnuclear states to start developing nuclear arms and follow the footsteps. Link
See Noam Chomsky: Nuclear Terror At Home
posted by exoplanet at 3:26 PM
<< Home