by Di McDonald on behalf of the Nuclear Information Service and Nukewatch
I. Introduction
This report will be brief. More comprehensive 2004 NPT PrepCom. reports by experienced analysts are listed in Appendix 1.
My attendance at this year’s NPT PrepCom. was suggested by Christian CND in order to boost the number of NGO observers and encourage a greater understanding of the process of Treaty-based disarmament. Nukewatch welcomed the opportunity to put material evidence of the failure of Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons system into the UN arena. NIS was able to report on the current public and legal objections to the MOD’s proposed new developments at AWE Aldermaston.
A constant dilemma during the conference was the impossibility of attending NGO presentations from around the world, and at the same time observe the UN Committee where delegates from countries across the disarmament spectrum were speaking. An essential part of the NGOs’ job was to be seen to take up the hard-won civil society observer status of the UN process. It was encouraging to hear official representatives of countries speaking for the disarmament pillar of the NPT to be upheld. Ambassadors from those few countries determined to hang on to nuclear weapons had to speak in front of the international community of dedicated peace workers.
Read the full report as a PDF file here (40k)