By Thalif Deen* UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — When the United Nations commemorated the annual International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26, the President of the General Assembly (GA) Csaba Kőrösi reminded delegates of the statue of Saint Agnes—”found in the ruins of Nagasaki, charred and mottled from the atomic blast”—and […]
Exhibition Educates Youth on Dangers of Nuclear Weapons
By Kalinga Seneviratne NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) — An exhibition that opened at Keruen Mall, an upmarket shopping centre here on September 16 and continues until the end of the month, uses a novel method to reach out to young people with the message of the dangers of nuclear weapons. The exhibition depicts over 70 years […]
US Warns Russia Against Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons in Ukraine
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The retreat of Russian troops from occupied territory in Ukraine has led to widespread speculation that Moscow may use non-conventional weapons, primarily biological and chemical weapons, to beat back the Ukrainians. In a prime-time interview on US television on September 19, US President Joe Biden said the US […]
UN Review Conference on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Declared a Failure
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The alarm bells have been ringing right across Europe as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not only triggered nuclear threats by one of the world’s major nuclear powers but also set off emergency drills outside a nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia which has come under fire. Against […]
US Remains Restrained Over North Korea’s Missile Tests & Nuclear Threats
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The US response to North Korea’s continued missile tests—and occasional nuclear threats—has been surprisingly restrained. The reaction has been summed up in two words: dialogue and diplomacy. On August 17, North Korea fired two cruise missiles toward the sea off its west coast. And, according to a report […]
Achieving the Elusive Against the Odds: “A Middle East Nuclear (and WMD) Free Zone”
By Tariq Rauf NEW YORK (IDN) — Finally, at long last, the postponed 2020 Tenth Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference commenced its work at United Nations headquarters in New York on August 1, 2022. Under the able Presidency of Ambassador Gustavo Zlauvinen of Argentina, the review conference is expected to complete its work on August […]
Indelible Impact of the Bombing of Nagasaki
Viewpoint by Wada Masako Ms Wada Masako is Assistant Secretary-General of the Japan Confederation of A-and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations (Nihon Hidankyo). Following are extensive extracts from the text of her presentation at the UN General Assembly on August 5 as part of the 2022 NPT Review Conference. NEW YORK (IDN) — I was a one- […]
Nuclear Submarines and The Non-Proliferation Treaty: Brazil Gets a Jump on Australia?
By Tariq Rauf* VIENNA (IDN) — Originally scheduled for April-May 2020, due to postponements because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Tenth Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) finally convened in these turbulent times at the United Nations in New York on 1 August and will conclude its deliberations on 26 August. NPT review […]
NPT Review Conference Urged to Seek “No First Use” of Nuclear Weapons
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — When academics, anti-nuclear peace activists and civil society organisations (CSOs) met at the United Nations earlier this month to discuss the growing threats of a nuclear war worldwide, one of the underlying themes was captured in the title: “Avoiding Nuclear War: What Short-Term Steps Can be Taken?” The […]
A Nuclear Review Conference Amidst Loud War Drums
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which runs from August 1-26, takes place amidst a raging battle: a nuclear Russia vs a non-nuclear Ukraine and potential military conflicts on the horizon, including a nuclear China vs a non-nuclear Taiwan, a […]