The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization issued the following notice today [excerpt, highlights added]]:
CTBTO INKS AGREEMENT WITH JAMES MARTIN CENTRE FOR NONPROLIFERATION STUDIES
The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is to collaborate with an international centre for non-proliferation studies as the organization seeks to strengthen its capability to meet challenges to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
An agreement, with the James Martin Centre for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California, was signed on Friday, 25 February, in Vienna by Tibor Toth, Executive Secretary of the CTBTO and Sunder Ramaswamy, President of the Monterey Institute.
The two organizations will develop a series of courses addressing the technical, scientific, political and legal challenges facing the Treaty and its verification regime.
The agreement is an element in the CTBTO's strategy for capacity development, which seeks long term political support for non-proliferation and disarmament by developing networks of partnerships and investing in expanded training activities.
Vienna Centre on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
The signing preceded the official opening of the new Vienna Centre on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), which will be managed by CNS.
The VCDNP is an initiative of Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger. He told the opening ceremony that it would encourage open and constructive dialogue between governments, organizations and civil society. “I’m optimistic that the Centre will stimulate the debate in Vienna and contribute effectively to the international discourse on disarmament and non-proliferation issues,” he said.
Tóth said at the event that there is a need for “an army of experts instead of experts of (the) army. There is a need to mass produce hundreds if not thousands of people who have an expertise in general on issues of disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control but specifically on the issue of nuclear weapons prohibition,” he said.
[Source: CTBTO. http://www.ctbto.org/press-centre/highlights/2011/ctbto-inks-agreement-with-james-martin-centre-for-nonproliferation-studies/ ]
Friday, February 25, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Governing the Bomb: Civilian Control and Democratic Accountability ...
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
BOOK LAUNCH
Governing the Bomb: Civilian Control and Democratic Accountability of Nuclear Weapons
Thursday, March 3, 2011, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC
‘Go nuclear’ or ‘Go zero’? As the international community stands at a nuclear crossroads, a number of questions demand urgent attention: how well can established and emerging nuclear-armed states manage their nuclear affairs? Who commands and controls a country’s nuclear forces? What role do domestic and international stakeholders have in assuring the wise governance of nuclear weapons aimed at non-proliferation, non-use and disarmament?
In assessing the nuclear weapons programmes of eight states (the USA, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan), Governing the Bomb scrutinizes these and related questions, and examines whether nuclear-armed States are accountable to their publics and to the world for the security of their weapons. Please take the singular opportunity to discuss the pertinent issues of contemporary nuclear weapons governance this book raises and join:
• Dr. Barry M. Blechman, Co-founder of the Stimson Center and distinguished fellow focused on nuclear disarmament
• Dr. Bates Gill, Director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,
• Avner Cohen, Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Please RSVP to April Umminger at aumminger@stimson.org.
BOOK LAUNCH
Governing the Bomb: Civilian Control and Democratic Accountability of Nuclear Weapons
Thursday, March 3, 2011, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Stimson Center, 1111 19th Street NW, 12th Floor, Washington, DC
‘Go nuclear’ or ‘Go zero’? As the international community stands at a nuclear crossroads, a number of questions demand urgent attention: how well can established and emerging nuclear-armed states manage their nuclear affairs? Who commands and controls a country’s nuclear forces? What role do domestic and international stakeholders have in assuring the wise governance of nuclear weapons aimed at non-proliferation, non-use and disarmament?
In assessing the nuclear weapons programmes of eight states (the USA, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, and Pakistan), Governing the Bomb scrutinizes these and related questions, and examines whether nuclear-armed States are accountable to their publics and to the world for the security of their weapons. Please take the singular opportunity to discuss the pertinent issues of contemporary nuclear weapons governance this book raises and join:
• Dr. Barry M. Blechman, Co-founder of the Stimson Center and distinguished fellow focused on nuclear disarmament
• Dr. Bates Gill, Director, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute,
• Avner Cohen, Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies
Please RSVP to April Umminger at aumminger@stimson.org.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Excellent! How would you take BASIC's model to another issue?
“UK defence minister: case for Trident is 'thin'.”
“The armed forces minister, Nick Harvey, says he tried to dig up the original justification for Britain's sea-borne deterrent and found very little. ... ”
“A new independent commission on Trident was launched tonight with the aim of re-examining the decision to replace Britain's submarine-launched deterrent. The members came from the three major parties all chosen on the grounds that they were open to persuasion by the evidence.
“The commission, set up by the British American Security Information Council (Basic), includes a former Labour defence secretary, Lord Browne, one of his Conservative predecessors, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, as well as a former chief of the defence staff, Lord Guthrie.”
[Source and quote: Julian Borger’s Global Security Blog, “UK defence minister: case for Trident is 'thin'.” Guardian, 10 February 2011. http://www.gcdd.net/z3dt/]
“The armed forces minister, Nick Harvey, says he tried to dig up the original justification for Britain's sea-borne deterrent and found very little. ... ”
“A new independent commission on Trident was launched tonight with the aim of re-examining the decision to replace Britain's submarine-launched deterrent. The members came from the three major parties all chosen on the grounds that they were open to persuasion by the evidence.
“The commission, set up by the British American Security Information Council (Basic), includes a former Labour defence secretary, Lord Browne, one of his Conservative predecessors, Sir Malcolm Rifkind, the former Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, as well as a former chief of the defence staff, Lord Guthrie.”
[Source and quote: Julian Borger’s Global Security Blog, “UK defence minister: case for Trident is 'thin'.” Guardian, 10 February 2011. http://www.gcdd.net/z3dt/]
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