BASIC MEDIA ADVISORY
5 June 2006
BASIC welcomes timely WMD report
British and French nuclear weapons programmes
at "a crossroads"
The British American Security Information Council (BASIC) welcomes
the timely publication of 'Weapons of Terror - Freeing the
World of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Arms' by the Weapons
of Mass Destruction (WMD) Commission. (www.wmdcommission.org)
The detailed 230-page report is based on the premise that war can
best be prevented by more active non-proliferation policies, implemented
collectively through the United Nations. Effective multilateralism
and verification must reinforce efforts to promote common security
and a rule-based international order with resort to coercive measures
under Chapter VII of the UN Charter if necessary.
The WMD Commission report builds on the 1982 Common Security report,
the 1986 Canberra Commission and the 1998 Tokyo Forum Action Plan.
Despite the growing need for collective action on non-proliferation,
"governments and world public opinion are paying less attention
to the global regimes for arms control and disarmament" according
to the Commission's Chairman, Hans Blix. As regards British and
French policy, the report says both governments:
"will have to decide whether it will be meaningful
to retain costly nuclear arsenals that were developed for an enemy
that no longer exists, in order to meet hypothetical threats against
which such weapons are of questionable value. Both countries are
now at a crossroads: going down one road would show their conviction
that nuclear weapons are not necessary for their security, while
the other would demonstrate to all other states a belief that these
weapons continue to be indispensable. In addition, by pursuing their
security interests without nuclear weapons, they would avoid the
need for costly investments in dangerous new nuclear capabilities
or replacements for existing weapons".
While critical of US policy, Dr Blix concluded, "if it takes the
lead the world is likely to follow. If it does not take the lead,
there could be more nuclear tests and new nuclear arms races".
"With the failure of the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review
Conference still fresh in our minds", said BASIC Director Dr Ian
Davis, "I strongly support the Commission's call for a World Summit
on non-proliferation and disarmament to generate some momentum behind
the stagnant international forums and to regenerate public debate".
The most important recommendations of the report are subsumed under
the following headings:
- Agree on general principles of action
- Reduce the danger of present arsenals: no use by states - no
access by terrorists
- Prevent proliferation: no new weapons systems - no new possessors
- Work towards outlawing all weapons of mass destruction once
and for all
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan welcomed the report on receiving
it from Dr Blix in New York on 1 June. A spokesman for Mr. Annan
called it "an important contribution to the debate on disarmament
and non-proliferation" and urged the international community "to
study the report and consider its recommendations." http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2064
On 7 June, Dr Blix will join the Arms Control Association in Washington,
D.C. to discuss the Commission's report. For more information about
this event, see: http://www.armscontrol.org/events/20060607_Blix.asp
On 12 June, Dr Blix will join the WMD Awareness Programme and the
All Party Parliamentary Group on Global Security and Non-Proliferation
in London for the UK launch of the Commission's report. See http://www.comeclean.org.uk/
or contact Carol Naughton on 07736 698 702. BASIC is one of the
founder members of the WMD Awareness Programme and facilitates the
All Party Parliamentary Group.
For more information please contact:
Dr Ian Davis +44 (0)207 324 4685; mobile: 07887 782 389
Or
Nigel Chamberlain +44 (0)1768 898641
Or
Carol Naughton 07736 698 702
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