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NEW YORK – The convergence on September 24 of the historic Security Council Summit on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and the High-Level Conference to promote the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) offers the world the opportunity to thoroughly examine the state of international arms control. Two internationally renown non-governmental experts – Ambassador Henrik Salander, the Chairman of Middle Powers Initiative, and Mr. Jonathan Granoff, the President of the Global Security Institute – see the Summit as a breakthrough in progress to a more secure world.
- Although the draft lacks sufficient urgency to fulfill disarmament imperatives, the fact that the Security Council is meeting and issuing this resolution in which the Council remains seized of the issues of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is in itself of historic importance;
- The Security Council, with universal jurisdiction led by five nuclear weapons states as its five permanent members, is putting its full weight behind the non-proliferation and disarmament commitments embodied in the NPT, which is not yet universal;
- We welcome the reaffirmation of the nuclear weapon states’ commitments to “give security assurances against the use of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear-weapon State Parties to the NPT;”
- The cuts made by the nuclear weapon states in their strategic arsenals are welcome. However, substantial disarmament progress will require dramatic changes in policies and doctrines upon which current deployments are based;
- The nuclear weapons states have committed to pursue a diminishing role of nuclear weapons in their security policies and we look forward to seeing this promise fulfilled soon;
- The call for the entry-into-force of the CTBT is welcome. It is clearly aimed at the handful of hold-out states;
This meeting and the resolution are consistent with the visionary five-point plan for disarmament articulated by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon one year ago;
- The numerous threat-reducing commitments, such as the Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty, control of the nuclear fuel cycle, and others, are a step forward towards creating a nuclear weapons free world.
Mr. Jonathan Granoff is the President of the Global Security Institute. He has been featured in more than 40 publications including the Brigham Young and New York University law reviews, Tikkun, Inner Directions, TheInternational Lawyer, and Kosmos. He has had editorials published in a number of national and international print media and online venues, including: The Huffington Post, Financial Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Sun-Times, and The Legal Intelligencer. Mr. Granoff has been a featured guest and expert commentator on numerous radio and television programs, including National Public Radio, BBC's The World Today, Radio France International, IRIB radio (Iran) and Air America Radio.
Ambassador Henrik Salander, the Chairman of MPI, has had many pivotal roles in the international debate over nuclear disarmament. Before taking up his post as MPI Chairman, he served as Deputy Director-General of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and was Secretary-General of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, chaired by Dr. Hans Blix. He was Sweden’s ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva (1999-2003) and chaired the 2002 session of the NPT Preparatory Committee.
The Global Security Institute is dedicated to strengthening international cooperation and security based on the rule of law, with a particular focus on nuclear arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament. The Middle Powers Initiative works with the governments of “middle power” – nuclear weapon-free and politically and economically significant—countries to encourage and educate the nuclear weapons states to take immediate practical steps that reduce nuclear dangers, and commence negotiations to eliminate nuclear weapons. MPI is a program of GSI.
Mr. Granoff and Ambassador Salander are available for comments on the Summit and CTBT conference and will be available in person at the United Nations during and immediately after the Summit. Please contact: Rhianna Tyson Kreger: 347 461 7901; rtkreger@gsinstitute.org.
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