Buddhist Leader Urges Nuclear Weapons Free Common Security

By Ramesh Jaura

Photo: SGI president Daisaku Ikeda. Credit: Seikyo Shimbun

BERLIN | TOKYO (IDN) – An eminent Buddhist philosopher and nuclear disarmament advocate has tabled four critical initiatives to “contribute to the creation of a sustainable global society where all can live with dignity and a sense of security”. The initiatives cover four major areas: building support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW); multilateral negotiations for nuclear disarmament; climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR); and education for children in crisis. [2020-02-13] JAPANESE | 

Buddhist Leader Urges Nuclear Weapons Free Common SecurityRead More »

Sri Lanka Committed to Non-Proliferation and Disarmament

By Jaya Ramachandran

Collage courtesy of Sri Lanka’s Daily FT

GENEVA | COLOMBO (IDN) – In an exceptional move, Germany has granted funds to Sri Lanka’s Forum on Disarmament and Development (FDD) for the translation of the texts of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT) to the island state’s official languages Sinhala and Tamil. NPT and CTBT texts were until now available only in official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. [2020-01-31-27] GERMAN | HINDI | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF

Sri Lanka Committed to Non-Proliferation and DisarmamentRead More »

Climate and Nuclear Weapons Are the Focus of Buddhist Leader’s Peace Proposals

By Taro Ichikawa

Photo: A view of participants in the UN Youth Climate Summit on 21 September 2019. Credit: UN.

TOKYO (IDN) – Climate action and nuclear weapons abolition, with a focus on the individual lives and suffering often hidden behind macroeconomic indices, is the main theme of the 38th annual peace proposal by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist network. [2020-01-27]

Climate and Nuclear Weapons Are the Focus of Buddhist Leader’s Peace ProposalsRead More »

Russia Exhorts US to Extend New START Without Preconditions

By Kingston Reif and Shannon Bugos

Image credit: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Russian officials repeated in late December and early January President Vladimir Putin’s call for extending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) as soon as possible, though Washington continues to remain silent on the future of the accord, which is scheduled to expire in just over 12 months.[2020-01-23]

Russia Exhorts US to Extend New START Without PreconditionsRead More »

IPPNW and Pugwash Slam the Killing of Gen. Suleimani

By Jamshed Baruah

GENEVA (IDN) – Two Nobel Peace laureates – IPPNW and Pugwash – have vehemently censured the killing of Gen. Qassem Suleimani on January 3. Suleimani was Iranian major general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and, from 1998 until his death, commander of its Quds Force, a division primarily responsible for extraterritorial military and clandestine operations. [2020-01-14]

IPPNW and Pugwash Slam the Killing of Gen. SuleimaniRead More »

The Future of New START and NPT Hangs in the Balance

Viewpoint by Daryl G. Kimball

The writer is Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. The following is the text of his article published in January/February 2020 issue of Arms Control Today.

Photo: John R. Bolton holds a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow on 23 October 2018. CC BY 4.0

WASHINGTON, DC (IDN) – This year, the world will mark the 75th anniversary of the catastrophic atomic bombings of the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the indispensable but imperfect nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT). [2020-01-11]

The Future of New START and NPT Hangs in the BalanceRead More »

The G20 Should Have Nuclear Disarmament on Their Agenda

Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf*

Photo: G20 leaders pose for a group photo at the start of the G20 Osaka Summit, 28 June 2019. Source: Japan’s Public Relations Office.

DUISBURG, Germany (IDN) – Right now, two critical developments are literally threatening the very existence of humankind: the climate crisis and the possibility of nuclear war. There is a broad consensus when it comes to the severity of climate change, even if there is still absolutely no sign of a solution despite the affirmations by many governments. But at least the climate debate is a lively one, accompanied by countless demonstrations against policies that are damaging to the environment. [2020-01-10-26] BAHASA | CHINESE | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | RUSSIAN

The G20 Should Have Nuclear Disarmament on Their AgendaRead More »

Russia Urges U.S. to Agree to Extending New START

By Kester Kenn Klomegah

Photo: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov answers to questions in The Great Game show on Channel One Russia on December 22, 2019. Source: Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

MOSCOW (IDN) – In a series of significant discussions and a special interview with Rossiya Segodnya, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated Russia’s plea for the extension of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START). President Vladimir Putin had clearly stated that “Russia is ready to extend it without any preconditions,” he said. As for deadlines, Putin had emphasised that “Russia is willing to immediately, as soon as possible, before the year is out, renew this Treaty,” he added. [2020-01-03]

Russia Urges U.S. to Agree to Extending New STARTRead More »

Youth to The Front for Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

By J Nastranis

Photo: The second training on Conflict Prevention through Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-proliferation jointly organized by UNODA and the OSCE in May 2019 at Vienna International Centre. Credit: UNODA, Vienna Office.

NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his Agenda for Disarmament on May 24, 2018 underlined the need to establish a platform for youth engagement. This would include “a cadre of youth from around the world,” who will work assiduously to promote disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control in their communities. [2019-12-28-25] BAHASA | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | PORTUGUESE | SPANISH

Youth to The Front for Prohibition of Nuclear WeaponsRead More »

UN Criticises Iran and USA for Undermining Nuclear Deal

By Santo D. Banerjee

Photo: Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefs the members of the UN Security Council. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas

NEW YORK (IDN) – The UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Rosemary DiCarlo has criticized both Iran and the United States for putting strain on the groundbreaking 2015 deal to monitor Iran’s nuclear programme, which she stressed remains a “cornerstone of international peace and security”. [2019-12-20]

UN Criticises Iran and USA for Undermining Nuclear DealRead More »

More Articles...

• 1. The Challenge of Nuclear Submarine Proliferation
• 2. Mayors for Peace Say the Danger of Nuclear War Is Real and Growing
• 3. Middle East Nuclear-Weapons-Free Zone, Long Elusive, is Making Progress, say Experts
• 4. Die Eliminierung von Interkontinentalraketen würde die Chancen eines globalen nuklearen Holocaust erheblich verringern
• 5. Elimination of ICBMs Would Greatly Reduce the Chances of a Global Nuclear Holocaust