ICANi's Australian Chair, MAPW Vice-President Associate Professor Tilman Ruff, has been invited to be an NGOi Adviser to the Co-chair of the International Commission for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament.

The invitation was issued to Associate Professor Ruff in his capacity as Australian Chair of ICAN by Gareth Evans, as Co-chair of the International Commission. It is expected that one or two further civil-society advisers will similarly invited by the Co-chairs.

This invitation is very significant both in recognising Associate Professor Ruff's expertise and commitment; and in providing a direct channel to pass on both this expertise and concerns.

CANBERRA, 18 SEPTEMBER 2008: The Medical Association for Prevention of War has welcomed the recommendations of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties that Australia does not proceed with uranium sales to Russia until far more stringent measures are in place to separate Russia’s civilian and military facilities.

Five Liberal and National party members of the committee issued a dissenting report, seemingly on the basis of faith that things will improve when Australian exports begin. Liberal member Kevin Andrews did not sign either document. 

Association President Dr Sue Wareham congratulated the Committee on taking seriously both the inadequacy of current safeguards as they relate to Russia, and Australia’s responsibilities as a uranium exporter.

“The committee, in proposing that the separation of civilian and military uses of uranium be verified by IAEA inspections, have understood the alarming truth of the existing system” Dr Wareham said.

“As MAPW told the committee, the current safeguards cannot guarantee that Australian uranium would not end up in Russian nuclear weapons”

“The five nuclear weapons states which are party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPTi), including Russia, are under much less scrutiny than states that do not yet have nuclear weapons. For example, the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has confirmed that Russia’s military sites are off limits for inspection."

"Worse still, no IAEA report or safeguards statement since 1995 makes mention of actual inspections in Russian facilities,” said Dr Wareham.

The Committee has also recommended that Russia should fulfil its obligations under the NPT treaty, before Australia considers selling Russia our uranium.

“MAPW believes that Australia should not sell uranium to any nuclear weapons states, including Russia. All of the 5 nuclear weapons states that are party to the NPT are in breach of the treaty by their refusal to get rid of their nuclear weapons,” Dr Wareham concluded.

• Media comment: see our media release or contact our office.
• JSCOT Committee report: On APH website - scroll down, Chapter 2 is the Russia report
• Dr Sue Wareham's oral submission to the Committee: See Hansard transcript - page 2.

ICANi Australia's report on the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee (NPTi PrepCom) held in Geneva from 28 April to 9 May, has now been finalised.

ICAN Board member Tim Wright prepared the report for the information of ICAN and MAPW supporters. Tim attended the PrepCom on behalf of ICAN, participating in the many NGOi forums and workshops held in parallel to the official meeting.

MAPW Vice President Tilman Ruff , together with Yarra Councillor Jenny Farrar, were NGO representatives on the official Australian delegation to the meeting. They believe that it was well worth attending and that there have been positive changes in the Australian position.

The report is comprehensive and beautifully presented, and well worth a read, and is available to read and download here.

GENEVA, 8 MAY 2008. The Australian government has raised several important issues which could help advance the abolition of nuclear weapons, during meetings on the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty this week.

MAPW Vice-President Dr Tilman Ruff, attending as an NGOi representative on the official delegation, believes that this position has allowed NGO input to be considered in the drafting of Australian government statements. This is the first time in that Australia has had NGO representatives on an NPTi delegation.

MAPW is pleased to see that official Australian government statements to this meeting have raised three important issues highlighted by MAPW and other concerned community organisations: 

• The possibility of a Nuclear Weapons Convention has now been raised officially by Australia.
• Australia welcomed the efforts of African states "to bring into force Pelindaba (African nuclear weapons free zone) treaty; and to practical cooperation among "existing nuclear weapons free zones in the Southern Hemisphere." 
• MAPW has been strongly advocating for medical isotopes not to be sourced from highly enriched uranium, which can be used for bombs. An Australian statement has now raised this issue: "We encourage States to work towards the minimisation of highly enriched uranium (HEUi) in civil applications, including radiopharmaceutical production."

Tim Wright, observing the meeting on behalf of ICANi, reports that NGOs will establish a working group to advance an African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty, which needs countries which haven’t yet done so to ratify the Treaty in order to bring it into force. This would be a key step towards a nuclear weapons free southern hemisphere. Read ICAN's Geneva Blog

GENEVA 30 APRIL 2008. ICANi'S TIM WRIGHT REPORTS:Australia today delivered a statement on nuclear disarmament to the Non-Proliferation Treaty meeting in Geneva. It was much different from statements made in previous years.

It even included a reference to the need for a nuclear weapons convention (NWC) for the first time ever. This is something which disarmament experts have described as quite significant. The reference is a cautious one, but using those words in this forum is rare. The only other countries so far to have mentioned an NWC at the meeting have been Costa Rica, Malaysia and Iran.

The statement from Caroline Miller, Ambassador for Disarmament, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, read: “Australia under a new Government is fully committed to realizing a world free from nuclear weapons … A world free of nuclear weapons will require carefully calibrated steps that buttress international peace and security.

Every state, whether holding nuclear weapons or not, must play a part in realizing that world. And at an appropriate time, the international community will likely need to consider complementary legal frameworks, including a possible nuclear weapons convention, for the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons . . . .”

MAPW Vice-President Dr Tilman Ruff is a NGOi representative on the official Australian delegation. ICAN's Tim Wright is also at the meeting.

Read the rest of the statement in Tim's latest report, at icanw.blogspot.com/

GENEVA, 30 APRIL 2008: MAPW Vice-President Tilman Ruff is currently in Geneva attending the NPTi PrepCom (28 April – 9 May), an important meeting of states which are parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Tilman is one of two NGOi representatives invited to be on the official Australian delegation.

ICANi Board Member and volunteer Tim Wright is also at the meeting and is posting excellent and informative daily reports: icanw.blogspot.com/

Tim Wright writes:

• On the Australian government’s role:

“This week’s Non-Proliferation Treaty meeting is an ideal opportunity for the new Australian Government to start restoring our nation’s former reputation in this field — by putting into action Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s promise to engage in “creative middle power diplomacy”. Our contribution to the elimination of nuclear weapons could be significant.”

“In a statement to the meeting this morning [Monday], Australia’s disarmament ambassador Caroline Miller announced that the Rudd Government is committed to playing 'a new, more active role in multilateral affairs' with respect to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.”

However, Miller did not confirm whether the government will carry through the ALP’s pre-election promise to “lead the international agenda for a nuclear weapons convention” – a treaty to ban nuclear weapons and ensure their elimination.”

• NGOs call for a NWC

“One of the really positive things about this meeting so far has been the emphasis on the NWC among NGOs. It truly is central to everything that’s happening here. It’s generally acknowledged that ICAN should take much for the credit for this renewed enthusiasm for the NWC – so well done, everyone! Most of the NGO events have been about the NWC, and even when the events aren’t about the NWC, the questions directed at people seem to be about the NWC!”

More detailed NGO reports: www.reachingcriticalwill.org/

Australia’s opening statement:
www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom08/statements/AustraliaApril28.pdf).