CRITICAL ISSUES FORUM 2008-2009

BENCHMARK III

Eliminate Nuclear Weapons Now

Student:: Antonina Shaymaer,

Grade 10
The School for Cosmonautics

English teacher: Irina Artemova

The School for Cosmonautics

Zheleznogorsk

Krasnoyarsky Krai

Russia 2009

Table of Contents

Page

Eliminate Nuclear Weapons Now 3

Bibliography 6

Nowadays there are a lot of publications concerning the idea of making a Nuclear-Free World, especially after Obama had been elected the 44th president of the United States and our presidents’ (Medvedev and Obama) meeting in London on the 1 of April, 2009.

Russia, US to Seek New Arms Deal

<http://tvnz.co.nz/world-news/russia-us-seek-new-arms-deal-2611576>

The citizens of both states are sure to be glad that our presidents intend to make efforts to strengthen the international nuclear non-proliferation regime and the NPT further, because the increasing spread of nuclear weapons, nuclear material, nuclear know-hows makes people of the world think deeply about the necessity to make the world safe, nuclear-weapons free, I mean the world in which we and our future generation will live in. Because we can face a very real possibility that nuclear weapons could fall into dangerous hands. With more than 20,000 nuclear weapons in the world today, there is a greater risk of accidental launches or theft. Nuclear weapon states have a special responsibility, obligation and experience to demonstrate leadership, and other nations must join.

In January 2007 Mikhail Gorbachev wrote: "It is becoming clearer that nuclear weapons are no longer a means of achieving security; in fact, with every passing year they make our security more precarious." [1] The United Kingdom's foreign secretary, Margaret Beckett, stated: "What we need is both a vision -- a scenario for a world free of nuclear weapons -- and action -- progressive steps to reduce warhead numbers and to limit the role of nuclear weapons in security policy. These two strands are separate but they are mutually reinforcing. Both are necessary, but at the moment too weak." Besides, former U.S. officials with extensive experience as secretaries of state and defence and national security advisors: Madeleine Albright, Richard V. Allen, James A. Baker III, Samuel R. Berger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Frank Carlucci, Warren Christopher, William Cohen, Lawrence Eagleburger, Melvin Laird, Anthony Lake, Robert McFarlane, Robert McNamara and Colin Powell –also showed their support to the necessity to make world nuclear free. [1]

Nowadays, President Obama said that “… the United States — as the only nation to have used an atomic bomb — had a “moral responsibility” to remove the threat of mass destruction, he said. “I’m not naive. This goal will not be reached quickly — perhaps not in my lifetime. It will take patience and persistence. But now we . . . must ignore the voices who tell us that the world cannot change. We have to insist, ‘Yes, we can’.” [2]

‘ …. The number of potential nuclear weapons states could more than double in a few years unless the major powers take radical steps towards disarmament, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has warned. In a Guardian interview, Mohamed ElBaradei said the threat of proliferation was particularly grave in the Middle East, a region he described as a "ticking bomb"…’’[3]

ElBaradei says: "We still live in a world where if you have nuclear weapons, you are buying power, you are buying insurance against attack. That is not lost on those who do not have nuclear weapons, particularly in conflict regions."[3]

I am glad that the presidents of our states Obama and Medvedev, as leaders of the two largest nuclear weapons states, agreed to work together to fulfil their obligations under Article VI of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and demonstrate leadership in reducing the number of nuclear weapons in the world. It is a good sample for other states to cooperate their efforts to make the world safe.

Of cause, achieving results in this field will require a new emphasis on arms control and conflict resolution measures, and their full implementation by all concerned nations. The most important thing is that our presidents agreed to pursue new and verifiable reductions in strategic offensive arsenals in a step-by-step process, beginning by replacing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with a new, legally-binding treaty. The results of working out the new agreement we hope to hear soon.

The steps to make:

· to carry out joint efforts to strengthen the international regime for non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery

· to secure nuclear weapons and materials

· to deepen cooperation to combat nuclear terrorism

· to further promote the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (unites 75 states)

· to support international negotiations for a verifiable treaty to end the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons

And the main step, I think, is that our leaders ‘…. are ready to move beyond Cold War mentalities and chart a fresh start in relations between our two countries. … Now it is time to get down to business and translate our warm words into actual achievements of benefit to Russia, the United States, and all those around the world interested in peace and prosperity...’ [4]

· to deepen cuts in nuclear arsenals

· to increase the transparency between the nuclear powers

· to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons or terrorist acquisition of a dirty bomb

· ‘…Obama also proposes to create an international fuel bank that would allow countries to access “peaceful power without increasing risks of proliferation

· to punish violations

· to strengthen the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty through boosting the resources and authority for stronger international inspections around the world…’ [5]

· to make a coordinated effort across all the states and institutions, with the participation of governmental and non-governmental organizations.

It would be great if U.S. and Russian leaders focus on concluding a new treaty with deeper nuclear arms reductions, which would ease tensions and put them on a path to solve other difficult issues and strengthen cooperation in key areas such as securing vulnerable nuclear weapons-usable materials. “Big hopes” are given by the START treaty, which was concluded in 1991, helped end the Cold War by slashing each country's strategic warhead deployment capability from about 10,000 to less than 6,000 and limiting each country to no more than 1,600 strategic delivery systems. But the START I treaty expires later this year, “…U.S. and Russian officials have voiced their support for the negotiation of a new a treaty establishing lower, verifiable limits on the two countries' strategic nuclear arsenals. However, given the looming START expiration date there is little time available to negotiate a follow-on agreement…” [6] I believe that both American and Russian people are looking forward to Obama and Medvedev’s meeting in Moscow on July 6-8 to discuss the prospects for signing a new strategic offensive arms reduction treaty.

I want to believe that our presidents and the presidents of other states will succeed in their intentions and my generation, or may be my children and grandchildren will be happy to live in a Nuclear-Free-World.

Bibliography

1. “Toward a Nuclear-Free World” By George P. ShultsGEORGE P. SHULTZ, WILLIAM J. PERRY, HENRY A. KISSINGER and SAM NUNN, January 15, 2008, 25 May <http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB120036422673589947.html>

2. Barack Obama reveals vision for world without nuclear weaponshttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6039066.ece From The Times April 6, 2009

3. Mohamed ElBaradei warns of new nuclear age <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/14/elbaradei-nuclear-weapons-states-un> Thursday 14 May 2009 , 25 May 2009-05-25

4. “Obama and Medvedev Pledge to Achieve Nuclear Weapons Reductions” by Cara Bautista, 2009 April 1, 25 May 2009 <http://blog.peaceactionwest.org/2009/04/01/obama-and-medvedev-pledge-to-achieve-nuclear-weapons-reductions/>

5. “Obama proposes steps to eliminate nuclear arsenals” SIFY <http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jehaAAjheje&title=Obama_proposes_steps_to_eliminate_nuclear_arsenal> 2009-04-05, 25 May 2009-05-26

6. Arms Control Resources for the Obama-Medvedev Meeting. Arms Control Association. March 31, 2009, 26 May 2009