Skip to content
Event | 13 November 2012

ELN hosts discussions on Europe’s role and responsibilities on nuclear issues

Nuclear Arms Control Nuclear Disarmament Nuclear Security Nuclear Weapons WMDs Euro-Atlantic Security

On 12th – 13th November, members of the European Leadership Network (ELN) met in London to discuss Europe’s role and responsibilities on multilateral nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and nuclear security. In a Working Meeting, the ELN welcomed high-level speakers on a number of pressing issues:

  • The prospects and challenges for a future conference on a WMD Free Zone in the Middle East – The meeting heard directly from Jaakko Laajava, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Security Policy of Finland and Facilitator for the 2012 Middle East Conference on a Zone Free From Weapons of Mass Destruction
  • Global non-proliferation diplomacy and the P-5 dialogue – The meeting heard from Sarah MacIntosh, Director, Defence and International Security, Defence and Intelligence Directorate, of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK
  • Nuclear Materials Security: progress and challenges – The meeting heard from Dr. Page Stoutland, Vice President, Nuclear Materials Security, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Washington DC, who reported on NTI’s Global Dialogue on Nuclear Security and on the NTI-Economist Nuclear Security Index
  • Attempts to make progress on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty: The meeting heard from Mr. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva and Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament
  • The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) – The meeting heard from Tibor Tóth, Executive Secretary, Preparatory Commission, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO)

More than 30 participants took part in the meeting, including former high level politicians, officials and military leaders, who are members of the ELN Board and the wider network. Lord Browne of Ladyton, former British Defence Secretary, who chaired the meeting, spoke of Europe’s role and responsibilities on nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation, and nuclear security. Participants included the newly elected vice president to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Giorgio La Malfa, and Carlo Trezza, the chairman designate of the Missile Technology Control Regime. Participants also included Hikmet Cetin, Former Foreign Minister of Turkey, Linas Linkevicius, adviser to the Prime Minister and former Defence Minister of Lithuania, Professor Ivo Šlaus, fomer member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Croatia, Volker Ruehe former Defence Minister of Germany and British members of the network including Shirley Williams, Malcom Rifkind, Margaret Beckett, David Owen, George Robertson, David Hannay and Tom King.

 

 

Related content

Commentary

Gaps in Western crisis management are beginning to show

The danger inherent in the basic structure of the Russia-West crisis itself ought to be receiving more attention, argue Malcolm Rifkind and Ian Kearns. The ELN Board members write that the lack of asymmetry of interests with Russia will make it harder to navigate a safe outcome of the war.

Commentary

The United States, France and nuclear deterrence post NPR

In the wake of the publication of US Nuclear Posture Review, Tiphaine de Champchesnel compares contemporary French and US approaches to nuclear deterrence, highlighting their broad convergence but noting also some differences.