Luxembourg Forum’s Supervisory Council Discussed New Approaches to Arms Control and Promoting Non-proliferation Regime

On December 12-13, 2011, the Supervisory Council of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe met in Moscow. The Supervisory Council summarized the Forum’s results for the year, analysed the developments in nuclear arms limitation and reduction, nuclear arms non-proliferation, and formulated guidelines for the Forum in 2012. The meeting discussed pressing issues regarding the development of relations between Russia and U.S./NATO, including further reduction of nuclear arms under the next START Treaty, overcoming the crisis of the European missile defense system, development of Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programmes, and preventing the threat of nuclear terrorism.

The meeting was attended by the Supervisory Council members, Moshe Kantor, president of the Luxembourg Forum; William Perry, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Professor at Stanford University; Hans Blix, former IAEA Director General, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission; Rolf Ekeus, Chairman of the Governing Board, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute; Nikolay Laverov, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Anatoly Antonov, Deputy Defense Minister of the Russian Federation; Nikolay Spassky, Deputy Director General, the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom; Alexey Arbatov, Head of the Center for International Security of the Institute for World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences; Vladimir Dvorkin, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the International Luxembourg Forum, Chief Researcher of the Institute for World Economy and International Relations, Major-General, ret.; and Sergei Oznobishchev, Director of the Institute for Strategic Assessments.

The Supervisory Council approved the Forum’s efforts in 2011 and welcomed the outcomes of the Luxembourg Forum-SIPRI joint conference held this June 13-14 in Stockholm. Meanwhile, they noted that the developments following the conference have provided grounds for growing concerns about the future of the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Russia and the U.S. have so far failed to reach agreement concerning cooperation in the sphere of designing the missile defense system in Europe. This has increased tension and non-confidence between Russia and NATO which is reflected in several countermeasures planned by Russia. The prospects of further disarmament and viability of the existing treaties do not seem promising without progress in creating a joint missile defense system either. Therefore, approving the European missile defense architecture and information system integration could be first steps towards overcoming the contradictions.

Disagreements between the great powers on the measures to deal with Iran’s and North Korea’s nuclear programmes have been undermining their cooperation in promoting nuclear non-proliferation regime. This was demonstrated by the recent disturbing IAEA report regarding Iran’s nuclear activities, which gave rise to disagreements on IAEA’s valuation and possible sanctions on part of the UN Security Council and certain states.

In the context of escalating instability at the global and regional levels, the Forum’s Supervisory Council members recommend to pay special attention to active search of new cooperation areas, primarily in the sphere of promoting nuclear arms non-proliferation and strengthening anti-terror efforts.

The Supervisory Council members reported that the next, anniversary Luxembourg Forum meeting is scheduled for 2012 in Berlin to mark five years since the Forum’s foundation.

The Supervisory Council presented its recommendations to heads of state and international organisations, and leading decision-makers dealing with nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

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The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe was established pursuant to a decision of the International Conference on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe held in Luxembourg on May 24-25, 2007. The Forum is one of the largest non-governmental organisations uniting leading, world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear arms, arms reduction and limitation.

The Forum’s priorities are:

· To facilitate the process of arms limitation and reduction and counteract growing threats to the nuclear non-proliferation regime and erosion of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including the escalating danger of nuclear terrorism and attempts by certain states to gain access to nuclear materials and technologies

· To promote international peace and security through new approaches and provide decision-makers with practical solutions to critical issues of non-proliferation and arms control

The principal guiding bodies of the Forum are the International Advisory Council (IAC) and the Supervisory Council (SC).

The Forum is headed by its President, Viatcheslav Kantor, PhD.