THE INTERNATIONAL LUXEMBOURG FORUM

ON PREVENTING NUCLEAR CATASTROPHE

(summary)

The International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe was established pursuant to the decision of the International Conference on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe held in Luxembourg on May 24-25, 2007. The Luxembourg forum is the largest expert institution of its kind uniting leading, world-renowned experts on non-proliferation of nuclear arms, materials and delivery vehicles.

The Forum's priorities are:

• To 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 rogue states and regimes to gain access to nuclear materials and technologies. At present, close attention is paid to the Iranian nuclear threat;
• To promote international peace and security through new approaches, and propose to decision-makers practical solutions to non-proliferation and arms control critical issues.

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

The International Advisory Council is the Forum's main operating body, consisting of more than 40 leading experts from many countries. IAC members make proposals on the Forum's agenda, arrange the Forum's events and participate in drafting the Forum's final documents with specific recommendations (declarations, memoranda, statements etc.) to be circulated to top-tier politicians, heads of international organizations and public figures around the world.

The Supervisory Council is a team of prominent politicians, public figures and world-renowned scientists, including Hans BLIX, former IAEA Director General, William PERRY, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Defense, Rolf EKEUS, former OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Sam NUNN, prominent U.S. politician and current Co-Chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Roald SAGDEEV, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director of the East-West Center at the University of Maryland, Nikolay LAVEROV, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Igor IVANOV, MGIMO Professor, former Russian Minister for Foreign Affaires and Secretary of the RF Security Council. Members of the Council supervise and advise on the activities of the Forum, a high-profile public entity aimed at strengthening international peace and security, and take part in major Forum events.

The Forum is headed by its President, Viatcheslav Kantor, PhD., a prominent public figure, international philanthropist, entrepreneur and investor. Mr. Kantor is president of the European Jewish Congress and leads many international public institutions. Mr. Kantor has greatly contributed to initiating and holding the Luxembourg Conference and chaired its Organizing Committee.

On March 26, 2008, IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei received a visit from Alexei Arbatov and Vladimir Dvorkin, the plenipotentiary representatives of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe.

During the meeting, ElBaradei, Arbatov and Dvorkin shared their opinions on preparations for the upcoming meeting of the Preparations Committee for the 2010 Non-proliferation Treaty Review Conference, which is to take place in April - May of this year. The Luxembourg Forum representatives conveyed their views to the Director General regarding the complex issues associated with the Iranian nuclear program and the prospects for a peaceful settlement through dialogue as foreseen in the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Special attention was devoted to the need to strengthen the IAEA's system of safeguards, including broad adherence to Comprehensive Safeguards Agreements and Additional Protocols, improved controls of the nuclear fuel cycle, including the possible creation of international nuclear fuel cycle centres, and the fulfilment of all relevant obligations of States party to the NPT.

The IAEA Director General gave valuable advice and a number of recommendations for the work of the Luxembourg Forum, expressed support for its activities and readiness for informal cooperation in various spheres of mutual interest.

On April 14, 2008, a Luxembourg Forum Workshop Meeting was held in Moscow. Due to alarming developments in the Iranian nuclear program, the meeting primarily focused on political and diplomatic ways to address the issue.

As an outcome of the meeting, the workshop issued a memorandum providing a number of practical steps toward nuclear non-proliferation. Like the previous Luxembourg Conference Declaration, the memorandum was circulated to heads of state throughout the world and heads of major international organizations.

The next event took place in Rome on June 12, 2008 in the form of a Joint Seminar of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe and the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. The seminar was dedicated to the results and future tasks of the Preparations Committee for the 2010 NPT Review Conference.

The Supervisory Council of the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe met on December 9 in Moscow. Participants, who included William Perry, Hans Blix, Rolf Ekeus and Igor Ivanov, summed up the results of the organisation's activities in 2008 and outlined plans and priorities for 2009. The session addressed the most urgent nuclear non-proliferation and global security issues, both worldwide and in challenging regions. The day before, on December 8, Luxembourg Forum representatives met with the country's policymakers - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Deputy Secretary of Russia's Security Council Vladimir Nazarov.