The 2015 Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, known among wonks as the REVCON, collapsed in acrimony. After weeks of debate over disarmament between the nuclear haves and have nots, the parties failed to agree to a consensus state after Egypt and the United States deadlocked over the details of a long-planned conference on Weapons of Mass Destruction-free zone in the Middle East.
Joining Aaron and Jeffrey to talk about the REVCON is Andrea Berger, the Deputy Director of the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy programme at RUSI.
Gangs of New York: The 2015 NPT Revcon by Andrea Berger
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Thanks for this readout from the NPT Review Conference. Some of the questions left open in this podcast can be answered or at least clarified by looking at documents posted on the UN Conference web site or by Reaching Critical Will. For example, a close reading of the text proposals on the Middle East made by the Arab group (http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=NPT/CONF.2015/WP.33) and by Russia (http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=NPT/CONF.2015/WP.57), and of the Chairman’s report for Subsidiary Body 2 (http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=NPT/CONF.2015/MC.II/WP.2), and a comparison of the statements made by various states, will clarify what issues were at stake.
Russia’s role is also worth considering, including this statement assigning blame (http://tass.ru/en/world/796392).
I can get anyone to go on record about the Russian role, which I hear was appalling.
I am thinking we need soccer fan cheering sections for next time around. With beer, pretzels, and popcorn.
[Sadly, it IS a rather important topic…]
Video footage of the DPRK slbm launch has just been released
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEsSf9TNqk0#t=33