http://www.psr.org/nuclear-weapons/blog/successful-dc-forum-shines.html

Successful DC forum shines the spotlight on Humanitarian Impacts Initiative
Posted by Martin Fleck on April 10, 2014

Daryl Kimball, Arms Control Association, discusses disarmament strategy with Ira Helfand, MD of PSR and IPPNW.

The Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons forum brought the story of the growing Humanitarian Impact Initiative home to the inside-the-beltway crowd.

Utilizing the information from PSR’s report, Nuclear Famine: 2 Billion at Risk and other research, the international community has organized two governmental conferences to consider the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, with a third planned for late 2014 The non-nuclear armed states are clamoring for more action to reduce and ultimately eliminate these weapons. While the Initiative is gaining steam internationally it has, so far, received too little attention within the USA. The panel explored the ramifications of the humanitarian impact initiative, how it relates to the Nonproliferation Treaty process, and the various ways that progress toward nuclear disarmament might be accelerated within and outside the NPT process. If you would like to learn all about what’s new in nuclear disarmament, the transcript is available here.

Thanks to the Arms Control Association for organizing the event and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for providing the venue.

The distinguished panel was:

- Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova, Senior Research Associate, Center for Nonproliferation Studies;
- Dr. Ira Helfand, Co-president, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and Chair, Physicians for Social Responsibility Security Committee;
- Ambassador Desra Percaya, Indonesian Ambassador to the United Nations;
- George Perkovich, Director, Nuclear Policy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace;
- Daryl Kimball, Executive Director, Arms Control Association (moderator).


Excerpts selected by PSR Security Program Director Martin Fleck:

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