Nobel prize-winning advocate for the abolition of nuclear weapons gives evidence to House of Lords
As part of its ongoing inquiry into ‘the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and nuclear disarmament', the House of Lords International Relations Committee will hear from witnesses from the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), and the University of York on Wednesday 13 February.
The Committee launched the inquiry because nuclear weapons are on the international agenda in a way they have not been since the end of the Cold War with rising tensions between nuclear-armed states and due to the fragmenting of existing non-proliferation and arms control agreements. The inquiry is examining the state of global nuclear diplomacy and the United Kingdom's role in it.
Appearing at 10.40am will be:
- Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director, ICAN
- Dr Nick Ritchie, Lecturer in International Security, University of York
Questions are expected to include:
- How would you assess the current level of nuclear risk, and to what extent has the risk of nuclear weapons use been increased in recent years? What are the underlying factors driving the increase in nuclear risk?
- What are the objectives of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and how does it interact with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?
- How would you assess the role of the United Kingdom in global nuclear diplomacy?
- What steps could nuclear-armed states (including non-NPT recognised states) take to reduce nuclear risk?
The session will begin at 10.40am in Committee Room 4, House of Lords.
