Nuclear disarmament: Lords International Relations Committee to take evidence from academics
The House of Lords International Relations Committee will continue taking evidence for its inquiry ‘the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and nuclear disarmament' on Wednesday 23 January, hearing from academics from King's College and the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy.
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 the fragmenting of existing non-proliferation and arms control agreements. The Committee is examining the state of global nuclear diplomacy and the United Kingdom's role in it.
Appearing at 11.40am will be:
- Dr Hassan Elbahtimy, Lecturer in Science and Security, King's College London
- Dr Rebecca Johnson, Executive Director, Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
Questions are likely to include:
- Why did the 2015 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference end without the agreement of a consensus final document, and what insight can be gained from this ahead of the 2020 RevCon?
- Can you explain the history of the debate around the pursuit of a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East, and comment on the prospects for its future negotiation?
- To what extent would the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, if it were to enter into force, affect negotiations at the 2020 Review Conference?
- How should the UK Government position itself ahead of the 2020 Review Conference? What opportunities are there for UK leadership?
