The challenges to a ban treaty
The nuclear weapon states (NWS) manage the current nuclear order. The five nuclear powers: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, are the permanent members of the Security Council (P5) with veto power over any decision on threats to world peace. Furthermore, the P5 have absolute power over the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (the NPT). The treaty not only legitimizes the possession of nuclear weapons by the P5, although under the obligation to disarm, any amendments to the treaty also have to be accepted by all five nuclear states. The P5 even control non-proliferation, as proven when they, in addition [...]
Hon. Tarja Cronberg to Lead MPI
The Middle Powers Initiative (MPI) is extremely pleased to announce Hon. Tarja Cronberg as its new Chair, effective immediately. Dr. Cronberg has held numerous senior positions in the Finnish government and the European Parliament, where she chaired the delegation for relations with Iran. Dr. Cronberg has also served as Finland's Minister of Labor and as Special Advisor on Nuclear Disarmament for the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. She is also a Co-President of the network of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. In the European Parliament, Dr. Cronberg was a member of the Committees for Foreign Affairs and Security and [...]
The Berlin Framework Forum
Creating the Conditions and Building the Framework for a Nuclear Weapons-Free World was the title of the Berlin Framework Forum, a new initiative designed to help implement the decisions of the 2010 NPT Review Conference leading to the elimination of nuclear weapons. 26 governments, 12 parliamentarians (from Germany as well as other states), the United Nations and some of the preeminent research institutions in the field took part in the February 20-22 event. The conference was presided over by Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, in his first public function as the Chairman of MPI, and by Ambassador Rolf Nikel, Commissioner of the [...]
Tadatoshi Akiba to Take Up Duties as MPI Chairman in October
The former Mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, who recently was named Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative, will take up his duties in October 2012. His first major task is to plan the next meeting of the MPI Framework Forum, which will be held in Berlin in early 2013. As President of Mayors for Peace, Professor Akiba developed a network of 5,300 mayors in 153 countries and regions who united in calling for negotiations to start on a nuclear weapons convention. He was Mayor of Hiroshima from 1999 until 2011. He started his professional career as a mathematics professor in New York before [...]