See below for two new pieces on START-- the new treaty between the US and Russia which aims to reduce each country's arsenal to no more than 1,550 deployed warheads-- by GSI leadership. Ambassador Thomas Graham, Jr.'s letter to the editor on "When Treaties are Stuck in the Senate," appeared in The New York Times on November 28, 2010, and Jonathan Granoff's "Bridging the Reality Gap" is featured on the front page of today's Huffington Post.

When Treaties are Stuck in the Senate

by Thomas Graham, Jr.
Published in the New York Times
November 28, 2010

In “Farewell to the Age of the Treaty” (Op-Ed, Nov. 22), James P. Rubin suggests that the negotiation of treaties — particularly on arms control — should be abandoned because of Senate obstructionism.
This is neither a new idea nor a good one.

In 1984, Kenneth L. Adelman, writing in Foreign Affairs magazine, argued for complementing “traditional arms control with a new or refurbished approach: arms control without agreements.”

If the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush had not pursued treaties, we would not have had the benefits of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty or the first Start treaty.

Likewise today, mutual reinforcing actions and national legislation will not bring the degree of certainty required for something as serious as commitments to reduce nuclear weapons and inhibit proliferation.
New Start will be ratified, and the United States and Russia will negotiate further reductions in strategic weapons in future treaties. As a result, the world community will move further toward realizing President Ronald Reagan’s dream of a nuclear-weapon-free world.

Thomas Graham Jr.
McLean, Va., Nov. 22, 2010

The writer was a special representative of President Bill Clinton for arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament, 1994-97.

The Chatauqua Institution offers an annual retreat in western New York State where the human spirit is renewed, minds stimulated, faith restored and the arts valued. This year, an entire week will be devoted to discussions of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. GSI President Jonathan Granoff is honored to serve as Conference Co-Chair, along with Rev. Joan Campbell, during this week, July 18-24. (Click here for a full listing of Mr. Granoff's recent articles.)

Other speakers throughout the week include UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte, Senator Sam Nunn, GSI Board Member Rev. Tyler Wigg Stevenson of the Two Futures Project, Joseph Cirincione of the Ploughshares Fund, the Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners magazine, and Graham Allison of Harvard University's Belfer Center. And those are just the nuclear experts; there will be opera concerts, symphonies, poetry, theater and spiritual teachings throughout.

Tickets are still available for all 2010 summer sessions. Visit the Chatuaqua website to purchase tickets, or for more information on rates and refunds.

July 7, 2010

PNND Members in leadership positions worldwide

The Global Security Institute, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, the Middle Powers Initiative and the Bipartisan Security Group extend their most heartfelt congratulations to PNND Member Julia Gillard for her assumption as Prime Minister of Australia.

Australia's first female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard

April 14, 2010

The Middle Powers Initiative,
based on the results of the Atlanta Consultation III
and the series of Article VI Forums,
recommends the following policy options
to the 2010 NPT Review Conference:

1. Disarmament: Reaffirm the unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of nuclear arsenals. Encourage states parties, especially the nuclear weapon states, to initiate comprehensive national research and development programs to support continued progress toward a world free of nuclear weapons, including expanded work on verification technologies. Agree to begin collective preparatory work for negotiations on a convention or framework of instruments for the sustainable, verifiable and enforceable global elimination of nuclear weapons.

2. Transparency: Support establishment of a UN-based, comprehensive accounting system covering size of nuclear arsenals, delivery systems, fissile materials, and spending on nuclear forces.

3. CTBT: Support early entry into force of the CTBT. Oppose conditioning approval of the CTBT on programs inconsistent with the CTBT’s role, stated in the treaty’s preamble, as an “effective measure” in “constraining the development and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons and ending the development of advanced new types of nuclear weapons.”