DGAPforum NRW: “On the road to a nuclear weapon free world?”

Tuesday 09. June 19:00 - 21:00
Location: Düsseldorf

 

The speech of US-President Barack Obama in Prague in April earlier this year can be regarded as the beginning of a new era in nuclear disarmament. Despite all efforts with the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and regardless of the atomic crises (Iran, Pakistan and North Korea), the US and Russia share the responsibility to set a good example. These were the core statements during the event “On the road to a world without nuclear weapons“ which were discussed at a fireside conversation organised by the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) North Rhine- Westphalia (NRW) in cooperation with the US Consulate General, in the residence of the US Consulate in Düsseldorf.

Both experts, Dr. Kordasch, Deputy Head of Division Nuclear Arms Control and Non-Proliferation as well as Mr. Sommer, Research Associate at the Bonn International Centre for Conversion, outlined the future challenges for a world free of nuclear weapons in private environment following an introduction by the Consul General Boyse.

It is certain that the speech of Obama indicates a thorough political contrast to the previous Bush administration. The necessity to reconsider the nuclear weapon policies is considerably underlined if one follows the developments in Iran, Pakistan and North Korea. Thus, Obama’s aspirations have found support in Germany, where a quartet of former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt (SPD), former President Richard von Weizsäcker (CDU) as well as the former Foreign Minister Hans-Dieter Genscher (FDP) and SPD politician Egon Bahr recently published an article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in which they pronounced a world without nuclear weapons. These four supported Obama’s vision regarding a clear and well-defined position to nuclear policies akin to the statements made by George P. Shultz, William J. Perry, Henry A. Kissinger and Sam Nunn two years earlier.

Throughout the discussion it became apparent, that in order to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons, one not only needs to stop their proileration but also encourage the disarmament. Sommer claims that, above all, both atomic super powers, the United States of America as well as the Russian Federation, need to function as role models. “Only under these circumstances we will be able to welcome further atomic powers such as China on board.” In order to achieve this, however, a lot of time is necessary. In the opinion of Dr. Kordasch, this can be regarded more positively. “If one recalls the Fall of the Berlin Wall, then a nuclear weapon free world is not mere a political utopia.”

For further information on the DGAP Forum in Düsseldorf please contact Frank Neubert. neubert@neubert.cc