Global Security Newswire

The Philippines yesterday announced it would host a two-day meeting early next month to help countries prepare for the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty review conference in May (see GSN, July 21, 2009).

The meeting is expected to include no fewer than 50 delegates from 37 NPT signatory nations as well as researchers and representatives from nongovernmental organizations. On the agenda are efforts to set a nuclear disarmament agenda, bringing the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty into force and negotiations on a fissile material cutoff treaty.

Participants plan to consider new methods for monitoring compliance with the pact and responding to treaty breaches. They would also discuss nuclear activities in North Korea, which withdrew from the treaty in 2003 and has subsequently carried out two nuclear tests (see related GSN story, today).

In addition, the workshop would address a 1995 resolution calling for a nuclear weapon-free Middle East as well as the effect of U.S.-Russian arms control policies on the global nonproliferation regime (see GSN, Jan. 7).

The preparatory work of developing nations for the NPT conference would receive special attention at next month's workshop, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 1 and 2.

Filipino Ambassador Libran Cabactulan appears set to lead the review conference, which is scheduled from May 3 to 28 at the United Nations in New York (Republic of the Philippines release, Jan. 7).