On July 8th, 2011 the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation hosted a seminar by Ambassador Alfredo Labbé Villa from the Republic of Chile. The seminar is part of the Center's monthly seminar series.
Ambassador Labbé presented on the recent Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI). The initiative is a direct result of the efforts of ten "middle power" countries with deep commitments to disarmament and non-proliferation. It was launched after the May 2010 NPT Review Conference by Australia, Canada, Chile, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and the UAE and aims to achieve a number of goals, first among them advancement of the nuclear disarmament agenda and greater transparency in the way nuclear weapons states fulfill their disarmament commitments.
In his presentation, Ambassador Labbé elaborated on this effort, explaining that the ten countries involved are developing a standard reporting form for the nuclear weapons states to complete in hopes that it will facilitate disarmament efforts. Beyond this initial endeavor, the group aims to foster discussion on the Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty, secure agreement from the remaining states necessary to bring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty into force, and encourage the adoption of an Additional Protocol in as many states as possible.
