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Blix to deliver WMD report
01/06/2006 08:11 - (SA)
United Nations - The former chief UN weapons inspector in Iraq, Hans Blix, will return to the United Nations on Thursday to deliver a report decrying the stagnation of global nuclear disarmament efforts.
The report represents the fruit of two years' work by the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, set up by Sweden in December 2003 to investigate ways of reducing the dangers from nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological arms.
Blix, who chairs the 14-member commission, will present its findings to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Global efforts have stagnated
A copy of the report posted on the commission's website highlighted the fact that common global efforts to achieve arms limitation and disarmament had stagnated.
"After 50 years of cold war, we even see the risk of arms races involving new types of nuclear weapons, space weapons and missiles," it said.
Recommendations
The commission offered a list of 60 recommendations, topped by a call for all governments to accept the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that was agreed 10 years ago.
It also urged all nuclear states to reduce their arsenals and halt the production of plutonium and highly-enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.
US criticised
In a preface to the report, Blix criticised the United States for using military power to resolve nuclear treaty violations rather than seeking to strengthen existing accords.
Blix led the UN hunt for Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction and opposed the US-led military invasion, arguing that the United Nations and its nuclear watchdog IAEA should be allowed to continue inspections.
In the commission report, Blix urged Washington to take the initiative in bringing the CTBT into force and negotiating a treaty to halt fissile material production.
"In both these areas, the US has the decisive leverage," he said. "If it takes the lead, the world is likely to follow. If it does not take the lead, there could be more nuclear tests and new nuclear arms races."
- AFP
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