A number of security-related treaties are in deep trouble. One prominent reason is the reluctance of the major powers, notably nuclear weapons states, to comply with their more important disarmament and verification related obligations. An opportunistic attitude towards treaty obligations by nuclear weapons states is contributing to nuclear dangers, including the potential for both state and non-state nuclear proliferation.

The Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) is holding a conference, Nuclear Dangers and the State of Security Treaties, during the 2002 NPT Preparatory Committee meeting, in order to examine the connection between the erosion of security treaties and the increase of nuclear threats.

You are invited to attend this conference, which will be held in New York on Tuesday, April 9. Jayantha Dhanapala, UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament, will be the keynote speaker at Session III on Tuesday evening. The agenda is available.

In order to enter the United Nations building you must be registered with the UN. If you are planning to attend IEER's conference and will not already be registered at the UN for the 2002 NPT PrepComm, please let us know your name and affiliation by March 20, 2002, so that we can register you.

For additional information about the conference, please contact Michele Boyd (michele@ieer.org).