A two-day international conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, hosted by the Norwegian government, opens in Oslo today, Monday.(Photo: Norwegian Minister of Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide)
The conference, with more than 120 nations represented, will be opened by Espen Barth Eide, Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The conference, which will be held on senior official level, is open to all states, as well as UN organisations, representatives of civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
The conference invitation states that a nuclear weapon detonation, whether intentional or accidental, could cause catastrophic short- and long-term humanitarian, economic, developmental and environmental effects. Such a detonation could have global implications.
Although there is wide recognition of the importance of the humanitarian consequences of a nuclear weapon detonation, as demonstrated by the outcome document of the last Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, direct consideration of these issues has so far been limited.
The conference programme includes presentations by experts and discussions around three key aspects: first, the immediate humanitarian impact of a nuclear detonation; second, the possible wider developmental, economic and environmental consequences; and third, preparedness, including plans and existing capacity to respond to this type of disaster.
The conference says it is providing an arena for a fact-based discussion of the humanitarian and developmental consequences associated with a nuclear weapon detonation.
(NRK/Aftenposten/Press release)
Summing up the Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, held in Oslo this week, the Chair, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said several states had expressed the wish to continue the discussions.
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Norway has joined the UN and many other nations in condemning the North Korean nuclear test, carried out on Tuesday.
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Norway strongly condemns the launch by North Korea of a long-range rocket on Wednesday, says Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.
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Speaking at the NATO Summit in Chicago, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said NATO still is the most successful alliance in history, but added that these are challenging times for NATO.
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The Chicago summit should send a strong signal of NATO’s resolve to engage with Russia on nuclear issues, says Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
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Norway is pleased to note that the US Senate has given its consent to ratification of the New START Treaty with Russia on reductions in the number of strategic nuclear arms. (Photo: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre)
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Norway supports the new course for NATO for the next decade, set at the Defence Alliance's Summit in Lisbon before the weekend, when a number of important decisions were taken.
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The foreign ministers of Norway and Poland have agreed on a joint initiative aimed at a reduction of the number of short-range, tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Europe.(Photo: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre by Berit Roald, Scanpix)
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NATO members Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg have called on the Western defence alliance to support efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons. (Photo:Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre) ..
NnB NOR and Fokus Bank offers its customers to invest their savings in companies that produce cluster weapons, while Nordea offers investments in companies that produce nuclear weapons...
The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2009 to US President Barak Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons. Obama's first reaction: I am humbled.
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Norway has joined other nations in expressing concern over reports diclosing the existence of a second uranium enrichment plant in Iran, sayng this is incompatible with UN Security Council requirements. (Photo: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere)..
The Government has submitted a report to the Storting (Parliament) that explores the many challenges related to disarmament, and gives an overview of Norway’s positions and initiatives in this area. (Photo: Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere)..