2017 Arms Control Association annual meeting. Im daryl kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, and as most of you know we are an independent nonpartisan Membership Organization established in 19 said one and we are dedicated to reducing and eliminating the threats posed by the worlds most dangerous weapons which would of course be nuclear, chemical, biological weapons as well as certain conventional weapons that pose particular harm in risk to civilians. You can find more about the Arms Control Association, its history, its ongoing work and to get more information also about these issues through website, armscontrol. Org and you can follow us on twitter at arms control now. The latest issue of our journal arms control today just went online so you can check that out there. You can also check out our resources on our arms control out which is simply arms control on all of the app stores. We are very pleased to see so many of you here today, members, friends, colleagues from the diplomatic community, journalists and we welcome those of you who are with us watching it on cspan ticket for those the following on social media, that twitter handle for todays event to be part of the conversation is arms control 17. So the theme of this years Arms Control Association annual meeting is arms control and nonproliferation restraint at risk. And they are, we are facing serious and in some ways unprecedented challenges this year in the ongoing task to reduce the nuclear danger. The bedrock of all nonproliferation efforts, the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty, faces serious implementation challenges. We have key commitment and nonproliferation obligations that are unfulfilled, and thats led many of the worlds nonNuclear Weapon states to begin negotiations on a treaty to prohibit Nuclear Weapons. We will talk more about that later today. With the deterioration of u. S. Russian relations, key arms control treaties including a new strategic arms reduction treaty are at risk as well as the Nuclear Forces treaty, and worst steal all of the worlds Major Nuclear arms states are either replacing, upgrading, or in some cases expanding their nuclear arsenals. And last but not least, unless we can work with our allies to engage north korea in talks to help or reverse its nuclear pursuit, its capabilities will become more dangerous in the years ahead. So how the United States will respond to these challenges and whether the United States continue to provide Global Leadership is not entirely clear and thats part of what we will be talking about today. President trump has made statements that concern key allies. Hes made statements about expanding the u. S. Nuclear capabilities. Hes been highly critical of some agreements like the new s. T. A. R. T. Treaty and the iran nuclear deal. So weve got great lineup of speakers and experts and analysts to address these issues. We are especially happy to have later today senior white house adviser christopher ford, during the lunch hour, and the new u. N. High representative for disarmament Izumi Nakamitsu will be closing of the conference with respect as from the International Community and the United Nations. But before we moved to the first part of our program i just want to give a brief bit of thanks and a shout out to some of our individual members and contributors to make todays event possible. Some other names are on the tables here at the Carnegie Endowment for national peace. And thats important because we are a small organization, we try to have a big impact but it needs that your donations make a huge difference. In response to the challenges we are really gratified that our members have responded over the last few months. We seen an uptick in contributions at this in very important time. We are very happy to have several organizations and individuals help with contributions for this conference concluding our colleague Organization Nuclear education Peace Foundation which is committed to world free of Nuclear Weapons. Our partners at womens action for new directions, which empowers women to be agents of change in support of disarmament and peace, and our individual sponsors for todays event, pierce gordon, deborah gordon, jan, andrew weber, and to members of the Arms Control Association who wish to remain anonymous. So thanks to you all and thanks to everyone who is here. We cannot do without you. We could also not make progress on these issues without leaders in arms control, and thats why ten years ago we launched the arms control person of the year award. We felt it was important to recognize the important work of key individuals who in various ways in different parts of the world have catalyzed awareness and action to deal with these weapons related challenges. So each year the staff of the board of directors, nominate several individuals about kendra doesnt, who we think have provided notable leadership in the previous year. And then we put it all to an online vote, and the top vote getter becomes the arms control person of the year. So its an imperfect process perhaps, but so far our elections have been free of any cyber hacking and we think its a free and fair process that is about as democratic as it can be. And the republic of the Marshall Islands and former foreign minister of the Marshall Islands tony to broome, garnered the highest number of votes for 2016 and they are our arms control persons of the year, over 1850 people from 62 countries anticipated in the voting this year back in december, and thats a record for this contest. Our winners were nominated and are being recognized for pursuing a formal legal case in the United States for failing to meet their obligations to initiate Nuclear Disarmament negotiations. Its important to remember the republican Marshall Islands is, and the people there, were subjected to 67 u. S. At mr. Nuclear test explosions in 194 19461958. Unfortunately tony but accepted our invitation to come here to play all the way from his home in the South Pacific is unable to be with us due to health difficulties, and the republic of Marshall Islands ambassador is out of washington today on official business. Weve asked John Burroughs who s executive director of the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy was a member of the legal team that brought the suit to the International Court of justice to say a few words about tony and the significance of the case in the larger scheme of things. So john, thanks for being with us to explain the importance of this. [applause] thank you, daryl. In bringing the Nuclear Disarmament cases before the International Court of justice, the Marshall Islands and its a been foreign minister tony debrum, showed courage and determination rooted in tragic experience. They also showed good faith in seeking long guided solutions. Tony and the Marshall Islands have shown similar courage and determination confronting Climate Change. Tony played a catalytic role at the negotiations that yielded the paris climate agreement in december of 2015. He helped to bring together a Large Coalition of nations, the High Ambition Coalition, that strengthen the agreement and perhaps even made it possible. So in light of the province yesterday, i think i should call it a couple thinks the Marshall Islands of the high Mission Coalition has said. President hilda hinds said just a President Trumps intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, she said this, while todays decision will have great impacts, we must not give up hope. The High Ambition Coalition convened by Marshall Islands also released a statement for people around the world most vulnerable to Climate Change, the Paris Agreement represents the best hope for survival. The arms control persons of the year award of course was about arms control, so let me return to that. We were of course very disappointed that last fall by the narrowest of margins, the International Court of justice decided not to adjudicate the Nuclear Disarmament cases on the merits. However, simply bring the cases raised to world attention the failure of the Nuclear Powers to fulfill the obligation to negotiate and reach a global elimination of Nuclear Weapons. That was what the court said in its 1996 advisory opinion unanimously, thats what the court said the obligation is. For those of you who like to dig into things, the Marshall Islands pleadings are also a Rich Resource for the development of political and legal arguments for disarmament. In the uk, memorial in the uk case, the National Legal team argued the nurse because thats just the way the case unfolded. So as daryl mentioned, for making 461958 the u. S. Conducted 67 at mr. Nuclear test in the Marshall Islands at the eight tolls of bikini and we talk. They include the First Hydrogen bomb test, mike, in 195252, and infamous bravo test in march 1954, 15 megatons. 1000 times the size of the hiroshima and nagasaki bombs. Tony debrum was a nineyearold boy fishing in a canoe with his grandfather when he witnessed the bravo test 200 miles away. The sky turned blood red, he told the International Court of justice in march 2016. However, the Marshall Islands cases before the International Court of justice were not about compensation for the effects of testing. When the cases were filed in april 2014, tony said our people have suffered the catastrophic and irreparable damage of these weapons and we found to fight so that no one else on earth will ever again experienced these atrocities. Tony also said in accepting the 2015 award, ive seen with my very own eyes nuclear devastation, and no with conviction that Nuclear Weapons must never again be visited upon humanity. This is not just an issue of treaty commitments or international law, though it is that, and not just an issue of ethics or morality, though it is that, too, that this is an issue of common sense. How could anyone common person walking down the road, street, ever permit the possession or use of such weapons . So i think that the Marshall Islands and tony debrum richly deserve this award, and i think daryl and Arms Control Association very much for arranging it. [applause] and its an actual award. I want to ask you, john, to help us get this to the Marshall Islands to tony. Thanks a lot. All right, and thank you, john, for helping to explain and to remind us about documenting impacts of the work that we are discussing here today and the interconnectedness of these issues for all of its inhabitants. Now, its time to turn to the first panel of the day, which is Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty and a Nuclear Weapon ban talks, a status report. I like to ask our three panelists to come up to the podium. We will make a quick transition here. As they come up to the states let me note that our moderator is ambassador susan burk. Susan, along with a panel of tom countrymen were selected to the Arms Control Association part of directors, and susan among other career accomplishments was head of u. S. Delegation to the successful 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty review conference. So with that, susan, the floor is yours and were going to begin. Thank you. Thank you. Good morning. Feedback . Our first panel today is going to tackle the challenges facing the Nuclear Nonproliferation treaty as it approaches its 50th anniversary of the entry into force. That will be in 2020, the review conference. And in particular, the paddles going to to dress the efforts currently underway under u. N. Auspices to draft a treaty prohibiting Nuclear Weapons leading towards the total elimination. Challenges to the npt are not new in pursuit of measures to strengthen its imitation is ongoing. The negotiations on a band trade on the growing International Frustration over the pace of progress on Nuclear Disarmament pursuant to article six of the npt ban treaty. As this frustration has fueled deepening concerns about the humanitarian consequences of Nuclear Weapons use among many nations and Civil Society. Supporters of the ban treaty believe that it will fill a legal gap in the npt and give a boost to disarmament in a way that complements the npt, not compete with the npt. Another group of states include the npt Nuclear Weapons states are insisting that they are a stepbystep our aggressive approach to Nuclear Disarmament has been and remains a proven way to reduce arsenals. This one would have come to experienced diplomats and experts on the subject. Theres a brief biography of each gentle man in your program so i will be even briefer and introducing them. Tom countrymen was a crew member of the Senior Foreign Service achieving the rank of minister counselor and he sits as acting under secretary for arms control and International Security and simultaneously as the assistant secretary for International Security and nonproliferation ride the honor of working for him for about a year. Ambassador jan kickert is austria permanent representative to the United Nations in new york picky with directorgeneral for Political Affairs in the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is also served in a number of other government positions. His government as many of you know has been among the leaders in the humanitarian consequences movement. We will start with ambassador kickert he was prepared to address the goals, value, and the possible shape of a new prohibition or ban treaty. And then will have mr. Countryman focuses comments on the convention, but the convention needs to contain, what it sponsors did you do to make progress towards this goal, and hopefully to address the intersection of the band and npt. So after about 15 minutes of remarks by each, will open the floor to your questions. Without further ado i will start off with ambassador kickert. Thank you much. I dont think i will need 15 minutes. Okay. For introduction, but rather save time for q a. At the outset i also have to say i am not a development specialist. I am a diplomat and i happen to deal also with the government, but i am not a specialist. Im not the chief negotiator which is going to be negotiated on june 15 at the United Nations with the view of hopefully concluding such a treaty by the end of the three weeks span, beginning in july. I just wanted to explain a little bit to you how we have committed you said the traditional role of austria in disarmament, its that only Nuclear Disarmament. Weve always found austria at the core group, the vanguard of any initiative. Because we believe that a world with less weapons, especially deadly weapons, is a safer one and not vice versa. So this is our general approach. Being here i want to give you a little bit of perspective of those countries who are behind the prohibition. I have the feeling that the United States discussed among themselves, maybe also with other Nuclear Weapons states, but dont hear so much what