( NPT) disappointment at the failure of governments to agree on a concrete action plan to abolish all nuclear weapons

United Nations, New York - The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear

Weapons (ICAN) welcomes the adoption today of the final document by the
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference, but expresses its
disappointment at the failure of governments to agree on a concrete action
plan to abolish all nuclear weapons by means of a comprehensive treaty.

"We are pleased that the nuclear powers have reaffirmed their commitment to
disarm, but many of the disarmament actions in the final document are
phrased more as aspirational goals than firm commitments to disarm. The
nuclear weapon states still see nuclear abolition as a far-off vision, not a
near-term objective, and have resisted attempts to include benchmarks or
timeframes for achieving elimination. One must question how serious they are
about realizing their vision of a nuclear-weapon-free world," said Tim
Wright, a spokesperson for ICAN in New York.

Dr. Rebecca Johnson, vice-chair of ICAN, who is a leading expert on the NPT,
said: "The process and outcome of the NPT Review Conference have made two
things very clear: reaffirmations of commitments made 10 or 15 years ago are
not enough, especially as these undertakings were not honoured and
implemented. As the outcome document underlines, getting rid of nuclear
threats requires not only concrete disarmament steps but the establishment
of 'the necessary framework to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear
weapons'. The action plan on nuclear disarmament as well as the inability of
the NPT machinery to deal with noncompliance and to strengthen its own
safeguards agreements, as illustrated in what was left out of the final
document, make it now clear to everyone the need to initiate a process
leading to negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention that will do away
with the NPT distinction between nuclear haves and have-nots and
comprehensively ban nuclear weapons for all."

ICAN is pleased that the final document includes two references to a Nuclear
Weapons Convention - a comprehensive treaty outlawing nuclear weapons and
providing for their time-bound and verified elimination. However, the agreed
document falls well short of calling for the immediate commencement of
negotiations on such a treaty, as is supported by a majority of governments.
The Non-Aligned Movement, as well as such countries as Norway, Switzerland
and Austria, have all advocated for a convention at this conference.

"The need for a comprehensive nuclear abolition treaty was a central element
of the debate at this review conference. For the first time, a large
majority of governments put their weight behind the idea. Forty years after
the entry into force of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, there is a high degree
of dissatisfaction with the lack of progress in achieving a
nuclear-weapon-free world. Governments are looking for a new approach," said
Wright.

Thousands of people will respond to the NPT review conference outcome on
Saturday, June 5, at actions in more than 30 countries. "Our message is
simple. It is time for governments to begin negotiations on a Nuclear
Weapons Convention, which is the most obvious and realistic path to a
nuclear-weapon-free world. We must not await another Hiroshima or Nagasaki
before finally resolving to ban these despicable weapons. Nuclear abolition
is the democratic will of the world's people."

More information on ICAN: www.icanw.org

More information on the NPT conference: www.reachingcriticalwill.org