Browne calls for development of Nuclear disarmament technologies

During a major speech at today's Conference on Nuclear Disarmament Mr Browne said:

"For the first time, I am proposing to host a conference for technical experts from all five recognised nuclear states, to develop technologies for nuclear disarmament.

"At the centre of this offer are the skills and expertise of UK scientists at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. Those skills will form the basis of pioneering technical research into nuclear disarmament – to become a 'nuclear disarmament laboratory'."

As part of his speech, Des Browne highlighted disarmament that has already been achieved and the need to have a forward plan for a world free of nuclear weapons in order to maintain global support for countering nuclear proliferation.

He said:

"Despite significant reductions in stockpiles since the Cold War, there remain thousands of nuclear warheads worldwide. The proliferation of nuclear material, technology and weapons represents a grave threat to international security.

"These challenges require a global solution. The international architecture to promote disarmament and counter proliferation is extensive, but still not sufficient. So we must continue to address these threats internationally.

"Every nation, both with and without nuclear weapons, needs to contribute to this effort. Nuclear Weapons States must show forward commitment to disarmament in order to maintain broad support from the Non-Nuclear Weapons States on countering proliferation.

"As one of the five recognised nuclear weapons states, the UK has made a significant contribution to countering proliferation, but this cannot be a unilateral approach. In the current circumstances, we cannot undermine our own national security. In renewing our own nuclear deterrent, we clearly set out our position in the 2006 White Paper as maintaining "minimum deterrence".

"The UK is determined to have a world free of nuclear weapons. But to get there we must first create an international environment that better supports disarmament. The UK has and will continue to pursue this until nuclear weapons no longer exist."

The Defence Secretary's speech builds on the Prime Minister's speech in Delhi last month and the Foreign Secretary's Carnegie Speech in June last year.

• Maintaining a moratorium on nuclear testing since 1991;
• Continuing to be a leading advocate for UN Security Council Resolution 1540 which puts legally binding obligations on all UN Member States to combat proliferation of WMD.
• UK is the only recognised Nuclear Weapon State to have reduced to one type of platform, missile and warhead;
• As part of the White Paper in 2006, the UK announced a reduction of 20 per cent in the number of operationally available warheads to fewer than 160 - this has now been achieved;
• Continuing to push for a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty to ban the production of fissile material for nuclear weapons or other nuclear devices (UK has not produced any fissile material for nuclear weapons since 1995);
• UK has pledged up to $750M over ten years to the G8 Global Threat Reduction Programme which includes dismantling old Russian nuclear submarines.
• Proposing an 'Enrichment Bond' to help non-nuclear states acquire the new sources of energy they require. The bond will allow internationally agreed access to nuclear fuel in return for demonstrable commitment to non-proliferation and strict compliance with the highest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards, thus ensuring the safe, secure and peaceful development of nuclear energy as envisioned by the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The technical conference of the laboratories from the five recognised Nuclear Weapon States (China, France, Russia, UK and US), ideally before the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010, will enable these five states to demonstrate their engagement in a process of mutual confidence building and trust.