Dear Colleague,

Every five years, 190 member states of the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) meet to assess how the treaty is working. The next Review Conference was due to begin this week in New York. As with most events, it has been postponed because of COVID-19. While nations grapple with the global pandemic, stopping the spread and use of nuclear weapons remains a vital global security issue.

This week, we feature articles by ELN staff and prominent nuclear experts who explore issues relating to the NPT Review Conference and global nuclear order.

Mapping the fault lines for the 2020 NPT Review Conference 
Edward Ifft, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Stanford University
There have been recent stresses to the NPT regime and fault lines have emerged. In light of this, what should we expect from the next Review Conference?

CEND and a changing global nuclear order
Heather Williams, ELN Senior Associate Fellow
Current institutions underpinning the global nuclear order are not fit for purpose at present. Could CEND - a new forum for generating fresh ideas on nuclear disarmament - help address this?

The NPT at its Golden Anniversary Review 
Andreas Persbo, ELN Research Director and Sahil Shah, ELN Policy Fellow
What challenges are likely to be faced at the upcoming Review Conference? ELN's Research Director and Policy Fellow reflect on December’s Wilton Park Conference on nuclear non-proliferation.

IPNDV in the context of the upcoming NPT RevCon
Alex Bednarek, Program Officer at the NTI
Thorough and effective verification measures are critical to the success of nuclear disarmament. The IPNDV - an initiative of more than 25 countries - is working to address this.

Best wishes,

Adam

Sir Adam Thomson KCMG
Director
European Leadership Network (ELN)