Recent and upcoming nonproliferation activities, events, and announcements involving the CNS center, staff, and programs.

Updated: Jul 14, 2009

NATO Parliamentarians Visit CNS

On Friday, July 10, 2009, a delegation from the Science and Technology Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) visited the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. The members of the delegation came from Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. Having chosen the United States for its yearly documentation trip, the group of parliamentarians led by Acting Chairman Pierre Claude Nolin from Canada engaged in discussions related to weapons of mass destruction proliferation with the CNS staff.

Dr. William Potter moderated a session focused on recent NPT developments, and Dr. Patricia Lewis led a discussion on disarmament issues. Ms. Cristina Hansell discussed the promises and perils of a nuclear renaissance and Dr. Raymond Zilinskas analyzed the threat of bioweapons and bioterrorism. Ms. Gaukhar Mukhatzhanova provided insight into the internal political turmoil in Iran.

Andrius Avizius, the director of the Science and Technology Committee within the international secretariat of the NATO PA, noted that the CNS presentations "were not only informative, but more importantly, they provoked strong reactions from our members, leading to very interesting discussions."

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly acts as a forum for legislators from member states to address issues of common interest and concern to the Alliance. The five committees of the Assembly report on issues affecting NATO, make policy recommendations, and receive briefings from government officials, international organizations leaders, and other experts.