CNS NPT Workshop:
RevCon 2010: Planning the Future

The Monterey Institute's James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) convened a two-day diplomatic workshop on the NPT on 12-13 March 2010 in Annecy, France, entitled "RevCon 2010: Planning the Future." Over 80 Conference on Disarmament ambassadors, senior government and international organization officials, and other experts participated. 2010 NPT Review Conference President-designate Libran Cabactulan, and the presidents of the 1995, 2000, and 2005 Review Conferences were among those present.

Through moderated discussions on key issue areas, the workshop sought to consider lessons learned from previous review cycles, identify the issues that will require forward-looking action plans, and generate practical ideas for each of the three main committees and the implementation of the 1995 resolution on the Middle East. As such, the goal of the workshop was to identify where we are, where we are headed, and how we might get there.

Workshop participants generally viewed the 2010 RevCon as an opportunity for States parties to repair the damage sustained during the previous review cycle by reaffirming their dedication to all three pillars of the NPT and by creating a forward-looking action plan that will strengthen the Treaty and enhance international peace and security. Some of the principal challenges include fifteen years of inaction on the Middle East resolution, a lack of measurable benchmarks for assessing the Treaty's implementation, and the persistence of political inertia, where the focus remains on the interplay between blocs of countries rather than on issues of converging interest. Participants tended to agree that a successful RevCon would require progress on issues of substance and that all States must take responsibility for—and demonstrate flexibility in—this undertaking.

The Hewlett Foundation, as well as the governments of Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States provided financial support for the workshop.