Abolition 2000 is a worldwide network working for a global treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today strongly condemned North Korea’s underground test of a nuclear weapon early Monday morning.

CND also noted that the failure of the nuclear weapons states to disarm, as required by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, will continue to contribute to nuclear proliferation.

Global proliferation of nuclear weapons has increased dramatically as the five nuclear weapons states signed up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have failed to fulfil their obligation to disarm and engage in programmes designed to build new nuclear weapons.
As Kofi Annan has said, in a speech at the United Nations Association in London in January 2006, “The more those States that already have (nuclear weapons) increase their arsenals, or insist that such weapons are essential to their national security, the more other States feel that they too must have them, for their security.”

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said, “North Korea has the mistaken idea that having nuclear weapons will increase its security. This is wrong – nuclear weapons do not make a country safer. Unfortunately this is also a view taken by many of our own political leaders, hence their desire to replace Trident, but it is as wrong for Britain as it is for North Korea.”

Ms Hudson continued, “It is essential that the world breaks out of this dangerous spiral of nuclear proliferation. Rather than the UK contributing to increased proliferation by replacing Trident, the British government should convene a world summit on nuclear disarmament as proposed by Hans Blix in the recent WMD Commission report.” (1)

“North Korea’s test shows the urgent need for all countries to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and to support a convention banning nuclear weapons.”

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Notes to Editor:

1. The WMD Commission report can be found at http://www.wmdcommission.org/files/Weapons_of_Terror.pdf
2. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman, CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
3. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 32,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. www.cnduk.org