Many NGOs are participating in the May 4-15 Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2010 Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) at the UN. The NPT is a cornerstone treaty underlying global non-proliferation efforts.

A number of organizations that work on nuclear weapons issues attended the PrepCom. Reaching Critical Will is following the events at the PrepCom, including posting government statements online. Physicians for Social Responsibility posted regular updates about the PrepCom here. Want to share your experiences at the PrepCom? Post a comment or link to your report back in the comments sections.

At this year’s PrepCom, US Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, the lead negotiator for an agreement to replace the expiring START treaty on nuclear weapons reductions with Russia, presented a message from President Obama at the UN:

Congress established the 12 member bipartisan Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States in 2008 to “examine and make recommendations with respect to the long-term strategic posture of the United States.” The Strategic Posture Commission issued its report on US nuclear weapons policy on May 6, and Chairman William Perry and Vice Chairman James Schlesinger testified before the House Armed Services Committee and Senate Armed Services Committee.

Below are excerpts from analysis and press releases issued by many organizations in response to the Commission's report. Want to chime in? In the comments section you can share your thoughts or post a link to how your organization reacted.

From Physicians for Social Responsibility:

During President Obama's major nuclear weapons speech this past Sunday he pledged, “To achieve a global ban on nuclear testing, my Administration will immediately and aggressively pursue U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. After more than five decades of talks, it is time for the testing of nuclear weapons to finally be banned.” Now it looks like he is backing up that statement with action. Administration officials have said they expect President Obama to appoint Vice President Joe Biden to spearhead ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).

Nuclear testing fuels the arms race and undermines the non-proliferation regime by allowing nations to develop deadlier weapons and enabling new nuclear weapons states to emerge. Additionally, nuclear testing poses serious threats to the environment and our health. US ratification of the CTBT would help strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and enhance global security.

An excerpt from President Obama’s speech on April 5, 2009

Yesterday in Prague, President Barack Obama made a groundbreaking speech in which he pledged “to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.” His significant call for the elimination of nuclear weapons re-orients US nuclear policy, emphasizing the importance of comprehensive arms control agreements and of international cooperation.

President Obama’s agenda comes at a time when the nuclear threat is growing, rather than decreasing. His call for a nuclear weapon’s free world has the bipartisan support of a wide swath of political heavy-weights, including former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, former Defense Secretary William Perry, and former Senators Sam Nunn and Chuck Hagel. According to polling, people around the globe also support achieving a nuclear weapons free world.

Yesterday, President Obama and Russian President Medvedev met for the first time and made important commitments to work together on nuclear weapons issues. Significantly, they pledged their countries to “achieving a nuclear free world” and committed to negotiating a replacement agreement for the Strategic Arms Reductions Treaty (START) to ensure verifiable reductions to both countries' nuclear stockpiles.

Their agreement comes while the clock ticks down to the expiration of START in December of this year, creating an urgent need for a follow-on agreement to START. The historic 1991 START agreement allowed both Russian and the US to reduce their stockpiles and contained provisions that allowed for inspections and verification efforts.