Report on the 1997 INESAP Conference
Challenges and Opportunities for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World Third Conference of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation
September 8 to 10, 1997, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
The Third International Conference of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation (INESAP) was the first conference specifically dealing with nuclear weapons and delivery systems in China. It was hosted by the Center for American Studies at the Fudan University in Shanghai. Prof. Dingli Shen, Deputy Director of the Center and member of the INESAP Coordinating Committee together with his staff cared very efficiently for the local organisation and created a very pleasant and productive working atmosphere. International invitations and the program were managed by Dr. Martin Kalinowski and his colleagues at the research group IANUS of the Darmstadt University of Technology. The conference was made possible by fundings from the W. Alton Jones Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the State of Hesse.
The main topical interest of the INESAP 1997 Conference focused on challenges and opportunities for a nuclear-weapon-free world. The central goals of this conference were to foster the international network of engineers and scientists who engage in nuclear disarmament issues, to plan future INESAP activities and to provide an extensive opportunity for Chinese and international disarmament experts to meet with each other and exchange views. 19 analysts from China were attending, many of them working with various governmental institutions. The 28 international participants came from 13 countries.
The welcome speeches in the opening session of the conference were given by Prof. Yang Fujia, President of the Fudan University, Shanghai, Prof. Xie Xide, Director of the Center for American Studies, a former President of the Fudan University, Shanghai. Dr. David Krieger, the Deputy Chair of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES) introduced to the topic of the conference and called scientists to act responsible with regard to international peace and natural resources.
During the course of the conference a total of 50 presentations were given on the following major topical areas: The Nuclear Weapons Convention, consequences from the advisory opinion of the World Court of Justice, rethinking nuclear non-proliferation, how to draw further states into the nuclear disarmament process, next steps for nuclear disarmament and their verification, nuclear weapons free zones, ending nuclear weapons research and development, No-First-Use-Treaty, relations to arms control of conventional weapons, nuclear energy and non-proliferation in Asia, ballistic missile defence, counterproliferation and the future of the ABM treaty as well as future perspectives for the cut-off agreement.
In the opening plenary session Rebecca Johnson discussed the prospects for negotiations on nuclear disarmament and she pointed out that there is a new trend towards qualitative rather than the classical quantitative disarmament approach which reduces the number of deployed nuclear weapons. Steps like a No-First-Use Treaty, dealerting of nuclear weapons, ending the deployment on foreign territory, sequestration of warheads, and extending the area of nuclear weapons free zones in the world establish a qualitative disarmament which may lead to the marginalization of nuclear weapons. Jürgen Scheffran discussed the difference between an incremental and a comprehensive approach to negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention and he presented a scheme that demonstrated that both approaches are not necessarily excluding each other. Merav Datan introduced to the content of the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention as well as to the historic process which led to the drafting of the Model by an international group of disarmament experts and diplomats. The drafting process was managed by the Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy (LCNP) and scientific-technical input was provided by INESAP. Wu Jun made clear that China always supported the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and actually supported the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
During the conference the newly established series of INESAP Technical Reports was launched by presenting the first issue. It is written by André Gsponer and Jean Pierre Hurni and deals with "the physical principles of thermonuclear explosives, inertial confinement fusion, and the quest for fourth generation nuclear weapons". With regard to continued nuclear weapons research it was discussed that the United States is preparing to conduct its second "subcritical" nuclear test, code-named Holog, later in September, underground at the Nevada Test Site.
According to a public statement by a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) official, Holog was "important for understanding performance" of nuclear weapons. Fifteen conference participants sent a letter to President Bill Clinton expressing their deep concern that the subcritical tests and the huge "Stockpile Stewardship" program of which they are part, are making it possible for the U.S. to continue modernizing its nuclear arsenal, even under a CTBT. They believe that subcritical tests are acts of bad faith, provocative to other States, that jeopardise prospects for the global entry into force of the CTBT.
All participants of the INESAP 1997 Conference in Shanghai sent their warmest greetings to the distinguished delegates to the International Conference on "Central Asia - Nuclear Weapon Free Zone", being held in Tashkent, September 14-16, 1997. They fully supported and endorsed the efforts of the people and governments of Kazakstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to create a nuclear weapons free zone in Central Asia.
Owen Greene and Jürgen Scheffran facilitated a special session on future activities of INESAP. Reiner Braun, the executive manager of INES gave an inspiring talk on actions and activities of NGOs towards the abolition of nuclear weapons. He put special emphasis on the international network "Abolition 2000". The next focus for common activities will be the second Preparatory Committee meeting for the NPT Review Conference in the year 2000 which will take place from April 27 to May 8 in Geneva. INESAP plans to contribute with a number of activities and at least 9 participants of this conference will meet again there.
It was agreed that in 1998 INESAP will conduct a project that concentrates on security in the Middle East and prospects for a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in that region. As a central element to this project, in September 1998 the fourth INESAP Conference will be hosted by the Center for Research in Arms Control and Security in Amman, Jordan. Another element will be a workshop on ballistic missile defence at Tel-Aviv University, Israel. The Egypt Scientists Against Proliferation (ESAP) and the Coordinating Center for Arabic Peace Organizations will conduct regional activities including networking among scientists and engineers in the Middle East and educating them and the public. IANUS will coordinate research work on technical issues with regard to the goal of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone. This includes questions of transparancy and verification.
A main point of the future work of INESAP will continue to be the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention. In cooperation with the Lawyers Committe on Nuclear Policy (LCNP) the drafting process will continue, a seminar with delegates to the Conference on Disarmament will be held in Geneva in February 1998. At this stage, it is important to develope a strategy to bring the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention into the political process in order to support progress towards global elimination of nuclear weapons.
The delivery systems working group continued its work and is planning a workshop in Israel (see above) and a book publication. The cut-off project "Breaking the deadlock - How can negotiations get started on effective international control of nuclear-weapon-usable materials?" is under preparation in cooperation with IANUS and UNIDIR. Seven persons of the core group of liaisons in a dozen of countries were in Shanghai and gave their reflections to the current draft of the proposal.
It is of special interest for INESAP to further develop regional activities. It is hoped that this conference triggers more future activities in China. The Middle East will be in the focus of next years activities of INESAP. The connections of INESAP to France and Russia need to be improved. Within the regional activities Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ) will play a major role. A group was formed in Shanghai that will organize a workshop on this topic in early 1999.
The INESAP Information Bulletin will remain the main medium of INESAP for international communication. The next issues will have special emphasis on verification of a Nuclear Weapons Free World, the next but one will probably put a focus on NWFZs. The distribution of the INESAP Information Bulletin should be broadened. Selected articles will be translated into German, Arabic as well as Indian native languages like Hindi and Marathi. Brochures with selected articles of the INESAP Information Bulletin will be printed and distributed to interested people.
INES has just started a project on NATO expansion. INESAP suggests to broaden its scope to create a comprehensive picture on NATO activities in different regions of the world like in the Middle East and on their impact on security perceptions in neighbouring countries.
INESAP will continue to reflect responsibility of scientists and engineers. They should not get involved in nuclear weapons related research. Conference participants took a position against academic support for nuclear weapons. The grant of 250 Mill US$ for five universities to coorperate with the Strategic Computing Initiative which is part of the Stockpile Stewartship and Management Program can serve as an example.
The conference lasted for three days and ended with a sightseeing tour to the fast developing "technology park" of the Pudong Area in the east part of Shanghai and to the center of downtown in the west part of the city.
The meeting of 47 experts from 14 countries was an opportunity to learn from each other across the cultures and to make friends. International participants acknowledged that the presentations and discussions helped them to get a better understanding of the people in China and especially of their position on nuclear disarmament related issues. 19 chinese participants from 12 different institutions had the opportunity to hear foreign political positions and to argue with those who put them forward. The goal of a nuclear weapons free world was shared by all participants. Differences appeared with respect to specific ideas about how to arrive there. The experience of harmony was very encouraging for the future common work. It is hoped that this kind of work will continue.
Proceedings of this conference are under preparation and will appear as number 3 in the INESAP proceedings series by end of 1997.
