MEDIA STATEMENT:

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons applauds Japan's announcement to host a major disarmament conference in 2010 and calls on Australia, as co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation Disarmament (ICNND), to actively promote and build on this initiative.

President of the Medical Association for the Prevention of War and ICAN Board member, Dr. Sue Wareham, said "2010 offers an unprecedented chance to address the threat of nuclear weapons.  There is growing international consensus of the threat posed by existing and emerging weapon stockpiles, and a major global mechanism, the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, to turn all this into an effective and agreed approach to dramatically reduce the threat, risk and waste of nuclear weapons.

"Australia is a middle level power with a history of good action on disarmament and international treaties, as well as being a major uranium supplier - we have nothing to lose and a world to gain.  It is exciting and positive that Australia can play such a role and we urge the Rudd government to get organised, active and on the bus.

"We urge the Australian government to take further action, by formalising their policy commitment to drive the agenda for a Nuclear Weapons Convention at the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee in New York next week," concluded Dr. Wareham.

Media contact:

Teri Calder, ICAN Media Officer: 0425 230 679 / teri@icanw.org