Handover of the report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) in Bangladesh
The Australian High Commissioner Dr Justin Lee and the Minister of the Japanese Embassy Mr Harumitsu Hida handed over the final report of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) to Major General Sheikh Md Monirul Islam, the Director General of the Bangladesh Institute for International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) in a ceremony at the latter’s office on 17 December.
The ICNND’s report was launched by Australia’s Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama in Tokyo on 15 December 2009. It is intended to reinvigorate global debate on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
Major General Monirul Islam, Chairman of the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission Dr Mosharraf Hossain, and Director of the UN Wing at the Foreign Ministry Nahida Sobhan, all attended the ICNND’s South Asia regional meeting in New Delhi in October 2009.
At the handover, Australia’s High Commissioner Dr Lee said the Australian Government welcomes the report as a valuable contribution to achieving a positive outcome at the NPT Review Conference in May 2010 and galvanising action by governments to progress nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Dr Lee explained the report was the work of an independent commission established by the Australian and Japanese governments, and it did not reflect the policy position of any government. The report is intended to stimulate debate and provide forward looking options and possibilities for consideration.
The High Commissioner thanked Major General Islam and other Bangladesh delegates for their contribution to the ICNND’s South Asia regional meeting, and noted issues of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament and the safe use of civil nuclear energy and technology affect all our countries wherever we may be.
The ICNND’s report will be sent to the offices of senior Bangladesh ministers, officials and think-tanks in coming days.
Australian High Commission, Dhaka
17 December 2009
For further information please contact
Senior Political & Economic Research Officer
Australian High Commission.
Tel: 8813105, E-mail: [email protected]