Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has called for the speedy entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which would ban the testing of new nuclear weapons, as it marks the first ever United Nations International Day Against Nuclear Tests on 29th August. The day was proposed by Kazakhstan, and the date will be the anniversary both of the first Soviet nuclear test explosion in 1949, and of the closure of the former Soviet test site at Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan in 1991.

On Friday, 6th August, over 60 people gathered in Dublin's Merrion Square to mark the 65th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. Approximately 80,000 people were killed directly by the bomb blast, with the death toll rising to 140,000 within a year.

The commemoration was addressed by Cllr Eoghan Murphy, representing the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Patrick Comerford, President of the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and His Excellency Mr Toshinao Urabe, the Japanese ambassador to Ireland.

On Monday, 14th June, Dublin will host a visit from the Japanese-based Peace Boat, including ten atomic bomb survivors (hibakusha - literally "explosion-affected people") from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This visit is a unique chance to meet survivors of the most devastating weapons of mass destruction ever used, and hear their experiences and their message. Don't miss the opportunity!

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has marked the global day of action for the abolition of nuclear weapons, 5th June, with a flower-laying ceremony at the memorial cherry tree in Merrion Square, Dublin, planted to commemorate the victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

Irish CND has warmly welcomed the agreement, by consensus, of the final report and recommendations of the five-yearly Review Conference on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which has been underway at the UN in New York since 3rd May. Irish CND has also praised Ireland's role in the conference, describing it as a major contribution to international diplomacy.

Irish CND backs Minister Martin's call for Disarmament

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has welcomed Minister of Foreign Affairs, Micheál Martin's speech to the opening session of eighth Review Conference on the nuclear weapons Non-Proliferation Treaty at the United Nations in New York on Monday 3rd May. In his speech , Minister Martin criticised the lack of progress towards disarmament under the Treaty's provisions on the part of nuclear-armed states, and called on those states outside the Treaty (India, Pakistan and Israel) to ratify it.

Summit highlights the reality that the threat of nuclear destruction hasn't gone away

As a two-day Nuclear Security Summit of forty-seven states hosted by US President Barack Obama draws to a close, the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has pointed out that its greatest significance lies in its acknowledgement of the serious threat still posed by nuclear weapons. The summit has seen participants affirm non-binding commitments to cooperate in securing the world's weapons grade nuclear materials to prevent such materials falling into terrorist hands.

Signing of nuclear arms accord hailed by Irish CND as an important step

As US president Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev meet today (Thursday 8th April) in Prague to sign a new treaty which will commit both countries to reduce their deployed nuclear weapons by about one-third to a maximum of 1,550 each, the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has hailed the new accord as an important step in the right direction.

Irish CND welcomes historic weapons reduction agreement

The Irish Campaign of Nuclear Disarmament has warmly welcomed the announcement that Russia and the United States have agreed a new ten-year deal to cut the number of deployed nuclear warheads by almost one third. The new agreement will be signed on April 8 in Prague, and will commit both sides to reduce their arsenals of deployed nuclear weapons to a maximum of 1,550 each. The deal also entails cuts in launchers and an improved verification process on that in the START-1 Treaty, which expired in December 2009.