In late September, Canada joined with nine other countries to form the Cross-Regional Group on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament, a group of countries that seeks to bring new life to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament efforts (“Germany joins new international initiative for nuclear disarmament,” DW-world.de, 23 September 2010). The other members of the group are Australia, Chile, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

The mission statement of the group asserts that “The only guarantee against the use and threat of nuclear weapons is their total elimination”. There appears to be little other information available about the group’s agenda, however. Nothing about it appears on any government of Canada website, for example.

Japan and Australia are the leaders of the group, suggesting that its goals probably are based on the 2009 recommendations of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, an international experts group that was sponsored by Australia and Japan.

The group’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in Germany.

Photo by Pierre J.