What’s on in Geneva this week? (2-6 March)
This week kicks off with an expert meeting on the humanitarian consequences and risks of nuclear weapons, hosted by the ICRC and IFRC. With just two months to go before the NPT Review Conference and as the treaty celebrates 50 years since its entry into force on Thursday, this one-day meeting provides diplomats, researchers, international organizations and civil society members with a timely opportunity to take stock of and discuss the latest evidence of and research on the humanitarian impacts and risks of nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, the Conference on Disarmament will continue with business as usual: holding consultations on a draft programme of work and establishment of subsidiary bodies. In the last CD episode: various ministers addressed the conference as part of the high-level segment and called for efforts to resume its substantive work; this was followed by a regular plenary meeting during which member states discussed a (slightly) revised version of the “P6 package” including a draft programme of work and a draft decision for the establishment of subsidiary bodies; no decision was made. The next plenary meeting is set to take place on Tuesday morning (11am).

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the entry into force of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Photo: Lawrence Weiler