« The tragedy that unfolded in Hiroshima and Nagasaki eighty years ago contributed to forming an international consensus around a moral imperative: that atomic bombs should never be used again. That horrific incident gave new momentum to the debate on disarmament [and to the] Non-Proliferation Treaty ».
These words, pronounced by President Mattarella at his meeting with survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were echoed by Amb. Leonardo Bencini, Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, during his national address at the opening of the Preparatory Committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which is being held at the United Nations in New York from April 28 to May 9.
Amb. Bencini recalled Italy’s support for the NPT as the only instrument capable of countering proliferation and promoting effective, irreversible and verifiable nuclear disarmament. For Italy, the NPT represents the cornerstone of the nonproliferation regime, especially in such a historical moment characterized by increasing international tensions.
The current session of the Preparatory Committee will continue until May 9. Specific segments will be dedicated to each of the three pillars of the NPT, namely on disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
