Dear Friends, Environment and Abolition Activists,
“The International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century” was held in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 27 to 29 June 2013, attended by minister s, high-ranking officials and experts from 87 States and 7 international organizations, with over 500 participants.
The Conference provided an opportunity to discuss and review the status and prospects for nuclear power. It also included the contributions to sustainable development, efforts to continuously improve nuclear safety, infrastructure development and fostering deployment of innovations in nuclear power.
The concluding statement emphasized that because of continuous improvements and innovations in technology and management, nuclear power has become safer and more reliable. These measures implemented at nuclear power plants have resulted in performance enhancement as well as demonstrated good safety records.
The Conference concluded that for many countries nuclear power is a proven, clean, safe, and economical technology that will play an increasingly important role in achieving energy security and sustainable development goals in the 21st century.
Briefly IAEA director general Yukiya Amano concluded: “The nuclear industry can look ahead with confidence and optimism” to the future of nuclear power in the 21st century.
Unfortunately, the concluding statement as well as the presentations and the exhibition were dissociated from broader efforts to rid the world of nuclear weapons. No consequence was highlighted as a result of the possession, development and modernization of nuclear weapons. Also, the concluding statement mentioned nothing about the thousands of nuclear weapons around the world and their potential impacts on environment, sustainable development and human kind.
I believe that the strong presence of activists and campaigners of nuclear weapons free world and sustainable development is needed in such meetings or in the media covering them. I’m sure that will help educate the participants on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and the need to eliminate them.
All the best
Written by Dr. Ghassan Shahrour
الشبكة العربية للأمن الإنساني 
سلاح:
أجدرٌ لعالمنا صنع منجل بعطى
لا سلاح سفك دم قد يباع رغم صدى
لا لطاعن بمدى ظالم بحصد جنى
أحسنوا الجهود بكل للمس خيرُ نمى
ساعدوا الضعيف بكسب فمعه العطاء رضى
بحلا الحياة معاً من يسبها لسدى
جزاكم الله الخير على جهودكم الطيبه، خطاكم مباركه