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METO in partnership with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy organized a webinar considering the role for the other parties to the JCPOA (The EU, Russia and China). In a moment of great serendipity our webinar was held on the same day the Joint Commission of the JCPOA convened talks in Vienna among the remaining parties, with US diplomats waiting on the sidelines.
You can see a report and the interventions by our panellists on our website here. |
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We followed up the webinar above with a second webinar organised in collaboration with International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). The event was more focused on the United States, in which we sought to hear the voices of American constitutencies connected to the Middle East: the Iranian, Arab and Jewish communities.
You can see a report and the interventions by our panellists on our website here. |
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The Middle East: Is there light at the end of the Long Corridor? |
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In the tail end of Trump's presidency, agreements were signed between the USA, Israel and a number of Arab States and became knows as the Abraham Accords. In December last year, METO and GCSP organised a webinar on the Abraham Accords and their impact on the WMDFZ in the Middle East. Following the event we published a joint op-ed in Pressenza, International Press Agency.
The article examines the opportunities and threats emerging from the Accords for the Zone process and broader regional security implications.
Read the article here.
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Work has been on-going on our Draft Treaty versions 4 & 5. We have advanced in several areas in meetings with experts and advisors. And we have a plan in place for the remaining meetings and topics that need to take place before we present DT5 to a special Round Table to be held in September this year.
The results of the September Round Table will be fed into the "final version" of DT5 which will be presented in side events around the UN First Committee meetings in October and the November Conference where states convene to negotiate a treaty to eliminate all weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East. |
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Since our last newsletter, we have continued producing episodes of our podcast series In The Zone. Paul Ingram and Anahita Parsa have interviewed former Head of Verification and Security Policy at the IAEA Tariq Rauf, Egyptian Ambassador Karim Haggag, Senior Executive Officer of Chatham House Renata Dwan, Jordanian Ambassador Wael Al Assad, our very own Emad Kiyaei, and Ding Tongbing, Director of the Nuclear Division of the Department of Arms Control of the Chinese MFA.
Check out our podcast page for the latest episodes. Apart from on our website, our podcasts are also available on SoundCloud, Spotify and YouTube. |
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METO continues to attract new volunteers keen to help us with our goal of eliminating weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East. Our most recent programme associate is Jacob Allard, a student at Durham University in the UK who is helping us develop our presence on linkedin and the METO University Network (see below).
If you're interested in volunteering with METO, click on the volunteer button. |
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METO is continuing to deepen its relationships with the diplomatic missions of countries in New York, Vienna and Geneva. If you work in the diplomatic corps and are interested to hear more about what METO is doing and METO’s approach to the zone, WMDs in the zone and the possible paths forward to achieve a Middle East free of WMDs, please write to us. |
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METO is happy to announce the launch of our University Network. METO UN is a network of Student Representatives from educational institutions all over the world who feel somehow connected to the importance of creating a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. Our students could be from the Zone, have family connections to it, or study in relevant fields such as International Relations, Middle East Studies, Peace Studies, and many others. |
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Statement on the violence in Israel and Palestine |
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The latest violent conflict between Palestine and Israel further destabilises an already volatile region. The Middle East continues to face insecurity, instability and carnage from the manmade catastrophe in the Saudi-led war on Yemen, the on-going Syrian war, Iraq’s internal turmoil, and in faltering states such as Libya and Somalia. METO unequivocally condemns all forms of violent conflict raging across the region by all parties involved. We stand in solidarity with the civilians who are paying the ultimate cost of war with their lives and shattered hopes of a better future...
Click the button below to read the rest of the statement. |
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The Middle East Treaty Organization is a civil society organization founded with the goal to eradicate weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East.
Our Vision | A peaceful, integrated and thriving Middle East built on human and environmental security.
Our Mission | Eradicate WMDs, broker peace and build security in the Middle East.
You can help us in one of three ways. Subscribe to our newsletter, donate money to help us fund our activities and volunteer your time. Please click on the buttons below to do either of those things. |
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