Last month, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The distinction recognized ICAN as a “driving force” and a leading actor of “civil society” in the movement against nuclear weapons.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized that “unacceptable human suffering” is an important argument for the prohibition of nuclear weapons. The organization also highlighted other less destructive weapons, such as landmines, cluster bombs, and chemical and biological weapons, which have already been banned by various treaties.
Formed by a coalition of non-governmental organizations in 100 countries, ICAN was launched in 2007 and advocates for the adherence to and implementation of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of 
Nuclear Weapons, a comprehensive global agreement adopted in New York on July 7, 2017. In September, during the UN General Assembly, President Michel Temer became the first head of state to sign the treaty. This event was celebrated by ICAN.
During the opening speech of the Assembly’s debate session, Temer spoke about the importance of the treaty. The president stated that his signature was a “historic moment” and advocated for nuclear disarmament and peace among nations.
U.S. and Brazil Hold Disarmament Dialogue
The United States and Brazil held their 6th Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Dialogue in Washington, DC, in September. The meeting is one of several ongoing exchanges conducted by the United States and Brazil to strengthen bilateral cooperation on nuclear disarmament and arms control, export control, as well as the non-proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
Experts from both sides gathered to discuss a range of disarmament and non-proliferation challenges and to identify strategic actions to address them effectively. The 2017 Dialogue placed special emphasis on U.S. and Brazilian efforts to combat and condemn the illegal pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means, including by the DPRK and non-state actors.
Brazil’s Nuclear Capabilities
Brazil is one of the few countries with competencies across all major dimensions of the “nuclear fuel cycle, from mineral prospecting to uranium enrichment and fuel fabrication. Brazil has never developed nuclear weapons and there is no evidence that it intends to enrich uranium above the 20% level. From the 1960s to the early 
1990s, Brazil pursued an ambitious nuclear technology development program, which included the construction of an unsafeguarded uranium enrichment facility under the direction of the Navy. However, Brazil renounced nuclear weapons and peaceful nuclear explosions (PNEs) and became a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Brazil is the only non-nuclear weapon state with a civilian nuclear program that leases uranium enrichment technology from the state’s military sector. Nuclear energy accounts for approximately 3% of the country’s electricity production, provided by two operating nuclear plants, Angra 1 and Angra 2. A third plant, Angra 3, is under construction and is expected to begin operations in 2018.
Following the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, the Brazilian government created a response plan that includes enhanced safety inspections, verifications, and guidelines at existing nuclear plants to prevent similar disasters in the country. Plans for the construction of new plants were reassessed to incorporate a greater focus on safety.
Source: BrazilGovNews and U.S. Department of State