The presentations from the 10th annual National Dialogue on Chemical Weapons Nonproliferation and Destruction held October 28-29, 2008 in Moscow, Russia have been translated and compiled in a new publication. The two-day “forum-dialogue” was organized by three national affiliates of Green Cross International – Green Cross Russia, Global Green USA, and Green Cross Switzerland as part of the international “Legacy” of the Cold War Program.
These annual meetings are intentionally called a “forum-dialogue” in order to emphasize the importance of multi-stakeholder discussions, debate and transparency at all levels of society. In addition, about 130 representatives from ten different countries and various organizations participated in the 2008 Forum-Dialogue. The presentations ranged from the international levels of arms control, disarmament and verification, to the local level of citizen concern over environmental and pubic health impacts of weapons demilitarization. Federal and regional officials were also included, as are representative of the Group of Eight (G-8) Global Partnership. The presentations included in the publication cover a wide variety of related and important issues, including costs and schedules of destruction; financial support by Russia, the US, and other G-8 Global Partners; public health and environmental monitoring; state and regional regulations and permits; and citizen concerns. While not all-inclusive, this annual forum-dialogue is the one place where a reader can obtain a comprehensive overview of the many challenges involved in abolishing chemical weapons.
