Topic: Emerging Nuclear States and the Global Nuclear Framework
Country: Portugal
Delegate Name: Jack Murray
School: Williamston High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Portugal position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
Nuclear energy as well as nuclear weapons have been a great or terrifying technological advancement ever since the 1940’s when in 1941 the Chicago pile-1 nuclear reactor was created becoming the first in the world, several years later the power of nuclear weapons would be revealed to the world when the United States dropped two nuclear weapons upon the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The cities were utterly destroyed and hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives to the incidents. Other nuclear disasters include Chernobyl and Fukushima. Where due to either environmental disasters or human error, a huge amount of environmental and civil damage has been caused. Nuclear reactors also have the ability to produce a huge amount of power and electricity. Today there are over thirty nations which use nuclear energy for over twenty five percent of total energy production, so this is a need for nuclear energy in multiple countries as a necessary power source. Also today they are nine countries which have nuclear weapons, five being the P-five nations as well as other nations such as Israel, the DPRK as well as India and Pakistan. Creation and use of agencies and treaties have been used to ensure nuclear safety such as the IAEA (International atomic energy agency) and the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty).With non renewable energies on the rise, countries are looking towards nuclear programs to cut costs leading to a spike in international interest in nuclear energy.
As as nation state on the western coast of the Iberian peninsula where the only nuclear reactor in the country is a one MW (MegaWatt) research station where none of the nuclear production is contributed towards the nation’s energy it is instead used solely for research purposes. Portugal in the 1970’s faced harsh public backlash from environmentalists due to a plan to build a nuclear power plant north of Lisbon in the small village of Ferral, however due to the majority of the nation's energy production coming from non renewable energies the idea of privately owned nuclear reactors to lower the cost of energy in the country is becoming more common, Although but has not been a big enough issue in the country to where is a major discussion.
The Republic of Portugal would like to see the continued existence of the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) and see every nation on earth sign and abide to the treaty as well as to see the extinction of nuclear weapons in the arsenals of countries. Portugal feels indifferent about nations seeking to created their own peaceful nuclear programs as long as they properly able to maintain their facilities, properly remove and take care of nuclear waste and ensure that their peaceful programs stay peaceful. Portugal would also advise and encourage nations to join and abide to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) to ensure the safety and prosperity of not just the host nation but all nations close or afar to nuclear reactors. To restate Portugal wants all nations of the world to choose for themselves whether or not to develop their own nuclear programs as long as they are able to maintain and properly run their facilities and do not harm other nations. Portugal would also like to see the end of nuclear weapons and the extinction of nuclear weapons programs seeking to acquire nuclear weapons.
