At first it was the United States. Then came Russia, China, Britain and France. Everyone wanted their own atomic bombs and atomic energy. While Israel quietly nurtured its nuclear programme, in Asia, rivals India and Pakistan, and most recently North Korea, joined the global nuclear club. Now all eyes are on Iran, which according to the nations that already have this technology, is hiding weapons behind the doors of its nuclear energy industry.

95 percent of the nuclear arsenal is owned by the U.S. and Russia. With the arrival of U.S. President Barack Obama, there are renewed efforts to work towards non-proliferation. Civil society groups are re-invigorating grassroots efforts towards full realisation of the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and promoting a new global and binding nuclear weapon abolition convention.

Are nuclear weapons stockpiles adequately safeguarded? Is nuclear energy worth the risk? What lessons will be drawn from the post-earthquake Japanese nuclear disaster? Read IPS.