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The Inter-Parliamentary Union, founded in 1889 by William Randal Cremer (United Kingdom) and Frédéric Passy (France), is an international organisation of parliaments providing forums for parliaments and parliamentarians to discuss and collaborate on key global issues. 150 national parliaments and 8 regional parliaments are members.
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PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware presenting to the IPU
Geneva, October 2008 |
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Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) is cooperating with the Inter-Parliamentary Union on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament issues in order to engage parliamentarians around the world more actively to implement measures within their own legislatures and to build political will for additional initiatives.
Senator Rosario Green (PNND Council Member, Mexico) and Jonathan Granoff (PNND Council Member and President of the Global Security Institute) addressed the IPU on this issue at their Annual Parliamentary Hearing at the United Nations "Reinforcing the Rule of Law in International Relations: The Key Role of Parliaments" New York (UN Headquarters), 20-21 November 2007. Click here to read Jonathan Granoff's presentation.
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Senator Rosario Green |
Baroness Sue Miller (PNND Council Member, United Kingdom) followed-up on this with a proposal to the 118 th IPU Assembly in April 2008 for the IPU to take action. This resulted in IPU establishing a working group chaired by Roger Price MP (Australia) and Jack Jacob Mwiimbu MP (Zambia) tasked to prepare a report and resolution for adoption by the 120 th IPU Assembly in April 2009.
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Baroness Sue Miller |
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The IPU working group’s preliminary draft report was presented to the 119th IPU Assembly in Geneva on October 14 followed by presentations by Tiber Toth (Executive Secretary, Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organisation) and Alyn Ware (PNND Global Coordinator). There followed a very dynamic discussion beginning with Hon Margaret Wilson (PNND Member and the Speaker/President of the New Zealand Parliament) and followed by Speakers/Presidents and representatives from 40 parliaments.Click here to read Alyn Ware's presentation.
Key themes emerging from the IPU Assembly session included the need for parliamentarians and parliaments to take action on:
- Universal ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty
- Promotion of negotiations on a fissile material treaty
- Reducing the operational status of nuclear weapons
- Promoting further reductions in nuclear weapon stockpiles
- Establishing additional nuclear weapon fee zones
- Prohibiting nuclear weapons through national legislation which would include individual responsibility (criminalisation) and divestment from nuclear weapons corporations
- Promoting negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention and undertaking preparatory work on building the mechanisms for its implementation
Click here a summary of the debate.
PNND will continue to cooperate with IPU in preparing the final report and resolution for the April 2009 IPU Assembly, and will assist with its implementation through parliaments world-wide.
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