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UN Secretary-General speaking at the UN with Henry Kissinger and Mohamed ElBaradei |
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On Oct 24, United Nations Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave a landmark speech entitled Contagious doctrine of deterrence has made non-proliferation more difficult, in which he called on governments to fulfil their nuclear disarmament obligations through negotiating a package of instruments or a comprehensive nuclear weapons convention.
Ban Ki-Moon, speaking at a conference organised by the East-West Institute, announced that “Upon the request of Costa Rica and Malaysia, I have circulated to all United Nations Member States a draft of such a convention, which offers a good point of departure.”
Ban Ki-moon also:
- called on the UN Security Council to initiate discussions on ‘issues in the nuclear disarmament process’
- encouraged the negotiation and implementation of a number of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaties;
- proposed that the Nuclear Weapon States become more transparent about the size of their arsenals, stocks of fissile material and specific disarmament achievements.
- supported complementary measures for the elimination of other types of WMD; new efforts against WMD terrorism; limits on the production and trade in conventional arms; and new weapons bans, including of missiles and space weapons.
The conference included speeches supporting disarmament by other influential leaders including Mohammed ElBaradei (Secretary-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency), Henry Kissinger (former US Secretary of State) and leaders from the E.U., China, India, Japan and Pakistan.
PNND Global Council member Jonathan Granoff and PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware helped organise and lead a high-level strategy session on the Nuclear Weapons Convention which was held at the East-West Institute conference on Oct 24 following the UN Secretary-General’s speech supporting the NWC.
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Jayantha Dhanapala, Jonathan Granoff and Robert Grey, Jr speaking at the NWC strategy session.
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Other participants in the session included Jayantha Dhanapala (President of Pugwash Conferences on Science & World Affairs and former UN Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs), Richard Butler (former Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission to Disarm Iraq), Robert Grey ( Director of the US Bipartisan Security Group and former US Ambassador to NATO) and Henrik Salander (Executive Director of the Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The session was significant in that it signalled a turning point in the international diplomatic framework for considering a NWC. Prior to the UN Secretary-General’s speech most discussion was on whether a NWC was a good idea. Following the SG’s endorsement, most of the discussion was not on whether an NWC would be a good idea, but on how to achieve one.
For a more detailed report see: Strategizing for a Nuclear Weapons Convention, EWI Strategy Session, 24 October 2008.
According to PNND Co-Presidents Marian Hobbs and Alexa McDonough, the commencement of negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention is vital to strengthen the norm against nuclear weapons, to prevent further proliferation and to make real progress towards nuclear disarmament.
Parliamentarians and a Nuclear Weapons Convention
Parliamentarians have essential roles to play in promoting the goal of a nuclear weapons convention, through collaborative non-partisan efforts, mobilizing support for disarmament among their constituents, and ultimately in the process of ratifying the convention. The ultimate beneficiaries of nuclear disarmament are the people, and as their representatives, parliamentarians have a unique stake in ensuring its success.
- Ambassador Sergio Duarte,
UN High Representative on Disarmament |
In a groundbreaking article in PNND Notes, Hobbs and McDonough note that “there is an escalating interest in, and cross-party support for, the abolition of nuclear weapons through a Nuclear Weapons Convention. Draft resolutions, calling for nuclear abolition and/or the achi evement of a Nuclear Weapons Convention, have been introduced by PNND members and adopted in the Australian Senate, New Zealand parliament and European Parliament, along with Early Day Motions in the UK House of Commons and resolutions introduced into the US Congress.”
Hobbs and McDonough believe that a NWC would not just be an agreement between countries, but would be “the codification of an international norm – an indication of what is and what is not acceptable international behaviour, and the development of mechanisms to implement that norm.” They believe that the norm of illegality of nuclear weapons has already been affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its historic 1996 opinion, but that this norm is currently being eroded by the lack of disarmament action by the nuclear weapons States.
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Hon Marian Hobbs at the New Zealand
parliament launch of Securing our Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
Photo by Veronika Peterseil |
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Hobbs and McDonough argue that the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention submitted to the United Nations by Costa Rica and Malaysia demonstrates the feasibility of nuclear abolition, and as such has received the support of key figures including conservative former Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser (Australia) and Jim Bolger (New Zealand), Nobel Peace Laureates such as Mairead Macguire; the United Nations High Representative on Disarmament Sergio Duarte; military leaders including Romeo Dallaire former Commander of UN Forces in Rwanda; parliamentarians and civil society leaders such as Mayor Akiba of Hiroshima.
For the full article click here.
For further information see Securing our Survival: The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention
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Sergei Kolesnikov , Russian Duma, will speak at the European Parliament seminar |
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On November 4, PNND is co-sponsoring a seminar in the European Parliament with the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War on the issue of “Rebuilding Trust: US Nuclear Weapons in Europe and the Renewed Arms Race.” The seminar is being hosted by PNND European Section Co-Chair Angelika Beer MEP and PNND Member Caroline Lucas MEP. PNND Global Council Member Sergei Kolesnikov (Russian Duma) is one of the speakers.
All Members of the European Parliament are invited.
Location: Willy Brandt Building. Room 03M004
Time: 13:00-15:30
On November 9, Luxembourg Mayor Paul Helminger is hosting an academic conference on nuclear abolition in the Luxembourg City Hall for mayors and parliamentarians. This continues the collaboration between Mayors for Peace and PNND including the Mayors and Parliamentarians Appeal for a Nuclear Weapons Free World which was presented to the United Nations in 2006.
For more information on the Luxembourg event contact: Pol D'Huyvetter pol@2020visioncampaign.org
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Judge Weeramantry |
On November 10, PNND Global Council Members Jeremy Corbyn MP and Baroness Sue Miller are hosting a special meeting for UK parliamentarians with Judge Christopher Weeramantry, President of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms and former Vice-President of the International Court of Justice.
The meeting, which will be held in Room N of Portcullis House from 5:15 to 7:15 pm, will focus on legal norms for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the possibility of nuclear disarmament through a nuclear weapons convention.
The meeting is being co-sponsored by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Parliament Group chaired by Jeremy Corbyn MP, and the All Party Group on Global Security and Non-Proliferation, chaired by Lord David Hannay and Tony Lloyd MP.
All parliamentarians are invited to attend. Contact: Sam Akaki sama@cnduk.org
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Palais des Nations (United Nations office in Geneva) |
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On November 13, PNND Global Council Member Jeremy Corbyn (UK) will be speaking at a seminar and roundtable for diplomats on the Nuclear Weapons Convention which is being hosted by the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in Geneva.
The event, which will take place in the Palais des Nations (UN office in Geneva), will explore the legal and political elements required for achieving a nuclear weapons convention, based on the provisions of the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention which has been submitted to the United Nations and Non-Proliferation Treaty Conferences by the governments of Costa Rica and Malaysia.
Other speakers include Mohammed Bedjaoui (former President of the International Court of Justice), Tim Caughley (Director of the Geneva Branch UN Office for Disarmament Affairs), Thomas O’Grady (Mayor of North Olmsted, Ohio and member of Mayors for Peace), H.E. Caroline Millar (Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN in Geneva), Carlos Vargas Pizarro ( Legal Consultant, Costa Rica), John Burroughs (Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee on Nuclear Policy), Ed Aguilar (Director, Project for Nuclear Awareness), Peter Becker (Vice-President International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms), and Moritz Kutt and Martin Cieslik (Students from th e 2008 model negotiating conference for a Nuclear Weapons Convention).
For more information contact alyn@lcnp.org.
PNND member Holger K. Nielsen (Danish Parliament) and PNND Global Coordinator Alyn Ware will speak – along with Dr Hans Blix and other disarmament experts - on the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a Nuclear Weapons Convention at a Symposium on strengthening the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty being organised by the Danish Section of Pugwash to take place on 17 November at Fǽllessalen, Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark from 13:00 – 16:45.
The event is open to all parliamentarians and members of civil society. Contact: avery.john.s@gmail.com
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Parliamentarians launch declaration for a NWC:
L-R: Theo Kelchtermans, Belgian MP and Mayor of Peer; MEP Angelika Beer (Greens/EFA, Germany); MEP Annemie Neyts (ALDE, Belgium); MEP Ana Gomes (PSE, Portugal); MEP Girts Kristovskis (UEN, Latvia) MEP Frieda Brepoels (PPE-DE, Belgium) |
On Tuesday, July 1, 2008 the European Parliament Section of PNND commemorated the 40th anniversary of the nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) by launching a Parliamentary declaration in support of the Nuclear Weapons Convention.
The declaration calls for implementation of the NPT disarmament obligation through multilateral negotiations to achieve a non-discriminatory global treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons and providing for their elimination under international control.
The declaration was endorsed by Members of the European Parliament from across the political spectrum including former French Prime Minister Michel Rocard and former Belgian Prime Minister Jean –Luc Dehaene.
PNND is now circulating the declaration globally seeking endorsements from additional parliamentarians with a view to presenting it to2009 Preparatory Conference of States Parties to NPT in May and to the 2009 United Nations General Assembly in October.
Please return signed declarations to PNND, PO Box 24-429, Manners Street, Wellington, Aotearoa-New Zealand Fax: +64 4 496-9599 pnnd@gsinstitute.org
For more on the July 1 launch see Members of the European Parliament launch support for a total ban on nuclear weapons
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