Thursday,
4 June 2009
10:15 AM– 1:00 PM
UN Headquarters, New York, NY
Conference Room 2
The
briefing will be held in preparation for the 62nd annual
DPI/NGO Conference in Mexico City from 9–11 September
2009.
The
panelists include: Daniel Prins, Chief of the Conventional
Arms Branch of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs; Frida
Berrigan, Senior Program Associate of the Arms and Security
Initiative at the New America Foundation; Rhianna Tyson,
Senior Officer for the Global Security Institute; and Ray
Acheson, Project Director of the Reaching Critical Will
project of the Women’s International League for Peace
and Freedom.
You
will need a UN grounds pass to attend the briefing.
5)
Global Week of Action Against Cluster Bombs
A message from the Cluster
Munition Coalition:
Cluster
bombs scatter up to hundreds of small bomblets over wide
areas. These weapons have killed and injured civilians during
attacks and their deadly duds have shattered lives and livelihoods
long after conflict.
Half the world banned this weapon one year ago at diplomatic
treaty negotiations in Dublin, Ireland.
Now we need you to help us finish the job and get all countries
to join the treaty.
This week is the Global Week of Action Against Cluster Bombs.
It is your chance to tell five important countries to join
the treaty: tell Brazil, Cambodia, Iraq, Nigeria and Serbia
to sign by clicking
here now.
You can also check what
your country is doing to ban cluster bombs and sign
our global petition.
6) Apply
now to Think Outside the Bomb
Increasing societal militarization and the funnelling of
the majority of our resources into the business of war presents
major challenges for our planet and future generations.
The United States continues to spend billions of dollars
every year maintaining a stockpile of over 10,000 nuclear
weapons and developing new weapons of mass destruction,
and the Earth's human and non-human inhabitants live under
constant threat of nuclear annihilation.
If the generations to come are to be free from the threat
of nuclear war, disarmament must begin now, and we must
organize a movement to bring about these major societal
changes. The Think
Outside the Bomb conferences are precisely about building
such a movement, and helping young people to empower themselves
with the tools and knowledge to bring about the real societal
change they seek.
Stopping the construction of new nuclear power plants,
ending the exploitation inherently wrought by the nuclear
fuel cycle, and achieving the demilitarization of our schools
and communities are all intimately connected with the cause
of nuclear disarmament. Nuclear weapons are not created
in a vacuum. Nor will they be abolished in one.
In August 2005, nearly 60 young people from across the
United States came together at a conference at the University
of California, Santa Barbara, to form the Think Outside
the Bomb national network. We have had a major national
conference every year since as a primary part of our effort
to organize a movement for nuclear abolition. We invite
you to join us!
The 2009
Think Outside The Bomb national conference is scheduled
for 13-16 August 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Please
find the application
form online.
This year, TOTB is encouraging groups and organizations
(student and community) to attend the summer national conference
as a group. Working collaboratively to bring new people
into the movement for disarmament and demilitarization of
your campuses and communities is vital to building effective
opposition to the ingrained power in the nuclear/military-industrial
complex. Plus, it's an excuse to hang out with a group of
people from your own community and communities across the
country for a week. So, work on bringing a group to TOTB!
We are happy to help brainstorm ideas for fundraising, help
with recruitment, or help you and your group secure sponsorship
from local organizations or businesses. Just let us know
what you might need in terms of help in this area.
19 May 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
The nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Commmittee (NPT PrepCom)
closed on Friday, 15 May after a relatively successful meeting.
Though it was unable to adopt a set of draft recommendations
to send on to the 2010 NPT Review Conference, it did adopt
an agenda by the third day and delved into the substance
of the issues during plenary meetings. For details on the
PrepCom’s deliberations and outcome, please see Reaching
Critical Will’s daily newsletter, the NPT
News in Review and the Reaching
Critical Will Blog.
The second part of the Conference
on Disarmament’s 2009 session opened with a plenary
meeting on Tuesday, 19 May, at which UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon spoke—and a new proposal for work was
submitted by the current CD president. Subscribe
to Reaching Critical Will’s CD
Report to stay up to date with this important negotiating
forum in Geneva.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) NPT
PrepCom concludes with agenda but no recommendations
Lead editorial from the final
edition of Reaching Critical Will’s NPT
News in Review, “A qualified success,” written
by Michael Spies and Ray Acheson.
By the abysmal standards that have typified the preparatory
process—instituted in 1995—leading up to each
five year review of the NPT, the third and final Preparatory
Committee (PrepCom) meeting before the 2010 Review Conference
(RevCon) must certainly be considered a success. The PrepCom
was able to agree to an agenda
for the RevCon, on its third day, no less, amid a chorus
of accolades for what many described as a new, positive
atmosphere in multilateral disarmament, stemming entirely
from US President Obama’s 5 April speech in Prague.
However, it did not surprise many delegates—most
of whom are veterans of the so-called decade of deadlock
that had accompanied the Bush administration’s allergy
to multilateralism—that the PrepCom would become snagged
once it attempted to work through matters of substance.
The PrepCom’s failure to adopt substantive recommendations
for the RevCon, a feat no previous PrepCom had ever accomplished,
may have temporarily tainted the atmosphere, but was not
unforeseen. During his opening remarks to the PrepCom, its
Chair, Ambassador Chidyausiku of Zimbabwe, cautioned that
despite recent signs of progress, in many areas the positions
of states had actually grown further apart rather than closer.
With this note of caution, on Monday, 11 May, the Chair
circulated a clever and concise first
draft of recommendations, intended to capture specific
proposals that identify concrete practical actions on implementing
the Treaty, stand a reasonable chance of gaining consensus,
and build upon earlier decision. Its strongest provisions
dealt with moving the disarmament agenda forward and even
included consideration of a nuclear weapons convention (see
NPT News in Review, No. 6).
It must be noted that the vast majority of states could
have accepted the first draft, including many members of
NATO, with little or no modifications. Following consultations,
and in particular input from the nuclear weapon states,
on Wednesday, 13 May, the Chair put forward a revised
set of recommendations that significantly weakened the
sections on disarmament, civil society participation, and
education, but bolstered those on implementing the 1995
Middle East resolution and on non-proliferation.
For some, the second draft proved to be a bridge too far.
As the conference moved into its final hours, it devolved
into a tense blame game that pitted western delegations
against the Non-Aligned Movement and some of its more outspoken
members, most notably Cuba, Egypt, and Iran. On Thursday,
14 May, the Chair advised states let the recommendations
go, as to not to ruin the spirit of cooperation. Despite
the Chair’s judgment that the differences in position
were too vast, a large number of delegations urged the Chair
to continue the process of seeking consensus (see NPT
News in Review, No. 10).
The breakdown of the recommendations process
Despite the positive atmosphere, disarmament rhetoric of
the US and UK administrations, and the quick adoption of
the agenda, the PrepCom delegates did not find enough common
ground—or at least, enough common rhetoric—to
agree to a set of non-binding recommendations for next year.
Breaking with the recent past, the Chair decided not to
forward the recommendations to the RevCon as a working paper.
The Chair had introduced a newly
revised draft recommendations on Friday, 15 May. Delegations
consulted with their regional groups before resuming an
informal meeting of the PrepCom. During this last attempt
to reach consensus on the draft recommendations, the Chair
determined that the Committee did not have a sufficient
amount of time to reach agreement. Later, at a press briefing,
he said the “differences were very minor; with time,
we could have done it.”
The differences, as laid out by delegations during Thursday’s
plenary discussion on the draft recommendations, did not
seem very minor (see NPT
News in Review, No. 10), though the revisions in
the third draft were quite minimal. The additional changes
brought on board an additional caveat to the already thoroughly
conditioned preambular paragraph, further emphasized its
non-binding character and marginally indicative character—a
change insisted upon by the UK. Other amendments made minor
changes to the sections on universality, disarmament, non-proliferation,
regional initiatives, and education.
Despite the lack of time to make additional major changes
to the text (delegations would have needed to consult with
their capitals had the second draft text been heavily amended),
western and non-aligned delegations traded blame for the
impasse. Since the first draft was not agreeable to a few
western states and the second was not agreeable to a few
NAM states, it would be cynical and insincere to place“blame”
on any particular group or delegation. Instead, the experience
only serves to further illuminate the wide gulfs between
states’ positions.
Paradoxically on the surface, this result came as a relief
to many delegations. While the vast majority of states parties
seemed ready to accept either the first or second drafts,
no one was entirely content with either. Rather than becoming
stuck with an imperfect text, delegations will have the
freedom in 2010 to negotiate and reach agreement with a
clean slate on the many fraught issues facing the NPT regime.
For more information on the third NPT PrepCom, please
see:
2) The
Conference on Disarmament opens with a new proposal for
work
During the first plenary meeting of the second part of the
Conference
on Disarmament’s 2009 session, the current president
of the CD, Ambassador Idriss Jazaïry, formally submitted
CD/1863,
a new proposed programme of work on behalf of the six presidents.
The new proposal differs substantially from those of 2008
and 2007. It establishes working groups on the four core
issues and special coordinators on the other three agenda
items. It calls, inter alia, for negotiation of a fissile
materials treaty on the basis of the 1995
Shannon Mandate, for recommendations for dealing with
negative security assurances, and for an “exchange
of views and information on practical steps for progressive
and systematic efforts to reduce nuclear weapons with the
ultimate goal of their elimination, including on approaches
toward potential future work of multilateral character.”
(For more details, see Reaching Critical Will’s 19
May 2009 CD Report.)
Coming merely a few days after the qualified
success of the third
nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee
for the 2010 review cycle, the introduction of a more balanced
programme of work for the CD not only maintains the positive
spirit but increases its momentum. The call for fissile
material treaty negotiations on the basis of the Shannon
Mandate, while effectively winding back the clock almost
fifteen years, is a substantial step forward from other
recent attempts to formulate a programme of work. In addition,
the significantly enhanced mandates for discussions on nuclear
disarmament and negative security assurances are progressively
forward-looking and will surely go a long way to alleviating
non-nuclear weapon states’ concerns about the imbalanced
nature of previous proposed programmes of work.
Consensus is near. Current president Ambassador Jazaïry
noted that consultations are still ongoing, but the majority
of delegations seem to assume that CD/1863 will be adopted
very soon. After twelve years without substantive work and
ten years without even a programme of work, the adoption
of this document cannot come a moment too soon. Ambassador
Jazaïry expressed hope that, if adopted, CD/1863 would
extend beyond the current year, providing a framework for
future negotiations. This is particularly important since
most CD member states do not currently have the capacity
at their Geneva missions to engage in negotiations. It would
likely take until the beginning of the CD’s 2010 session
before working group two could seriously get to work. Hopefully,
the Conference will not have to worry about developing a
new programme of work at that time but can rely on CD/1863
to carry forward the momentum.
High-level support for the proposed programme of work
UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addressed the CD plenary
meeting, as did Swiss
Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey and Algerian
Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci. They all urged the
CD to rapidly adopt CD/1863 as its programme of work for
the year. For details, please see Reaching Critical Will’s
19
May 2009 CD Report.
For more information on the CD, please see:
3) The
Strangest Dream podcasts
The National Film Board of Canada has produced a video podcast
on the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament movement.
The podcast is based on discussions following community
screenings of The Strangest Dream, a recent NFB-produced
documentary on the life and work Nobel Peace Prize winner
Dr. Joseph Rotblat, the only scientist to walk away from
the Manhattan Project for ethical reasons. The result is
a 5-episode video podcast covering a wide range of topics
facing the nuclear disarmament movement today. The clips
feature discussions with some of Canada’s experts
on Joseph Rotblat, Pugwash, nuclear non-proliferation and
peace, including: The Honourable Douglas Roche, Chair of
Pugwash Group Canada, Walter Dorn, Gordon Edwards, and Professor
Erika Simpson. The podcast is produced by the NFB’s
online social media site CITIZENShift.
To get the embed codes, to watch the podcast episodes,
or to comment and upload your own media, you can visit CITIZENShift.
You can also watch the podcast episodes and find out more
about the film, including viewing the trailer and how
to purchase at nfb.ca/strangestdream.
At http://NFB.ca
you can also view the free playlist on War and Peace, curated
by The Honourable Douglas Roche, O.C. entitled, “The
Strength of Peace.”
Finally, if you or anyone you know would like to organize
free community screenings of The Strangest Dream, please
contact Jane Gutteridge at j.gutteridge@nfb.ca
or 416-954-3396.
4) US-Russian
nuclear reduction talks to begin Tuesday
US Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller and Russian
ambassador Anatoly Antonov, head of the foreign ministry
department for security and disarmament, are meeting in
Moscow for an initial two-day negotiating session on a replacement
for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which expires
in December. Both sides have expressed optimism of reaching
a new agreement by the deadline, though divergences still
exist, including: the limits on nuclear warhead numbers;
whether the treaty should cover delivery systems like bombers
and missiles; verification procedures; and other issues
of information sharing and confidence-building.
1 May 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
Welcome to the busiest time of year for Reaching Critical
Will. The Disarmament
Commission closed on Friday with a plenary meeting and
adoption of reports. Next, on Sunday we will host an NGO
Orientation for all non-government delegates coming to the
nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepCom, which starts on Monday.
And during the PrepCom, we will be holding a celebration
for RCW’s tenth anniversary. Find out more about all
these events, and much more, in this E-News. For those coming
to the PrepCom, we look forward to seeing you next week.
For those following from home, please remember to subscribe
to the NPT
News in Review, Reaching Critical Will’s daily
newsletter that provides coverage of all government and
NGO meetings, feature articles, puzzles, art, and more.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Disarmament
Commission closes with procedural reports
For background on this year’s UNDC session, see
http://reachingcriticalwill.blogspot.com/
The United
Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC)’s 2009 session
closed on 1 May after three weeks—more or less—of
deliberations. Once the Commission adopted its agenda after
a few days of stalemate, the working groups got started
on the second week of the Commission’s three week
schedule. Working Group I, on “Recommendations for
achieving the objective of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation
of nuclear weapons,” struggled to nominate a chair
for a few days. In the end, Paolo Cuculi of Italy was elected
chair. Given the limited amount of time available to the
group, the chair decided to hold thematic debates on the
issues and to start work on the recommendations next year.
For Working Group II, on “Elements of a draft declaration
of the 2010s as the fourth disarmament decade,” the
chair, Johan Paschalis of South Africa, submitted a draft
non-paper (pdf) for consideration. The group got through
one revision process, swelling the chair’s original
four page draft to 11 pages. They reportedly got about two-thirds
of the way through a second revision process and plan to
continue working on this draft next year. Unfortunately,
it does not seem that the elements for a declaration will
be ready by January 2010, as the Commission next meets in
April of that year. It is unclear whether the decade will
begin without the declaration, or whether the decade will
begin once the General Assembly approves a declaration,
presumably later in 2010.
At the final plenary meeting, the Commission as a whole
adopted the reports of Working
Group I, Working
Group II, and a report
of the Commission. There was some discussion about an
amendment proposed by the Bureau, which the Commission ultimately
decided not to include. The amendment was a paragraph noting
that the UNDC recommends that consideration of the elements
of the draft declaration be continued during its 2010 substantive
session. Pakistan’s delegate felt this confused the
issue and could potentially reopen the agenda for debate
next year. The rapporteur, Ambassador Piet de Klerk of the
Netherlands, explained that the Bureau felt this paragraph
would not change anything about the UNDC’s agenda.
After a brief discussion, however, the amendment was dropped
at the suggestion of India.
In his closing remarks, the Chair of the UNDC, Ambassador
Andrzej Towpik, argued that the Commission needs some critical
self-assessment and perhaps some adjustments to its methods
of work. He suggested the Commission devote one of its meetings
next year to reviewing these issues. He also lamented that
the UNDC was unable to agree to invite experts to deliver
presentations to the Commission, and hoped this could be
considered again next year. The Pakistani delegate took
the floor to disagree with the Chair’s assessment
that the Commission needed to reform its methods of work.
He argued that it is “not always logical to apply
a corporate model to intergovernmental meetings” and
that instead of “dismantling” existing machinery,
states should apply increased financial and human resources
to what we have now. He also argued in favour of maintaining
the rule of consensus, saying its rejection may give short-term
benefits but not long-term solutions.
Overall, most delegates seemed revealed to get through
the first year of the Commission’s new cycle without
any major blockages and with the adoption of reports, however
procedural they may be. Hopefully next year the UNDC can
get to work on the first day, rather than the second week,
and can produce substantive recommendations in the working
groups. Contact
your ambassadors to let them know you are paying attention
to their participation in the Commission.
2) Non-Proliferation
Treaty Prepratory Committee begins on Monday
The third
Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2010 nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Cycle starts on
Monday. For all those attending the PrepCom who do not already
have UN grounds passes, please make sure you arrive at the
United Nations by 8:00 AM Monday morning to complete the
registration process. Please bring your filled out registration
form, the provisional accreditation request that has
been authorized by the Secretariat of the PrepCom, the accreditation
request your organization sent to the UN (which has your
name on it), and valid photo identification—a passport
is strongly encouraged, drivers license is acceptable. Please
come early to register and please fill out your registration
form in advance. The process this year will be more
tedious than in years past and will take longer than in
Vienna or Geneva. If you want to attend the first plenary
meeting or side event at 10:00 AM, please make sure you’re
in line by 8:00 AM.
Registration will be open in the visitor’s lobby
of the United Nations from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and from
3:00-5:00 PM on Monday, 4 May and Tuesday,
5 May. Representatives arriving after 5 May must contact
Ms. Silvia Mercogliana at mercogliano[at]un.org,
+1 917.367.4123 or Ms. Jenny Fuchs at fuchs[at]un.org,
+1 212.963.2386 to arrange for issuance of badges.
Morning meetings
There will be no Abolition Caucus or government briefing
the first morning. Both of these daily events will begin
on Tuesday, 5 May. At 8:00 AM, NGO representatives are invited
to attend a daily strategy session organized by Abolition
2000 in Conference Room E. In the same room at 9:00
AM, Reaching Critical Will of the Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom will organize briefings with
a different delegation each day.
Location
The official meetings of the PrepCom will take place in
Conference Room 1. Most of the NGO side events will take
place in Conference Room E, which is nearby. For a regularly-updated
listing of side events, please see Reaching Critical Will’s
Calendar
of Events.
NGO presentations
On Tuesday, 5 May from 3:00–6:00 PM, NGO representatives
will be delivering statements to the official meeting of
the PrepCom in Conference Room 1. All NGOs are encouraged
to attend this meeting.
Materials
NGOs may display their documents and other materials on
a table located outside Conference Room 1, though one copy
of each document/material must be provided to the Secretariat
through Reaching Critical Will.
Daily newsletter
Daily coverage of the PrepCom’s official meeting and
side events will be produced and distributed by Reaching
Critical Will. To receive copies of the NPT News in Review
in your inbox each morning, please subscribe
online. Also see archived
editions from previous years online. To submit articles,
art, or advertisements, please email
the project director.
Getting involved from afar
There are plenty of opportunities for active involvement
with the PrepCom even if you can’t make it to New
York:
- See where your government stands on the issues by reading
their statements
from the 2008 PrepCom.
- Subscribe
to the NPT News in Review, the daily non-governmental
NPT publication, and receive daily updates on what is
happening at the PrepCom.
- Make an appointment with your Foreign Ministry or equivalent.
Urge your Foreign Minister to attend the conference, reminding
them that they represent you. Call your representatives
in New York and Geneva, to let them know that you are
paying attention, and that you are demanding nuclear disarmament.
Use our Governmental
Contact Database for their information.
- Call your local media. Publicize your views and your
government’s policies, and let them know what’s
happening in New York.
- Once the PrepCom is in session, you can read what your
government did or did not say by checking RCW’s
NPT page every day. We post all statements, working papers,
non-papers, reports, NGO statements, and official documents
on our website in near real-time.
3) NGO Orientation
to the NPT
Reaching Critical Will of the Women’s International
League for Peace and Freedom and the NGO Committee
on Disarmament, Peace and Security cordially invite
all NGO delegations to the PrepCom to attend an
NGO Orientation
Sunday, 3 May 2009
1:00-3:00 PM
Church Center, 2nd floor
777 UN Plaza
[corner of First Avenue and 44th Street East]
The NGO Orientation will provide a brief
introduction to the NPT, information on New York City and
the United Nations, ideas for strategizing and for interacting
with diplomats, important updates on logistics, and more.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Donations are encouraged!
RSVP to Lacy Orme
lacy[at]reachingcriticalwill.org
Names are required for building security.
4) Reaching
Critical Will’s tenth anniversary
On Thursday, 7 May from 6:00–8:00 PM, Reaching Critical
Will celebrates its tenth anniversary with a reception for
all NGO and government delegations to the NPT PrepCom and
UN staff. Please join us on the tenth floor of the Church
Center, 777 UN Plaza (corner of First Avenue and 44th Street
East).
This time of year also marks WILPF’s
birthday (28 April), and this year WILPF turn 94! So
we have more than one reason to celebrate. UN High Representative
for Disarmament Affairs Sergio Duarte will deliver a few
brief remarks at 6:15 PM, along with Ambassador Landman
of the Netherlands, Dimity Hawkins of the International
Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, and a few other special
guests.
RSVP is not necessary, however, we are requesting donations
from all who attend to help us cover the cost of food and
room. Further, please consider donating
to help us keep this project running another ten years!
Email
Ray if you are interested in contributing to the project,
or speak to her at the anniversary event.
5) European
Parliament recommends complete nuclear disarmament by 2020
From 2020
Vision Campaign
Strasbourg, April 24, 2009 - Today the European Parliament
approved with a majority of 177 votes against 130 an amendment
introducing the “Model Nuclear Weapons Convention”
and the “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol” as concrete
tools to achieve a nuclear weapons free world by 2020. The
amendment was introduced by the Ana Gomes for the PES and
Angelika Beer for the Greens/EFA.
The amendment received cross-party support during the Plenary
vote here in Strasbourg today. Especially Frieda Brepoels
for the EPP-DE and Annemie Neyts and Juul Maaten for the
ALDE called to support the vision of a nuclear weapon free
world by 2020. The approval of the amendment demonstrates
that the EP is increasing pressure to make nuclear disarmament
by 2020 a top-priority for the EU member states. Here the
EP demonstrates leadership and an intention to become a
visible actor following President Obama’s statements
for a NWFW in Prague.
The amendment is part of the overall “Report Beer”,
a recommendation to the EU Council on non-proliferation
and the future of the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons. The overall report was approved by 271 +, 38 -
and 29 abstenstions. On May 4th 2009 all state parties of
the NPT will be meeting at the UN headquarters in New York
for the 3rd NPT PrepCom in New York.
The amendment introducing the “model Nuclear Weapons
Convention” and the “Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol”
is actively promoted by Mayors for Peace, a global network
of 2,817 cities from 134 countries and regions, presided
by Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, the Mayor of Hiroshima.
The amendment was supported by the Parliamentarians for
Non-proliferation and Nuclear Disarmament (PNND), and Abolition
2000 Europe, a global network counting over 2000 NGO's.
Pol DHuyvetter, an Executive Advisor for the Hiroshima
Peace Culture Foundation, declared from the EP in Strasbourg:
The support of the European Parliament for the Hiroshima-Nagasaki
Protocol is very significant, even historic. It demonstrates
that the EP is adding a concrete time-line to the recent
proposals by President Obama. Members of the EP are gearing
up to make a nuclear weapon free world possible in the
life-time of President Obama. Furthermore the adoption
of the amendment gives a clear signal to Mr. Solana and
all EU member states to make nuclear disarmament a top-priority
so we can free the world of all remaining 25,000 nuclear
warheads before 2020. Cities can no longer be kept hostage
of nuclear policies.
For more information, please see:
www.2020visioncampaign.org
6) Conference
against anti-missile systems releases statement
Statement of International Conference against the Asia
Pacific Missile Defense and for the End of the Arms Race
Seoul, South Korea | April 17, 2009
Here we have come together, facing a new decade in the
21st century where the history of war and strife is being
repeated. We are witnessing many countries and regions,
having learned nothing from the conflict and hostility-ridden
Cold War era, still tenaciously pursue arms buildup. Especially
the nation with military hegemony and its many followers,
rather than seeking to understand the roots of conflict
and finding peaceful resolution, search for new threat and
enemy as a means to reinforce their military capabilities,
and at times even exaggerate the threat in order to justify
their arms buildup.
This is shown by the expansion of military networks and
countless military bases around the globe and by the space
militarization activities. However, we want to make it clear
that this militaristic approach is a worn-out strategy obstructing
prevention and peaceful settlement of conflict and a losing
hand triggering a vicious cycle of global arms race.
We are especially observant of how the US missile defense
system triggers not only space militarization but also unnecessary
arms race and political and diplomatic strain between nations.
Proposed missile defense installations in Czech Republic
and Poland are generating massive public dissent in the
region and infuriating Russia to the point of a “new
Cold War.”
Planned US missile defense system in the Asia Pacific poses
a burden to regional attempts to alleviate Cold War tensions,
thereby further provoking confrontation between sea powers
and land powers. In the Asia Pacific where the US leads
the Asia Pacific missile defense efforts, supported strongly
by Japan and Australia, Korea is next in line with its cutting-edge
weaponry and a new set of roles. As a result, China, Russia,
and North Korea all have expressed enormous opposition,
fueling an arms race in the Asia Pacific. Such an arms race
also risks undermining the war-renouncing Article 9 of Japan’s
peace constitution, a key foundation for peace and security
in the Asia-Pacific region.
The controversy over North Korea's long-range rocket launch
that has become a key factor in the current tension pervading
the Korean Peninsula leaves room for discussion. North Korea's
rocket launch should be seen as a byproduct of both a divided
Korean peninsula and the arms race in the Asia Pacific.
However, this aspect has been ignored. Instead there is
exaggerated interpretation of threat and stirring up of
security fears, mobilizing the justification for developing
a missile defense system in the region. North Korea's long-range
rocket launch, on the contrary, reveals the utmost need
and urgency for placing confidence building and normalization
of relations among nations, as well as cooperative mutual
disarmament, on top of our agenda.
Above all, we are aware that the logic behind “absolute
security” through the missile defense system does
not differ from other aggressive military thinking. Furthermore,
the missile defense system is a risky plan which has yet
to prove its effectiveness. As a project requiring astronomical
costs, the system is based on the logic of unlimited military
spending expansion, solely for the benefit of the military-industrial
complex. This, we must not forget, sacrifices many resources
to be invested for improving the welfare and the quality
of life of the many people suffering from economic, public
welfare, and environmental crisis.
Many nations and people throughout the world today are
suffering from the economic crisis and the climate change.
These crises must be taken as opportunities for each country
to stop the wasteful arms race and turn its attention to
the daily living of its citizens who are taking heavy blows
from the economic crisis and the climate change. The development
of unnecessary and offensive weapons, including the missile
defense system, must be halted first. National security
that neglects the safety of the people and community is
meaningless.
We, therefore, resolve to act jointly against the missile
defense system and the arms race which impede the peace
and security of the Korean Peninsula, East Asia, and the
international community. We will inform people about the
falsehood of the missile defense and the damage caused by
the consequent arms race and military conflict. As a member
of the international community, we pledge to develop a new
peace mechanism starting from where we stand, in our local
communities, to bring about peaceful coexistence and conflict
resolution in place of military confrontation. We declare
we will do our duty and part to turn the coming decade into
a period of transformation for overcoming the worn-out military
paradigm.
The Korea Organizing Committee
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
GPPAC Northeast Asia
For more information, please see:
www.space4peace.org
7) World
Court Project launches new website
The World Court Project is a global citizens' coalition
working for good faith implementation of the nuclear
disarmament obligation upheld by the International Court
of Justice in 1996. Check out the World Court Project's
new website and consider joining its Affirmations
of Freedom from Nuclear Weapons.
For more information, please see:
http://worldcourtproject.org/
8) Hague
Appeal for Peace's tenth anniversary
It's been ten years since the Hague Appeal for Peace conference
brought together 10,000 people to agree that it is Time
to Abolish War and Peace is a Human Right. The Hague Agenda
for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century was approved
and became a UN document.
Those who were at The Hague on May 11, 1999 are welcome
to see some film clips and say what inspired them at a modest
gathering at 777 UN Plaza, 10th floor,on Monday May 11,
2009 from 5:30- 7 p.m. But, please let us know if we may
expect you by May 7. RSVP (required) to <Lauranne@igc.org>.
15 April 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
Reaching Critical Will is delighted to bring you the E-News
in a graphically-enhanced HTML template and to inform you
that you can now find Reaching Critical Will on Facebook,
Twitter,
and Blogger.
The new blog currently has real-time reports on the United
Nations Disarmament Commission as well as a post on
the speech
US President Obama gave in Prague and another on the
proposed
US military budget for 2010. The blog is intended to
supplement the reporting and analysis produced regularly
by Reaching Critical Will on multilateral disarmament meetings.
It will provide information on breaking events, publish
RCW reports on relevant matters, and alert readers to upcoming
events. We hope you find this new resource useful in the
future.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Report
on the UNDC plenary meetings
The United
Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC)’s 2009 session
opened on 13 April. The Commission has met for three weeks
every April since it was established in 1978. This year
marks the first year of new three year cycle—the 2006–2008
cycle ended
without agreement after three unfruitful years of debate.
Unfortunately, for the first two days of this session the
Commission struggled to adopt its agenda for the new cycle.
The dispute was not over which items should be included
on the agenda. Those were already agreed upon as: a) elements
for a draft resolution on the declaration of a fourth Disarmament
Decade (this item was requested by the UN General Assembly)
and the two agenda items from the previous Commission cycle—b)
recommendations for achieving the objectives of nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and
c) practical confidence-building measures in the field of
conventional weapons.
The stalemate over the agenda arose because states could
not agree to the order in which these topics would be addressed.
The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) urged for the first year
of the Commission to focus on the elements for the draft
declaration on the Disarmament Decade, in order to have
these elements prepared before 2010, and on the item related
to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. The NAM’s
proposal suggested the items by addressed as follows:
- Recommendations for achieving the objective of nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons;
- Elements of a draft declaration of the 2010s as the
fourth disarmament decade; and
- Practical confidence-building measures in the field
of conventional weapons, upon conclusion of elements of
draft declaration (preferably by 2010 and in any case
no later than 2011).
The US delegation reportedly argued that the agenda must
be “balanced” and thus must include a working
group on conventional weapons at least by 2010. Other delegations
wondered if the US delegation even had any instruction from
capitol on the matter. The US government has not appointed
anyone to deal with multilateral disarmament matters and
thus the US delegation to the UNDC might not have any instructions
to agree to anything.
For two days, the UNDC met for informal meetings—which
NGOs are not allowed to attend. Finally this morning, on
15 April, the Commission adopted its agenda immediately
upon opening. The text of the agenda, which will be released
as an official document tomorrow, is the same formulation
as that initially proposed by the Non-Aligned Movement.
The UNDC is expected to set a tone of compromise, trust,
and cooperation for the upcoming nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee (NPT PrepCom),
which starts immediately after the UNDC finishes in May
2009. Unfortunately, the Commission’ struggle to adopt
an agenda does not set a positive mood for the NPT PrepCom,
which is supposed to come up with an agenda for the 2010
NPT Review Conference. Reaching Critical Will welcomes the
adoption of an agenda in the UNDC had hopes the Commission
can engage in substantive, cooperative work throughout the
remainder of this cycle. However, it is unclear to us what
the basis for the stalemate truly was. We hope things will
run smoothly from here and throughout the PrepCom.
General statements have begun and will be posted on the
Reaching
Critical Will UNDC web page.
For detailed accounts of the last two days of deliberations,
please see the Reaching
Critical Will Blog.
2) Jayantha
Dhanapala urges nuclear disarmament
Jayantha Dhanapala, “Remove,
don't reset, the nuclear button,” Asahi Shimbun,
1 April 2009
It was the winter of discontent for the disarmament community.
But surely spring cannot be far away?
The administration of President George W. Bush, with Dick
Cheney serving as vice president, is widely regarded as
one of the most unpopular ever. More importantly for the
world, it was one of the most negative in recent history
as far as making progress goes on nuclear disarmament and
nuclear nonproliferation.
Barack Obama was decisively elected president of the United
Sates on a platform of change. This has been universally
welcomed.
The change we need must now come in the vital security
area of nuclear weapons, which ranks equally with the global
financial crisis, climate change and the achievement of
the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. These issues, the
critical challenges of our times, are inextricably linked
to the threat of terrorism waged by international networks
like al-Qaida.
Based on statements Obama made during his campaign, expectations
of America’s first black president are exceptionally
high.
These expectations were justified by the confirmation hearings
of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who promised
to resubmit the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to
the Senate and engage Russia in negotiations for new nuclear
arms reduction treaties. With the U.S.-Russian summit due
to be held April 1 in London, Clinton called for the button
to be reset in U.S.-Russia relations.
As for U.S. policy regarding nuclear weapons, what is needed
is a more radical step—removal of the nuclear button.
Under the Clinton administration, the State Department's
Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) was dismantled
in a Faustian bargain with the Republicans. While it has
not been restored, Obama has managed to nominate experts
who are knowledgeable on nuclear disarmament issues to key
positions.
Meantime, the nuclear weapons lobby has not been inactive.
Suddenly, a rash of articles started appearing that argued
the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal is aging and requires renovation;
that those with weapons expertise are retiring and need
to be replaced; and that U.S. security can only be ensured
by a credible nuclear deterrent.
We have even had the extraordinary spectacle of a serving
general, Kevin Chilton, who heads the U.S. Strategic Command
for the Air Force, contradicting his commander-in-chief,
Obama.
Usually moderate scientific groups are no longer using
the language of the Wall Street Journal op-ed pieces penned
by George P. Shultz, secretary of state under President
Ronald Reagan, and company. They talk of coming down to
1,000 nuclear warheads and modest steps like ratifying the
CTBT, replacing START 1 and refurbishing the U.S. nuclear
stockpile.
To add to this, Dr. Henry Kissinger, secretary of state
under President Richard Nixon, has written equivocally about
the message conveyed in the op-ed pieces he co-authored
with Shultz, former Senator Sam Nunn and William Perry,
defense secretary in the Clinton administration, emphasizing
an incremental approach to the problem.
Admittedly the global financial crisis triggered by U.S.
fiscal indiscipline and Wall Street greed has preoccupied
Obama’s attention. But when the nuclear weapons complex
is estimated to cost $52 billion a year (more than what
the U.S. government spends on international diplomacy and
foreign assistance), the arguments for deep cuts make as
much economic sense as the notion they serve international
security needs.
An article at the beginning of 2009 in the magazine Foreign
Policy in Focus by Darwin Bond-Graham, a sociologist, and
Will Parish, an expert on nuclear issues, titled “Anti-nuclear
Nuclearism” warned: “The Obama administration
is likely to continue a policy that we call 'anti-nuclear
nuclearism.' Anti-nuclear nuclearism is a foreign and military
policy that relies upon overwhelming U.S. power, including
the nuclear arsenal, but makes rhetorical and even more
substantive commitments to disarmament, however vaguely
defined.
“Anti-nuclear nuclearism thrives as a school of thought
in several think tanks that have long influenced foreign
policy choices related to global nuclear forces. Even the
national nuclear weapons development labs in New Mexico
and California have been avid supporters and crafters of
it.”
William Walker, a professor of international relations
at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, in a paper
for the Institut Francais des Relations Internationales
(IFRI), walks us through four reasons for the re-emergence
of the debate over nuclear weapons and five obstacles to
the elimination of nuclear weapons before concluding with
lowered expectations of “the international nuclear
order’s stabilization and the avoidance of nasty surprises.”
Specifically, Walker predicts that at the end of Obama’s
first term there will have been “no military use of
nuclear weapons anywhere, no threshold-crossing by Iran,
no discovery of additional clandestine programs, no resumption
of serious arms racing among the great powers (including
in space) and a record of co-operation with Russia, China,
France, India and Britain in pegging nuclear arsenals to
low numbers of weapons; a reasonably successful NPT Review
Conference in 2010; progress in bringing the CTBT into force
and negotiating the FMCT (Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty);
and a strengthened export control and IAEA safeguards system.”
So is this what the cumulative effect of the campaign for
a nuclear weapons-free world will be four years hence?
As if to confirm our worst fears over the cozying up of
the Obama administration to the nuclear arms lobby, not
a word was expressed in the president's inaugural address
on nuclear weapons issues unless you count “With old
friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen
the nuclear threat” as a promise to reduce, let alone
eliminate, nuclear weapons. Nor did the impressive rhetoric
of the State of the Union address contain a reference to
nuclear weapons.
Efforts to smuggle in funding for the nuclear weapons program
in the financial stimulus package were fortunately detected
in time and excluded. The language of Obama administration
officials is also reverting to Cold War postures and of
the nuclear arms controllers with no hint of concrete plans
to reach a nuclear-free world which will be, as before,
the stated “ultimate goal” for the dim and distant
future.
Perhaps the strategy will be to kick the can further down
the road when the Nuclear Posture Review mandated for 2009-10
is due. Meanwhile the message being put out is that we should
lower our expectations.
The recent mid-Atlantic collision between nuclear-armed
submarines of France and Britain reminds us of the scary
potential of nuclear accidents. The global disarmament community,
especially in civil society, must be vigilant of this trend
to use the old language of the nuclear arms controllers
and resist the fundamental change toward a nuclear-free
world which Obama’s campaign statements had led his
supporters to expect in an “audacity of hope.”
Anti-nuclear nuclearism will certainly not ensure the success
of the NPT Review Conference of 2010, let alone prevent
the feared cascade of proliferation, especially to terrorist
groups. More immediately, it will not help make the first
Obama-Medvedev summit on April 1 a success.
* * *
Jayantha Dhanapala is a former ambassador of Sri Lanka and
a former U.N. undersecretary-general for disarmament affairs
who is currently president of the Pugwash Conferences on
Science & World Affairs. The views expressed here are
the author's own.(IHT/Asahi: April 1,2009)
3) What
is the NPT? A Brown Bag Lunch Event
On Wednesday, 29 April, the NGO
Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security presents
an event on the NPT as part of their Brown Bag Lunch Series.
WHAT IS THE NPT?
Understanding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
12:30–2:00 PM
Presbyterian Conference Room, 7th Floor
UN Church Centre, 777 UN Plaza [East 44th Street at First
Avenue]
If you are interested in a world free of nuclear weapons
or current disarmament issues join this panel discussion.
PrepCom? RevCon? NPT? The jargon used by specialists in
any field can be confusing for non-experts and the subject
of nuclear weapons is no exception. The nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) is at the heart of realizing the reduction
and abolition of nuclear weapons. May 4-15, diplomats, activists
and many others will convene at the United Nations in preparation
for the 2010 Review Conference of the NPT. This panel discussion
will facilitate understanding of the treaty, its history
and identify the main challenges to its successful implementation.
The panelists will also explain the expectations and role
of civil society at NPT conferences, and how one can get
involved.
Speakers
• MS. RAY ACHESON, Reaching Critical Will of the
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
(WILPF)
• MR. JIM WURST, Middle Powers Initiative
Please feel welcome to bring your lunch.
4) Missile
“defence” in Europe and Obama
Despite the fact that the Czech Republic’s government
was forced to postpone a legislative vote to ratify a treaty
allowing a US missile “defence” radar base to
be built on Czech territory, and depite the fact that lawmakers
voted to dissolve the government of Prime Minister Mirek
Topolanek, a leading champion of the shield, US President
Obama is still talking about installing anti-missile equipment
in the Czech Republic and Poland.
As a Washington
Post Foreign Service article noted, Czech Prime Minister
Topolanek “remains in power for the moment but is
a lame duck until elections can be held, likely in October.
Analysts said a new government, mindful of public skepticism
of the missile shield, will probably let the unratified
treaty lay dormant, if not kill it outright.”
Yet, during President Obama’s speech in Prague, he
said, “As long as the threat from Iran persists, we
will go forward with a missile defence system that is cost-effective
and proven. Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile activity
poses a real threat, not just to the United States, but
to Iran's neighbours and our allies.” He hailed the
“courageous” Czech Republic and Poland for “agreeing
to host a defence against these missiles.”
The Telegraph
spoke with Petr Sramek, 33, who “was among those disappointed
that Mr Obama had not dropped a policy that was opposed
by more than two thirds of Czechs.” Mr. Sramek said,
“I really liked the clear message on nuclear disarmament
but I am against the missile defence system. It is more
about geopolitical influence then defence against missiles.”
Arena Protivinska, 30, described herself as a “big
fan” of Mr. Obama but accused him of “hypocrisy”
for urging world peace while also pushing forward with the
missile shield. “He sounded like George W Bush saying
that we should be afraid in order to justify missile defence.”
The Washington Post Foreign Service author spoke to Jan
Tamas, a leader of the Non-Violent Movement, a coalition
that has lobbied against the shield. “The truth is,
the treaties are not dead. They can be brought back to life.
That’s the strange thing about it. We have our own
politicians who have already gone completely against the
will of the people, so who knows what they’ll try
to do.”
Jan Glivicka, a spokeswoman for another group called the
No Bases Initiative, said many Czechs think highly of Obama
and have been encouraged that he has expressed doubts about
the missile shield. But she said she doubted Obama would
go so far as to bury it. The only way to do that—or
at least to ensure that the Czechs play no role in the project—is
to pressure Czech lawmakers to kill the treaty, she said.
“We really want to win this battle at home in the
Czech Republic,” Glivicka said. “It’s
not just a question of foreign policy. It’s a battle
for democracy. We can vote down this relic of the Bush administration
on our own.”
For more information, please see:
Craig Whitlock, “Obama
Arrives in Prague Amid Shield Protests,” Washington
Post Foreign Service, 4 April 2009.
Toby Harnden and Bruno Waterfield, “Obama
Goes Ahead With Missile Defense Shield Despite Disarmament
Pledge,” The Telegraph, 6 April 2009
5) Critiques
of Prompt Global Strike
Elaine M. Grossman, “Russian
Experts Question Role of Conventional ‘Prompt Global
Strike’ Weapons,” Global Security Newswire,
7 April 2009.
WASHINGTON -- Two Russian security experts yesterday suggested
that U.S. plans to develop fast-flying, long-range conventional
weapons might pose a snag for nuclear arms negotiations
between Moscow and Washington (see GSN, April 1).
Speaking at a conference sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment
for International Peace, Alexei Arbatov and Vladimir Orlov
separately raised the notion that U.S. President Barack
Obama might consider a broader disarmament agenda that includes
limits on conventional weapons, as well as those that are
armed with nuclear warheads.
The U.S. Defense Department is exploring technologies for
“Prompt Global Strike” weapon systems that might
be launched on a moment's notice against faraway targets,
such as a nuclear missile being readied for launch by a
rogue nation or a terrorist leader located in a safe house
(see GSN, Nov. 7, 2008). Pentagon leaders have said such
new combat systems could allow them a viable alternative
to launching a nuclear weapon.
“There are very few countries in the world that are
afraid of American nuclear weapons,” said Arbatov,
a scholar in residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center. “But
there are many countries which are afraid of American conventional
weapons. In particular, nuclear weapons states like China
and Russia are primarily concerned about growing American
conventional, precision-guided, long-range capability, [or]
Prompt Global Strike systems.”
Russian defense leaders have expressed their worries about
these developmental weapons in meetings with their U.S.
counterparts, particularly in regard to a now-shelved plan
to fit Navy Trident submarine-based missiles with either
nuclear or conventional warheads (see GSN, Sept. 5, 2006).
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill warned that launching such a
system could trigger dangerous ambiguity, because Moscow
could not rapidly discern what type of warhead a missile
in flight was carrying.
Posing a question from the audience to panelists discussing
“The Nuclear Order—Build or Break,” Arbatov
added that “threshold states” are similarly
concerned about U.S. conventional capabilities. Those are
nations with unannounced potential for developing a nuclear
weapon.
“Without addressing these issues, it will be very
difficult to move forward both in nuclear disarmament ...
and nuclear nonproliferation,” he said. “How
do you think America would suggest addressing these issues?”
In the interest of nuclear disarmament, some over the past
two decades have urged the United States to “find
other capabilities to fill some of those [nuclear] missions,”
responded panelist Brad Roberts of the Institute for Defense
Analyses. “The commitment to non-nuclear strike [or]
Prompt Global Strike goes back to the late 1980s.”
He said any apprehension about the details might be worked
out through further U.S.-Russian discussions.
The issue could be “much trickier” in the context
of Chinese or smaller nations’ worries about U.S.
conventional power, Roberts added.
“After all, we want them to be concerned,”
he said of the smaller states, particularly those eyeing
the possibility of acquiring their own arsenal. “We
don't want them to be so concerned [that] they’re
getting nuclear weapons. But we see ourselves as having
security commitments to allies which require our power projection.”
Speaking on a subsequent panel, Orlov said Moscow might
raise the issue of conventional weapons in an anticipated
follow-on phase of U.S.-Russian negotiations over deeper
nuclear arms reductions, which could begin after an initial
treaty is completed by this December. Of particular concern,
he said, are “strategic weapons which can be used
not only in nuclear but in conventional” modes.
Washington’s efforts to ease international anxieties
about Prompt Global Strike should be just the beginning,
Orlov suggested.
“Very dramatic reductions in military expenditure
in the world: This is where the United States clearly—even
more than in nuclear disarmament—should take the lead,”
Orlov said. “And they really don’t do that.”
6) IANSA
Women confront issues of men, masculinity, and guns
From 30 March to 3 April 2009, women from the International
Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) participated in the
Global Symposium Engaging Men and Boys in Gender Equality,
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to highlight the gendered impacts
of gun violence.
They presented the paper, ‘Men,
masculinity and guns: can we break the link?’,
which argues that because the majority of men do not own
or use guns: gun use must therefore be understood as a choice.
A combination of social, economic and political factors
combine to create the notion that gun violence is a legitimate
option for a man.
The paper examines how constructions of masculinities and
femininities work to legitimate the belief that an acceptable
and adequate man is one who is willing and able to coerce
others by violent means. It also looks at how the association
between power and violence in broader social structures
serves to perpetuate gun violence. It argues that a violent
masculinity is not inevitable.
For more information or to make comments or suggestions,
please contact Sarah Masters, IANSA Women’s Network
Coordinator:
Development House
56-64 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4LT
Ph + 44 207 065 0876
Fx + 44 207 065 0871
Email: women[at]iansa.org
Website: www.iansa.org/women
7) Advances
in banning depleted uranium weapons
Alexander Mora Mora, President of the Latin American Parliament’s
Human Rights Commission, has introduced
the text of his draft law proposal for a domestic ban on
uranium weapons in Costa Rica to the Latin American Parliament.
It is hoped that the Parlatino’s members will consider
the draft text before issuing a resolution in a few months
time.
Members of Scottish Parliament from the Scottish Nationalist,
Labour, and Liberal Democrat parties are
calling on Scottish ministers to try and stop depleted
uranium (DU) from being used by the UK government in future
conflicts. They also want an end to the testing of DU shells
at the Dundrennan military firing range near Kirkcudbright.
The Scottish government has strongly opposed the test firing
of DU shells on Scottish soil. But under the terms of the
devolution settlement, it has no powers to prevent it.
Belgium’s Senate has voted
to ban the financing of companies that manufacture or sell
uranium weapons, in a move that will compliment the country’s
imminent ban on their manufacture, testing, use, sale and
stockpiling.
For more information, please see:
International
Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
8) NPT
articles, art, and advertisements
The NPT News in Review is a daily publication produced
during NPT Preparatory Committee and Review Conferences.
It features analysis of the day's events, feature articles
from NGOs around the world, interviews with diplomats and
NGO representatives, nuclear facts, announcements, cartoons,
a calendar of events, and more. You can access archived
NIRs online
and subscribe
to receive this year's editions.
We also encourage you to submit to this year's NPT News
in Review. The guidelines are as follows:
Feature articles: In addition to the daily analysis
of the proceedings of the PrepCom, the NPT News in Review
also contains feature articles that cover a range of nuclear
disarmament issues. We welcome submissions from NGO experts
around the world, regardless of whether or not you will
be in Geneva. Articles should be between 500-1000 words.
The deadline for feature submissions is 19 April.
Please submit in .doc format and the body of the email.
Articles will be attributed to the author and may be edited
for length.
Advertising space: You can use the NPT News in
Review to publicize an important announcement, event,
or project hosted by your organization. NIRs are
hand-distributed to all of the delegates at the PrepCom,
sent by email to more than 2000 subscribers, and are archived
on our website.
1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $185
Run your ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times
and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off.
Cartoons, photos, artwork, poetry: The NPT News
in Review wouldn't be complete without its fill of poignant,
satirical, and beautiful artwork. We are accepting all forms
of anti-nuclear artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif,
or .pdf file. Photos, paintings, doodles, cartoons, collage,
mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.
Submit your ad, article, or artwork by sending to the Project
Director:
- your organization's name;
- contact person;
- email address;
- phone number;
- type of submission (for ads, please specify the size
of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
- the submission
The deadline for all art, article, and advertising
submissions to the News in Review is 19 April 2009. The
earlier, the better.
1 April 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
The Conference
on Disarmament (CD) finished part one of its 2009 session
last week, with the Canadian delegation introducing a working
paper it drafted with the United
Nations Institute for Disarmament Research called “Getting
the Conference on Disarmament Back to Substantive Work:
Food for Thought.” The paper quite comprehensively
reviews the CD's relevance, working methods, rules of procedure,
and engagement with civil society, offering some suggestions
and recommendations for moving forward now. Reaching Critical
Will hopes the other delegations will examine the paper
over the break and that they will be inspired when the CD
resumes on 18 May. In the meantime, another conference that
has suffered stalemate in the past, the United
Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC), will begin the
first round of its new three year cycle on 13 April in New
York. NGOs are permitted to attend plenary meetings of the
UNDC, so watch the E-News for reports during its course.
Statements and papers will be posted on the RCW
website.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Civil
society prevents missile "defence" bases in Czech
Republic
On 17 March 2009, the Government of the Czech Republic sent
a proposal to ratify two treaties on the placement of an
American anti-missile radar on Czech territory to the Chamber
of Deputies. After a failed day of intense politicking the
government did not even wait the lawmakers to vote and withdrew
its ratification proposal.
Furthermore, the Czech Parliament subsequently voted no-confidence
for the Czech government, calling the government to fall.
Writing from Prague, movement leader Jan Tamáš
said, “For us it is a great victory; we knew that
the only way to stop the installation of the US radar base
was the fall of the government and we worked for more than
2 years in this direction with permanence and coherence.”
He explained that the movement's work “has been fundamental
in encouraging the members of Parliament who already were
against the radar and to spread doubts in the ones who were
in favor. And it was just the change of mind of some deputies
that made the fall of the government possible.”
The No Bases Initiative will maintain organizing protests
against the installation of the foreign military base. The
next planned event is the demonstration against the radar
on the occasion of US President Obama's visit to Prague.
The protest will take place on Sunday, 5 April 2009 at 3:00
PM on the Wenceslas Square in Prague. Contact Jana
Glivická of the No Bases Initiative for more
information.
2) Call
to Action: Urge your governments to engage at the NPT
For those that have attended nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty meetings in the past, or for
those who have followed from afar by reading statements
and Reaching Critical Will reports, the redundancy of the
“general debate” will be well known. Delegates
read their prepared statement, often providing very little
new information, and do not usually deviate from the script.
This year, in anticipation of the familiar pattern,
Reaching Critical Will calls on everyone to contact their
diplomatic representatives now, in the few remaining weeks
leading up to the third Preparatory
Committee (4-15 May), to encourage them to engage with
each other in an interactive manner. Every year, the
Chair of the meeting will try to encourage informal debates
among delegates, urging them to ask each other questions,
question each others' assertions, and otherwise acknowledge
that the meeting does not take place in a vacuum where statements
drafted in capitals have the ultimate relevance for what
is happening day to day at the meeting itself.
We want you to ask your government representatives to respond
to their surroundings and engage with their colleagues.
In the past, when this has been accomplished, it has led
to very informative, helpful, and progressive dialogue.
But there are usually not enough diplomats willing to sustain
the debate. Encourage them to start it, participate in it,
and keep it going whenever possible!
For a full listing of contact information for your diplomatic
representatives, please see Reaching Critical Will's Government
Contacts. Many of the Missions will be bringing staff
to New York from Geneva for the NPT PrepCom, so contact
both Missions to be sure your message gets to the right
person. Send Reaching Critical Will a note if you want to
let us know you've taken this action.
3) IPPNW
appealed for nuclear abolition to Obama and Medvedev
More than 300 of the world’s top physicians have called
on US President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri
Medvedev to “end the nuclear weapons era once and
for all.”
The letter, signed by senior faculty and deans of medical
schools, heads of medical associations, health ministers,
medical journal editors, and Nobel laureates from 38 countries,
was delivered to Presidents Obama and Medvedev today by
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
(IPPNW), its US affiliate, Physicians for Social Responsibility,
and Russian Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.
Dr. Ira Helfand, a US physician who was a principal organizer
of the campaign, said that the 25,000 nuclear weapons in
the world’s arsenals are “the most urgent and
immediate threat to the health and survival of humankind.
And, unlike the other major health threats of our time—climate
change, poverty, AIDS and other epidemic diseases—this
one can be eradicated with nothing more than a firm decision
to do so.”
Noting that a world without nuclear weapons is now championed
by experts and diplomats across the political spectrum,
the physicians called on the US and Russian presidents to
lead the world by starting negotiations on a worldwide agreement
“that will abolish all nuclear weapons.”
Presidents Obama and Medvedev will meet for the first time
in London on April 1, on the eve of the G-20 summit. Nuclear
disarmament and non-proliferation measures, including proposals
for substantial reductions in US and Russian nuclear arsenals,
are expected to be high on their agenda.
In making the letter public today, IPPNW urged the leaders
to put recent strains in US-Russian relations aside and
to make the most of “what may be the best and last
opportunity we have to rid the world of the only weapons
capable of destroying all humanity.”
“A thousand years from now,” the signatories
to the letter told Presidents Obama and Medvedev, “no
one will remember most of what you will do over the next
few years; but no one will ever forget the leaders who abolished
the threat of nuclear war.”
The text of the letter and a complete list of signatories
are available at www.ippnw.org.
4) France
to finally compensate nuclear test victims
From “France
to finally compensate nuclear test victims,” Pacific
Islands News Association, 25 March 2009 and “Questions
over French compensation for Pacific nuclear tests,”
Pacific Islands News Association, 26 March 2009
In March 2009, the French government announced
it will compensate victims of nuclear testing carried out
in French Polynesia and Algeria. An initial sum of 10 million
euros has been set aside for military and civilian staff
as well as local populations who fell ill from radiation
exposure. Some 150,000 civilian and military personnel took
part in the 210 nuclear tests carried out in the Algerian
Sahara desert and the Pacific between 1960 and 1996.
One of the world's five declared nuclear powers, France
carried out 17 nuclear tests in Algeria in the early 1960s
including four atmospheric trials. The first test code-named
“Gerboise Bleue” (Blue Gerbil) took place on
February 13, 1960 in Reggane, southern Algeria, some 15
years after the United States ushered in the age of nuclear
weapons with its test in New Mexico. Over four decades,
193 tests were carried out near the French Polynesian islands
of Mururoa and at Fangataufa until 1996 when president Jacques
Chirac declared an end to the programme.
A bill is expected to be presented to parliament next month
that will set up a nine-member commission of physicians,
led by a magistrate, who will examine individual claims
for compensation. Veterans expressed concern however that
the defence minister would have the final say on awarding
compensation instead of the independent commission. They
also said it remained unclear how the government would go
about compensating native populations, since the populations
“will have to prove that they lived there when the
tests occurred.”
The organisations which represents former workers at France's
nuclear test site in the Pacific have questioned
the motives behind the French Government decision to compensate
those suffering radiation-related sicknesses, noting that
France had been reluctant to recognise a link between the
tests and illness. The association which supports those
who worked on the tests at Mururoa Atoll, Moruroa E Tatou
says the French Government is insincere about its change
of position. President Roland Oldham told Radio Australia
the money it’s offering isn't enough. “For 30
years of nuclear testing, for the thousands and thousands
of people who had been working there. For the many people
who have had cancer. It is a real bad joke.”
5) NATO
Counter-Summit planned for 60th anniversary
On 21 March, activists from all over Belgium and abroad
participated
in an act of civil disobedience against NATO headquarters
in Brussels, in which they tried nonviolently to enter NATO
to seal gates, windows, and doors in a symbolic burial of
the complex. This action was coordinated ahead of the NATO
Summit marking the Organization's 60th anniversary, to be
held 3-4 April in Strasbourg.
From 1-5 April, an international action camp will be organised
as a home base for actions and demonstrations and an international
counter summit will start on 3 April. It will be a platform
for a broad range of speakers and groups to express their
opposition and criticism against NATO and military globalisation.
These actions will be organised by a coalition of German,
Frenc,h and international groups.
Elsa Rassbach reports:
Some 900 security personnel are to be flown in from the
U.S. to accompany President Obama, who will be staying
at the Strasbourg Hilton. More than 30,000 German and
French police and military personnel have been engaged
to suppress the protests in "security precautions"
that even exceed those for the visits of President George
W. Bush to Stralsund, Germany, in 2006 and to Heiligendamm
in 2007. ... French and German citizens have been issued
curfews, and many must carry special badges just to enter
their own neighborhoods. Citizens have even been ordered
by police to remove peace flags from their windows. There
are indications that the German and French police and
military are receiving their orders directly from U.S.
Homeland Security.
She also notes, “The Strasbourg NATO Summit will
be the official start of the discussion on a new Strategic
Concept that will define the direction of NATO for the years
to come,” and argues the direction does not look good:
Under U.S. leadership, NATO seeks to make decisions regarding
military missions without agreement by the United Nations.
In Strasbourg some NATO leaders will even seek to abolish
the consensus decision-making process within NATO itself,
thus forcing “unwilling” nations in NATO to
go along with wars with which they disagree. At the same
time, more countries are being offered NATO membership
in an effort to encircle Russia and strategically important
areas in the Middle East. Proponents and opponents of
NATO both view the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to
which the U.S. is committing significantly more troops,
as a key test for the “out of area” intervention
concept.
However, many citizens of NATO countries do not want to
be drawn into wars or continue to host nuclear weapons on
their soil. A brief schedule of anti-NATO protest plans
from 1-5 April include:
- a camp near Strasbourg 1-5 April;
- a hearing on the war in Afghanistan in Karlsruhe, Germany
on 2 April;
- a congress of leading intellectuals, activists, and
representatives of European political parties in Strasbourg
on 3 and 5 April;
- demonstrations and civil disobedience in Baden-Baden
on 3 April; and
- civil disobedience and, separately, a peaceful demonstration
in Strasbourg on 4 April.
Peace groups have also released an appeal:
http://www.no-to-nato.org/en/appeal/
For more information, please see:
http://www.bombspotting.org
http://www.no-to-nato.org/
http://www.gipfelsoli.org/
http://wri-irg.org/node/6990
http://www.vredesactie.be/article.php?id=56
http://www.natozu.de/index.php?id=28
http://www.block-nato.org/index_en.htm
http://linksunten.indymedia.org
http://www.imi-online.de/2009.php3?id=1930
6) Churches
for disarmament
Issued jointly by the World Council of Churches and the
Conference of European Churches
In a 30 March letter, four councils of churches urged the
NATO leadership to "reinforce the vision of a world
without nuclear weapons", consigning to history the
notion that nuclear weapons preserve peace and instead recognizing
that they make security more precarious.
An immediate step towards that goal, the churches' letter
suggests, would be to update the alliance's strategic concept
and security doctrine. The alliance should also show willingness
to remove hundreds of US tactical nuclear weapons still
placed in European countries.
The letter, signed by the general secretaries of the World
Council of Churches, the Conference of European Churches,
the National Council of Churches of Christ USA and the Canadian
Council of Churches, comes ahead of the NATO summit of heads
of State and Government to be held on 3-4 April in Baden-Baden
and Kehl, Germany, and in Strasbourg, France.
"We believe security must be sought through constructive
engagement with neighbors and that authentic security is
found in affirming and enhancing human interdependence within
God's one creation," the letter states.
The ull text of the councils of churches' letter to the
NATO member states and secretary general is available at
http://www.oikoumene.org/?id=6723
7) Calling
for advertisements, articles, and artwork for the NPT
News in Review
The NPT News in Review is a daily publication produced
during NPT Preparatory Committee and Review Conferences.
It features analysis of the day's events, feature articles
from NGOs around the world, interviews with diplomats and
NGO representatives, nuclear facts, announcements, cartoons,
a calendar of events, and more. You can access archived
NIRs online
and subscribe
to receive this year's editions.
We also encourage you to submit to this year's NPT News
in Review. The guidelines are as follows:
Feature articles: In addition to the daily analysis
of the proceedings of the PrepCom, the NPT News in Review
also contains feature articles that cover a range of nuclear
disarmament issues. We welcome submissions from NGO experts
around the world, regardless of whether or not you will
be in Geneva. Articles should be between 500-1000 words.
The deadline for feature submissions is 19 April.
Please submit in .doc format and the body of the email.
Articles will be attributed to the author and may be edited
for length.
Advertising space: You can use the NPT News in
Review to publicize an important announcement, event,
or project hosted by your organization. NIRs are
hand-distributed to all of the delegates at the PrepCom,
sent by email to more than 2000 subscribers, and are archived
on our website.
1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $185
Run your ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times
and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off.
Cartoons, photos, artwork, poetry: The NPT News
in Review wouldn't be complete without its fill of poignant,
satirical, and beautiful artwork. We are accepting all forms
of anti-nuclear artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif,
or .pdf file. Photos, paintings, doodles, cartoons, collage,
mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.
Submit your ad, article, or artwork by sending to the Project
Director:
- your organization's name;
- contact person;
- email address;
- phone number;
- type of submission (for ads, please specify the size
of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
- the submission
The deadline for all art, article, and advertising
submissions to the News in Review is 19 April 2009. The
earlier, the better.
8) Convention
on Cluster Munitions signing ceremony
On 18 March, during an event at UN Headquarters in New York
for countries to sign or ratify the Convention
on Cluster Munitions, the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic ratified the Convention and the Democratic Republic
of Congo became the 96th country to sign it. For more information,
see the Cluster Munition Coalition's press
release.
16 March 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
On 5 March, the current president of the Conference
on Disarmament (CD) read out the International Women’s
Day Statement to the CD on behalf of the coalition of women’s
organizations that prepared the statement after their seminar
on 4 March. This year’s seminar focused on “Getting
To Peace in the Middle East—Changing Threat Perceptions.”
The statement emphasized that three parallel tracks are
necessary for the consolidation of peace in the area: the
political track, including the Arab Peace Initiative; the
disarmament track, including the 1995
nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference Resolution;
and a human security track, “along which the governments
of the region demonstrate their ability to cope with their
internal problems and satisfy the needs and hopes of their
peoples.”
As with all initiatives for peace, justice, and disarmament,
the statement notes, “It will be impossible to maintain
and implement this third track—towards shared human
security—without the full and active engagement of
civil society, and particularly women.” Civil society
participation is essential for progress. Reaching Critical
Will encourages everyone to consider what they can do to
meet the increasing challenges engaging our world, to not
be overwhelmed by apathy or hopelessness, and to act for
change in every way possible.
Recent technical difficulties: Speaking of change,
Reaching Critical Will's website has experienced some technical
difficulties over the past week due to an impromptu server
migration. All relevant information for the NPT is now back
in order. However, some broken links remain throughout the
site, particularly in our collection of Conference on Disarmament
statements, and we ask for your patience as we fix these.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) International
Women’s Day and the global financial crisis
Reuters invited Sam Cook, Director of the PeaceWomen
project of WILPF, to write a blog post in honour of International
Women’s Day on 8 March 2009. Sam tied the problems
of excessive military spending to those of reaching gender
equality and the other Millennium Development Goals.
http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate-uk/2009/03/07/international-womens-day-and-the-global-financial-crisis/
With the global financial crisis seemingly in every headline
and a looming economic meltdown foremost on everyone’s
minds, the observance of International
Women’s Day on March 8 may not seem of immediate
relevance. But it is.
Clara Zetkin, who is credited with first putting forward
the idea of an international women’s day in 1910,
would likely have a lot to say about where we are today.
She and other committed socialists of the women’s
and the peace movements in the U.S. and Europe whose work
inspired this Women’s Day would probably not be entirely
surprised at what the dominant economic and political power
ideologies of the last century have delivered.
Of course International Women’s Day has grown beyond
its working class roots in the early 1900’s. Alongside
the women’s movement, we see now that global corporations
and governments actively claim support of the day and its
celebrations. The official website of International Women’s
Day claims this fact as a positive achievement. But, as
someone who considers herself part of the peace and women’s
movements, this causes me no small measure of discomfort
and adds to my mixed emotions about the day.
It is not that I don’t appreciate the power and significance
of an international day of observance of work for women’s
empowerment and gender equality. It is not that I think
we have no need of attention to these issues. It is not
that I feel that all the important achievements are the
ones behind us - as the bumper sticker pinned above my desk
reads, “I’ll be a post-feminist in post-patriarchy.”
No, I believe that International Women’s Day is an
important reminder of the work that still needs to be done
and it is certainly a powerful moment of solidarity across
time and space.
It is fortifying to work with a sense of common cause with
women from places as diverse as the cities of Latin America,
the hamlets of Europe, the suburbs of North America and
the villages and sprawling urban centres across Africa.
It is inspiring to know that this work on a wide range of
issues - from equal pay for equal work; to access to reproductive
health services; and ending violence against women - is
building on the work of generations of women before us.
These are all reasons that make International Women’s
Day a day worth celebrating. But they are also the reasons
that I want to reclaim the day. Reclaim it back from the
hands of empty ritual and rhetoric and from those that treat
it like another public relations opportunity.
I’m not saying that governments and corporations
don’t do “good things” or that they don’t
invest in gender equality and women’s empowerment.
But, when one looks at the bigger picture - including that
revealed by this global financial crisis - those efforts
seem less laudable. As with so many things, it is hard to
get the true picture and see where priorities lie until
you do the comparisons and look at the numbers.
As tax payers in the U.S. are aghast at upwards of $700
billion dollars going to “bail out” the financial
system, little is said of the fact that this figure is also
the approximate annual military budget of the U.S. Global
military spending currently exceeds $1,204 billion dollars
annually at 2006 prices. The combined budgets of the United
Nations entities working on women’s issues amounts
to approximately 0.005 percent of that.
The World Bank estimates the cost of interventions to promote
gender equality under Millennium Development Goal 3 (universal
access to education) to be $7-$13 per capita. The world’s
military expenditure in 2006? $184 per capita. This is the
financial crisis. That investing in weapons and war and
creating human insecurity is prioritized over investing
in peace, development and gender equality. This is what
we should be questioning and working to change as we stand
together on International Women’s Day. And if the
governments and corporations of the world really want to
show their support for this day, then ending militarism
would be a good place to start.
2) Open
letter on Czech missile "defence" radar
The Czech Chamber of Deputies is likely to vote this week
on whether to accept the US military radar base that was
originally proposed by the Bush administration. The radar,
along with Interceptor missiles in Poland, would create
a European "missile defence" system. Two thirds
of Czechs have consistently opposed the radar.
The Campaign for Peace and Democracy has drafted the following
open
letter to the Czech Chamber of Deputies:
It is our understanding that after much debate in your
country, the Czech Chamber of Deputies will vote very
soon on the proposed agreement to accept the U.S. military
radar. We are writing to let you know that we deeply believe
that the radar is not in the real interests of people
in either the United States or the Czech Republic. We
hope you will vote to reject it.
Millions of Americans, including ourselves, are eager
for a new peaceful U.S. foreign policy that advances democracy
and demilitarization around the world, rather than an
escalation of the arms race. Moreover, the extremely expensive
missile defense program is, like so much of our country's
military budget, a vast waste of resources. We would much
prefer to spend our nation's wealth on education, housing,
healthcare and other human needs, both domestically and
internationally.
We are inspired by the fact that more than two thirds
of the Czech people have repeatedly expressed their opposition
to the radar. We join with them in calling on President
Obama to pull back from plans to install Interceptor missiles
in Poland and a companion radar station in the Czech Republic.
An end to this dangerous "missile defense"
program could form the basis for a very positive and constructive
relationship between the people of our two countries,
and could serve as an important first step in a broader
process of global disarmament.
To sign the letter, please go http://www.cpdweb.org/statements/1012/stmt.shtml.
3) Costa
Rica campaign to ban depleted uranium weapons
From the International
Campaign to Ban Uranium Weapons
On 4 March 2009, the President of the Latin American Parliament’s
Human Rights Commission and member of Costa Rica’s
legislative assembly Alexander Mora Mora released a draft
for a comprehensive ban on uranium weapons in Costa Rica.
Mora Mora, a member of the Partido Liberacion Nacional
and keen advocate for peace and non-violence, estimates
that the bill could become law in under a year and hopes
that it will attract cross party support. Parliamentarians
have been inspired by Belgium’s decision to ban uranium
weapons and armour in a unanimous vote passed in 2007. Belgium’s
ban will come into force to become law this June.
“Every domestic campaign needs heroes and Alexander
Mora Mora has stepped into this role in Costa Rica,”
said an ICBUW spokesperson. “Although our member organisations
here have been working closely with the legislature’s
members for some time, Mora Mora is the driving force behind
this text and we hope that its impact will spread far beyond
the boundaries of Costa Rica.”
It is anticipated that the Costa Rican ban text will be
written into a 1995 law controlling explosive weapons. If
it successfully negotiates the state’s unicameral
legislature, the text will ban the use, sale, transit, production
and distribution of uranium weapons in Costa Rica and its
exclusive economic zone.
4) Russia’s
Foreign Minister addressed the Conference on Disarmament
From Reaching
Critical Will's CD Report
On Saturday, 7 March, a plenary meeting of the Conference
on Disarmament (CD) convened to accommodate Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s schedule. Minister
Lavrov commented on the relationship between the financial
crisis and disarmament; relations with the United States
and next steps for bilateral reductions; measures for “strategic
stability”; the proposed anti-missile system in Eastern
Europe; and preventing an arms race in outer space.
Economic demilitarization
Minister Lavrov argued that the current financial and economic
crises “constrict the resource base for disarmament
and conversion programs,” though he also acknowledged
“that under globalization the crisis cannot be overcome
through military preparations or war as happened in 1930-s.
Regretfully, the Cold War has ‘institutionalized’
militarization in the field of international relations.”
Many academics and activists argue that the financial crisis
not only demonstrates beyond a doubt the need for conversion,
disarmament, and demilitarization, but also provides an
opportunity for such progress. At a recent conference in
Washington, DC, “Security Without Empire,” Bruce
Gagnon of the Global
Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space argued
that the conversion of military industries is essential
to reducing military expenditures, and that popular support
for conversion is essential for government action. US
Congressman Barney Frank, in calling for a 25% reduction
of the US military budget, has argued that the US government
has “for too long indulged the implicit notion that
military spending is somehow irrelevant to reducing the
deficit and have resisted applying to military spending
the standards of efficiency that are applied to other programs.
If we do not reduce the military budget, either we accustom
ourselves to unending and increasing budget deficits, or
we do severe harm to our ability to improve the quality
of our lives through sensible public policy.”
US-Russian nuclear reductions
Minister Lavrov recognized Russia’s “special
responsibility” as a nuclear weapon state and permanent
member of the UN Security Council to effectively work toward
nuclear disarmament. He welcomed the “resetting”
of US-Russian relations as discussed with US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton and emphasized the importance of a
follow-on to the Strategic
Arms Reduction Treaty (START). He also read a statement
by Russian President Medvedev, calling for a legally-binding
instrument that limits warheads, strategic delivery vehicles,
and the legality of deploying such arms outside of national
territories.
Measures for “strategic stability”
Arguing that the elimination of nuclear weapons “can
only be achieved through strengthened strategic stability
and strict adherence to the principle of equal security
of all,” Minister Lavrov urged the following steps:
- Advancement of nuclear disarmament by all nuclear weapon
states, “with their ‘gradual’ engagement
in efforts already being undertaken by Russia and U.S.”;
- Preventing of the weaponization of outer space;
- Preventing of operational deployment of strategic offensive
weapons equipped with conventional warheads (building
“compensatory potential”);
- Ensuring states do not possess a “nuclear upload
potential”;
- Preventing attempt to use NPT membership to implement
military nuclear programs; and
- Ensuring verifiable cessation of conventional capabilities
“coupled with efforts to resolve other international
issues, including settlement of regional conflicts.”
Minister Lavrov also called for strengthening of the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty at the next Review Conference
in 2010; entry into force of the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty; and ratification of the International
Atomic Energy Agency Additional Protocol by all countries
. He welcomed the entry into force of the Central Asian
nuclear
weapon free zone and urged for the development of such
a zone in the Middle East. He also called for development
of multilateral approaches to the nuclear fuel cycle, urging,
“joint work should be carried out to develop global
nuclear energy infrastructure through the establishment
of multilateral centers for the provision of nuclear fuel
cycle services” and citing the establishment of the
International Uranium Enrichment Center in partnership with
Kazakhstan. Noting that the European Union has now made
a similar call, Minister Lavrov reiterated the importance
of developing an international agreement on the elimination
of intermediate- and short-range ballistic missiles. He
also said the Russian delegation to the CD is prepared to
start negotiations on a fissile
materials cut-off treaty.
Anti-missile system in Europe
Minister Lavrov further argued that unilateral anti-ballistic
missile systems undermine efforts toward nuclear disarmament
by eroding strategic stability and global parity. He proposed
a “constructive alternative to unilateral plans in
this crucial area”—a “package proposal”
to “unite efforts of all States interested in counteracting
potential missile threats.”
Despite arguing that the proposed US anti-missile system
in Europe is based on unfounded fears of missile attacks
by Iran—noting that Iran does not possess intercontinental
ballistic missiles or nuclear weapons—the Russian
government has for several years been inviting NATO and
the United States to cooperate with it on an anti-missile
system to “protect” both Europe and Russia.
In March 2007, Russia’s
ambassador to NATO urged, “Since Iranian missiles
and the nuclear weapons of the ‘rogue states’
rank among our common threats, let us gather together and
assess them, and let us build an antimissile system jointly.”
While this suggestion was largely ignored by the former
US administration, on Friday, 6 March 2009, US
Secretary of State Clinton indicated that there may
be an “opportunity” for Russia and the United
States to “cooperate on missile defense.”
Weaponization of outer space
Minister Lavrov argued that preventing an arms race in outer
space is in everyone’s interest, noting that it will
help make “the strategic situation predictable and
preserving integrity of orbital assets” and that it
is easier to prevent the weaponization of space than to
get rid of new weapon stockpiles afterwards.
Unfortunately, given the incredible amounts of money spent
on space weapon technology and the “opportunities”
the contracts for such technology provides for weapon
profiteers, it will in fact be very difficult to prevent
its development.
Minister Lavrov announced that the Russian and Chinese
CD delegations will soon introduce a document summing up
and responding to the comments they received on their drafty
treaty on preventing the placement of weapons in outer space.
For a list of comments on the treaty delivered in plenary
meetings of the CD, please see Reaching
Critical Will’s fact sheet on the draft treaty.
Notes from the gallery
For the first time in a long time, the CD chamber was packed
with press. Before delivering his official statement, Minister
Lavrov had to shoo away photographers standing in the middle
of the room, saying, “We’re here for disarmament,
not publicity.” Last year, Minister Lavrov’s
CD address received much less media attention. We hope the
increased publicity will result in increased interest in,
and scrutiny of, the CD by media and the public.
To subscribe to Reaching Critical Will's CD Report,
please email info[at]reachingcriticalwill.org
with the subject line "subscribe cdreport". For
all CD statements, papers, and other documents since 2000,
please see http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/cdindex.html
5) Deadline
for accreditation to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Preparatory Committee
Please note that the deadline to apply for accreditation
with the United Nations to attend the nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty Preparatory Committee in May is Tuesday, 31 March
2009. Requests for accreditation that are received by
fax or email will be considered provisional until the signed
letters are received by mail. You must send hardcopies to
the above address.
6) Global
Week of Action Against Gun Violence 2009
From the International
Action Network on Small Arms
The Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence is scheduled
for 15-21 June 2009. The Week of Action highlights the international
campaign to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms.
Each year activists around the world use the Global Week
of Action Against Gun Violence to raise awareness, campaign
for better gun laws and push for stronger regulation of
the global arms trade.
In 2008 IANSA members in more than 85 countries highlighted
the human cost of small arms proliferation and misuse; they
also demanded that governments to enact policies that put
their citizens' security first. Civil society organisations
taking part in the Week of Action organised public events,
conducted media work, emphasised the importance of an Arms
Trade Treaty and generally engaged more people in the global
movement against gun violence.
Key dates for possible Week of Action advocacy
• International Day of the African Child: 16 June
• Father’s Day (in many countries): 19 June
• World Refugee Day: 20 June
The Week of Action is an excellent opportunity to raise
awareness about these upcoming events:
• Global Gun Destruction Day: 9 July
• UN Open Ended Working Group on an Arms Trade Treaty:
13-17 July
As in previous years, the IANSA Secretariat will be able
support your activities with information, contacts, suggestions,
media outreach, translation etc. We will also have some
limited funds to assist with small costs such as printing.
Please email Bruce Millar for further information and to
discuss your plans.
Bruce Millar
Programme Officer
IANSA - International Action Network on Small Arms
Development House
56-64 Leonard Street
London EC2A 4LT (UK)
Tel: +44 20 7065 0867
Fax: +44 20 7065 0871
bruce.millar[at]iansa.org
2 March 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
This edition of the E-News is chock full of information
about civil society campaigns for a just, equitable, and
peaceful world and about opportunities to pressure your
governments to embrace relevant measures to promote disarmament.
Find out what's going on in the Czech Republic against missile
"defence", what women at the Commission on the
Status of Women are saying about disarmament and militarism,
and how to engage with the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory
Committee.
In addition, please save the date of Thursday, 7 May 2009,
6:00-8:00 PM EST, for Reaching Critical Will's 10th Anniversary
Party! For anyone who will be in New York City at that time,
during the NPT PrepCom, please join us for an evening of
food and fun to celebrate ten years of RCW's work for nuclear
abolition. The event will be held in the Church Center,
across the street from the UN. For details, please contact
info[at]reachingcriticalwill.org.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Czech
mayors protest missile "defence"
From Europe for Peace, "MEPs,
Mayors and the Nonviolent Movement rejects 'Star Wars' in
Europe," 19 February 2009
Yesterday, Wednesday the 18th of February, 40 Czech mayors
and a broad delegation of the European Nonviolent Movement
travelled to Brussels, to meet with Belgian Senators and
Members of Parliament to protest against the project of
the previous Bush Administration to build the so-called
“Space Shield” in the Czech Republic and Poland.
Called on by Europe for Peace and the Czech Nonviolent
Movement, hundreds of demonstrators came in buses from the
Czech Republic along with representatives of European social
movements like, Mayors for Peace, Pax Christi and World
without Wars.
“The Invisibles” paraded in front of the European
Parliament; hundreds of people dressed in white to symbolise
the majority of the European population that has neither
been consulted, nor heard in the decisions that affect them.
At the same time, humanist and pacifist groups were mobilised
in the main European capitals and also in Buenos Aires in
front of their parliaments, in support of the Czech pacifists.
This is one more step in the campaign that started in 2007
when the news came of a plan to build a radar base in the
Brdy region of the Czech Republic by the Bush administration.
The decision was taken directly with the Czech Government
without consulting either the people or European colleagues.
After the meeting in the Belgian Senate, the senators and
deputies present took interest in the protest of the Czech
pacifists committing themselves to present a motion in the
Belgian Parliament against the space shield.
Jan Tamas, the young leader of the Czech Nonviolent Movement
said yesterday: “Today, finally, we are in the appropriate
place to speak about this subject, as the installation of
the radar base is not only a problem for the Czech People
as it compromises the security of the entire population
of Europe”. Jan Neoral, spokesperson of the League
of Mayors against the Radar, assured those present that
today, in Europe, the voice of the 70% of Czechs and the
13 out of 14 Regional Presidents who are against this project
are being heard.
The almost 20 MEPs present in the meeting that took place
in the European Parliament expressed their concern for the
serious problem that these military installations raise;
besides being useless for the real defence of Europe, they
make clear the need for a common defence policy that is
independent of the USA. Luisa Morgantini, Vice-president
of the European Parliament, affirmed “that the current
Czech Government is undermining the foundations upon which
a united Europe has been built.”
In addition, various European pacifist leaders gave their
support to Jan Tamas in the defamation campaign waged against
him by the Czech press and they denounced European passiveness
in foreign affairs and defence, and our dependence on the
decisions of other powers.
Finally, Giorgio Schultze, spokesperson of Europe for Peace,
warned about the danger that this military installation
means for Europe, being a direct provocation of Russia with
the risk of a return to a new arms race and a new cold war
and he said; “On the contrary, the path has to be
that of progressive disarmament and the immediate disappearance
of the whole nuclear arsenal. In this respect, we support
the declarations in favour of nuclear disarmament by President
Obama and we ask him to take one more step by withdrawing
this project and I finish by making a call to create a consciousness
against violence inviting all those present to join the
World March for Peace and Nonviolence that will start on
the 2nd of October and circle the planet asking for nuclear
disarmament, the end of wars and all forms of violence.”
For more information, please see:
Europe
for Peace
No
Star Wars online petition
2) Jody
Williams on missile "defence" systems
From Jody Williams, "Use
Your Imagination," International Campaign to Ban
Landmines, February 2009
Asked to opine about what I think one or two of the biggest
issues facing us in the coming decades might be, I find
myself needing to quote Arundhati Roy, in her anti-nuclear
polemic "The End of Imagination." Roy writes,
"There’s nothing new or original left to be said
about nuclear weapons. There can be nothing more humiliating
for a writer of fiction to have to do than restate a case
that has, over the years, already been made by other people
in other parts of the world, and made passionately, eloquently,
and knowledgeably."
She goes on to say, however, that she is "prepared
to grovel. To humiliate myself abjectly, because in the
circumstances, silence would be indefensible." Roy
is talking about her need to speak out against the open
embrace of nuclear weapons by the country of her birth,
India.
When asked to comment about ‘big issues,’ and
‘issues related to war and peace’ – after
all, I was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize so I should have
‘big thoughts’ about any number of such ‘big
issues’ – as often as not I find myself reduced
to feeling more like what Roy describes. What more can be
said about a multitude of issues facing this increasing
small and overwhelmed planet; issues as wide-ranging as
global warming or the HIV crisis or unbridled globalization?
People with much more intimate knowledge of these issues
have spoken – often and with much wisdom. It feels
like there is nothing left to be said.
Yet, I also find myself willing to try on some issues –
issues on which I am not even approaching what would be
called ‘an expert’ -- because I also feel that,
under the circumstances, silence would be indefensible.
Along with challenges facing us such as those noted above,
one that causes me particular concern is the open embrace
by the Bush administration of National Missile Defense (NMD),
an issue flirted with – to greater and less degree
and in various incarnations -- for approaching two decades
now since launched under the Reagan administration and known
in common parlance as ‘Star Wars.’
Like many others, I tend to revert to calling NMD the ‘Son
of Star Wars’ -- yet I recognize that for many, the
mere use of such terminology threatens to reduce the cold-blooded
horror of this move to militarize space to something amazing
and almost wonderful. ‘Son of Star Wars’ of
course conjures up the fabulous high-tech wizardry of that
imaginative series of movies; causes one to almost want
to be able to believe that this NMD is little more than
lasers and ‘good guys’ really just trying to
defend us all from the ‘bad guys.’
I hesitate to single it out. After all, my ‘expertise’
is landmines. Don’t I risk minimizing the concern
by my display of a lack of intimate knowledge? While I may
not be an expert on National Missile Defense and its implications
for the militarization of space, it doesn’t take an
expert to see how this move fits into the arrogant isolationism
of the new administration – and from my experience
sometimes it is the least expert questions that are the
most difficult to really answer.
We are now being asked to stunt our imagination and our
own intelligence and accept that real ‘freedom’
means that we should be free from the arms control treaties
that have formed a cornerstone of stability for decades.
We are told that our friends and allies around the world
just don’t understand this new concept of freedom
and security. But not to worry, given enough time and a
bit more backslapping, they will come around. And if they
don’t, we’ll do it anyway.
It is also implied – this is not just the domain
of this government – that if we do not accept this
new wisdom, if we speak out passionately and maybe even
eloquently and for some, maybe even with great knowledge
about the issues at hand – we are somehow not patriotic.
And, missile defense does seem so overwhelming that it is
tempting to give in to being ‘patriotic’ and
to letting the ‘experts’ advise us as to how
best to protect ourselves from the rogue enemies who will
be the ones to feel the wrath of these defensive missiles
– after all, what can the ordinary individual possibly
really understand about such difficult national defense
issues.
I think the biggest challenge is for each and every ‘ordinary
citizen’ to believe that their view on this –
and any of the other ‘big issues’ facing us
– is important. The biggest challenge is for ordinary
citizens to fire up their imaginations and believe that
they can make a difference on this and most any other issue
if they take action.
My friend and fellow-laureate Betty Williams once said
(and I shamelessly use her words whenever and wherever I
can) that sometimes we try to get by just invoking our feelings
of empathy for problems that face others – or us all,
collectively. Somehow, just by ‘feeling the other
person’s pain’ we are more righteous than those
who cannot even do that. But as Betty says, emotions without
action are irrelevant. If you do not get up and take action
to make the world the place you want it to be, it really
doesn’t matter what you feel.
So, I guess that I will have to now try to move beyond
my words of horror about the NMD and the militarization
of space and the arrogant isolationism of this country.
I will have to fire up my own imagination and try to find
ways to help convince us all that real security comes with
meeting the needs of the individuals on this planet –
through human security –and not through spending billions
of tax dollars ‘freely,’ for new imaginative
weapons that threaten us all.
I re-read this, of course, and find that I have not found
new eloquence on this issue of NMD and the militarization
of space. I re-read this and recognize that I’ve not
found some new magic combination that will convince someone
to stop this madness. At the same time, I recognize that
the point isn’t necessarily to find new eloquence
– it is to add my voice, and my actions, to bring
about change that I believe is critical to making this a
better place for us all. All that I have to do is use my
imagination.
3) Nuclear
Free and Independent Pacific Day
From Peace Movement Aotearoa, "Nuclear
Free and Independent Pacific Day," 1 March 2009
Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Day ('Bikini' Day),
1 March, marks the anniversary of the US 'Bravo' nuclear
bomb detonation at Bikini Atoll in 1954. The explosion gouged
out a crater more than 200 feet deep and a mile across,
melting huge quantities of coral which were sucked up into
the atmosphere together with vast volumes of seawater. The
resulting fallout caused widespread contamination in the
Pacific.
For more information, please see:
http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nfipday.htm
4) Commission
on the Status of Women: Disarmament Events
The 53rd session of the Commission
on the Status of Women (CSW) is meeting in New York
from 2-13 March 2009. Two parallel events organised by NGOs
will be focusing on women and disarmament:
Women and Disarmament
Friday, 6 March
12:00-1:30 PM
Church Center, Grumman Room
Women Decision-Makers and Disarmament
Thursday, 5 March
2:00-3:30 PM
Church Center, Drew Room
In addition, WILPF International Vice President Kozue Akibayashi
will be speaking at the following event:
Okinawa Women Act Against Military Violence
Addressing sexual violence by US military against civilian
populations residing near US military bases
Monday, 9 March
12:00-2:00 PM
Church Center, Presbyterian Conference Room (7th floor)
5) UK Co-operative
Bank ceases all investment in DU weapon manufacturers
Co-op became the first UK bank to cease investments in depleted
uranium weapon manufacturers, classifying uranium weapons
along with cluster bombs as indiscriminate. According to
the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons,
Last year saw the fifth review of its Ethical Policy,
where it invites its customers to respond to a questionnaire
on a variety of topical ethical issues. In all more than
80,000 of the bank’s customers responded to the
consultation and the results overwhelmingly supported
the bank taking a tougher line on many issues. The arms
trade was a case in point–99% of respondents supported
the exclusion of firms that manufacture and sell indiscriminate
weapons, such as cluster bombs and depleted uranium rounds.
Historically the Co-op has barred investments in arms
companies that export weapons to oppressive regimes and
those who manufacture and transfer torture equipment.
For more information, please see:
International
Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons
6) Latest
meeting of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation
and Disarmament
Thanks to Akira Kawasaki of PeaceBoat
for the following information and links:
The second meeting of the International
Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
(ICNND) held on 14-15 February 2009 in Washington, DC.
The meeting included testimonies from Hibakusha, atomic
bomb survivors.
[ICNND]
15 February 2009
Joint Statement by Gareth Evans and Yoriko Kawaguchi on
the Conclusion
of the Second Meeting of the International Commission on
Nuclear
Non-proliferation and Disarmament
http://www.icnnd.org/media/joint_conf_150209.html
[ICAN]
16 February 2009
ICAN's Media Statement
Australian nuclear plan must articulate clear path to abolish
weapons
http://www.icanw.org/news/Australian-nuclear-plan-must-articulate-clear-path-to-abolish-weapons
[Media]
19 February 2009 Global Security Newswire
Obama Preparing Major Nonproliferation Push, Disarmament
Commission
Leader Says
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20090219_4688.php
19 February 2009 Washington Times
Japan, Australia urge U.S. to cut nuclear threats
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/19/japan-australia-urge-us-to-cut-nuclear-threats/
20 February 2009 ABC Radio National
Gareth Evans: the state of nuclear non-proliferation
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/nationalinterest/stories/2009/2496986.htm
17 February 2009 The Chugoku Shimbun
Atomic bomb survivors call for elimination of nukes at int'l
meeting
http://www.hiroshimapeacemedia.jp/mediacenter/article.php?story=20090216174413746_en
16 February 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald
Biden to take up Rudd's nuclear arms push
http://www.smh.com.au/world/biden-to-take-up-rudds-nuclear-arms-push-20090215-884g.html
16 February 2009 The Australian
Biden signals nuclear changes
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25059347-2703,00.html
16 February 2009 The Age
Australian nuclear plan wins US support
http://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-nuclear-plan-wins-us-support-20090215-8860.html
19 February 2009 Your Nuclear News
High-level nuclear panel may call for industry 'code of
conduct'
http://www.yournuclearnews.com/high-level+nuclear+panel+may+call+for+industry+'code+of+conduct'_24518.html
The Commission will have the third meeting in Moscow in
mid-June, the fourth meeting in Hiroshima in mid-October,
where they will have the final discussion on its report
to be published at the end of this year or very early 2010,
which will be targeted for 2010 NPT Review Conference.
7) Help
stop arms supplies to Israel/Gaza
From the International
Action Network on Small Arms
Amnesty International is asking for support for this action
to stop arms supplies to parties to the conflict and for
a UN Security Council arms embargo.
Goals
- Urge governments to stop all arms transfers to Israel,
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is
no longer a substantial risk that arms will be used for
serious violations of international humanitarian law (IHL)
and human rights abuses
- Urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate
arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed
groups
- Urge governments to establish independent and impartial
investigation of violations of international human rights
law and IHL
- Urge governments to actively support an effective global
Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) including the Golden Rule on human
rights and IHL
Background
Amnesty International researchers visiting Gaza and southern
Israel during and after the recent fighting found evidence
of war crimes and other serious violations of international
law by all parties to the conflict.
In the three weeks following the start of the Israeli military
offensive on 27 December, Israeli forces killed more than
1,300 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 300 children
and many other civilians, and injured over 5,000 other Palestinians,
again including many civilians. Israeli forces also destroyed
thousands of homes and other property and caused significant
damage to the infrastructure of Gaza, causing a worsening
of the humanitarian crisis arising from the 18-month blockade
maintained by Israel. Some of the Israeli bombardments and
other attacks were directed at civilians or civilian buildings
in the Gaza Strip; others were disproportionate or indiscriminate.
Amnesty International has found indisputable evidence that
Israeli forces used white phosphorus, which has a highly
incendiary effect, in densely populated residential areas
in Gaza, putting the Palestinian civilian population at
high risk. Israeli forces’ use of artillery and other
non-precision weapons in densely-populated residential areas
increased the risk, and the harm done, to the civilian population.
During the same period, Hamas and other Palestinian armed
groups continued to fire indiscriminate rockets into residential
areas of southern Israel, killing 3 civilians.
Arms supplies
Israel is a significant manufacturer of conventional arms
but it also imports arms and components from other countries.
The US has been the major supplier of conventional arms,
providing $447 million in arms and ammunition in 2007, according
to US authorities. European Union (EU) member states authorised
around €200 million of arms export licenses to Israel
during 2007, the major exporters being France, Germany and
Romania. These are ‘conventional weapons’ which
include armoured vehicles, rockets, missiles, bombs and
their components. Specifically for small arms and light
weapons, the top 5 suppliers are US, Albania, Netherlands,
Mexico and Croatia, between 2004 and 2007. The US supplied
$31 million in small arms to Israel during this period.
Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have smuggled
small arms, light weapons, rockets and rocket components
into Gaza from Egypt. These imports are much smaller than
those of Israel. The weapons are reported to be manufactured
in Russia but are unlikely to have been obtained directly
from Russia.
Campaign suggestions
- Contact your national media. Send them the Amnesty
International media release and media briefing (link below),
or send a media release from your own organisation. Write
a letter to the editor of national newspapers.
- Advocacy with your government. Write to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs urging them to suspend all transfers
of military equipment, assistance and munitions, as well
as those which may be diverted, to Israel, Hamas and other
Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial
risk that such equipment will be used for serious violations
of international human rights law and IHL..
- Advocacy with the European Union (EU). The Czech Republic
has the Presidency of the EU until July. Please contact
the Czech embassy in your country and urge the EU to impose
its own arms embargo on Israel and Hamas and other Palestinian
armed groups.
If your government is one of the members of the UN Security
Council, you could write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs
or parliamentarians urging the government to impose a full
an comprehensive arms embargo on the parties to the conflict.
The current members of the UN Security Council are Austria,
Burkina Faso, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Japan,
Libya, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US and Vietnam.
Please contact your national sections of Amnesty International
to coordinate any campaign activities. Please email Bruce
Millar (bruce.millar[at]iansa.org)
with your plans and we will circulate to the rest of the
network.
+++ Please note IANSA has no funding available for this
campaign +++
To receive the Amnesty International Internal Action Circular
with more details of the action, please email Bruce Millar
(bruce.millar[at]iansa.org)
For more information, please see:
Amnesty
International media release
Amnesty
International media briefing
8) Convention
on Cluster Munitions signing ceremony
On 18 March, there will be an event at the UN headquarters
in New York, facilitated by UN agencies including the UN
Treaty Section, at which all countries will be invited to
participate through their missions in New York. Those countries
that have not signed or ratified the Convention will have
an opportunity to do so at this event as a group and in
the spotlight of other states, civil society, and media.
The Cluster
Munitions Coalition is calling for action:
- If your government hasn’t yet signed the Convention
- particularly those states who did not get adequate ‘full
powers’ to sign in Oslo, and states that adopted
the Convention in Dublin but failed to sign in Oslo -
please encourage them to sign at this event in a few weeks’
time, if not before.
- If your government can complete ratification procedures
within the next few weeks, please encourage them to deposit
their ratification instrument at this event, if not before.
- Even if your country has signed, encourage your country’s
mission to the UN in New York to attend the event.
Adapt and send a letter to your Minister of Foreign
Affairs calling on your government to sign or ratify the
treaty as soon as possible (if they haven’t done
so already)
You can find tempalte letters here: www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/government/
We recommended that you adapt the letter so that it is appropriate
to your national context. Here are some suggestions:
- Welcome any announcements that the government has made
saying it will sign the Convention soon if it hasn’t
yet signed, or that it will ratify the Convention quickly
if it has already signed, as well as any steps already
taken towards signature or ratification. If you are writing
to your country about ratification, you may also want
to make clear what next steps are needed to complete this
procedure;
- Highlight why it is important that this country signs/ratifies
the Convention, for example if it is an affected country
then it will be able to request and receive assistance
to clear contaminated land and if it stockpiles then it
will obligate the country to start destruction.
- Copy the letter to all relevant people in government,
parliament and civil society that can help to follow up
on ensuring that the signature / ratification procedure
is carried out quickly and efficiently.
- Attach to the letters the CMC Briefing Paper on the
Convention and the ‘How to’ guides on signing
and ratifying the Convention.
Contact members of parliament and engage them in your
campaign
Check out the excellent new Parliamentary Action Kit online
which has information on the Parliamentary Friends of the
CMC network, parliamentary forums on cluster munitions,
and other useful resources. Thanks so much to Portia Stratton
and Landmine Action for putting this together.
- Send letters to parliamentarians asking that they encourage
your government to sign and ratify the Convention (if
they haven’t done so already). You can find template
letters here: www.stopclustermunitions.org/take-action/mp/
Arrange a briefing for key government officials and
parliamentarians
- There is a range of materials to support briefings
including the lobbying guides and practical information
on how to sign and ratify the Convention, ratification
and signature, briefing papers explaining what the treaty
means, PowerPoint presentations and photo slide shows:
www.stopclustermunitions.org/campaign-resources/
9) Call
for art, articles, and advertisements for the News in
Review
The News in Review is a daily publication produced
during NPT Preparatory Committee and Review Conferences.
It features analysis of the day's events, feature articles
from NGOs around the world, interviews with diplomats and
NGO representatives, nuclear facts, announcements, cartoons,
a calendar of events, and more. You can access archived
NIRs online at http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nirindex.html.
You can also subscribe to receive the NIR daily during the
NPT by emailing info[at]reachingcriticalwill.org
with the subject line "subscribe nir".
We encourage you to submit to this year's News in Review.
The guidelines are as follows:
Feature articles: In addition to the daily analysis
of the proceedings of the PrepCom, the News in Review
also contains feature articles that cover a range of nuclear
disarmament issues. We welcome submissions from NGO experts
around the world, regardless of whether or not you will
be in Geneva. Articles should be between 500-1000 words.
The deadline for feature submissions is 18 April.
Please submit in .doc format and the body of the email.
Articles will be attributed to the author and may be edited
for length.
Advertising space: You can use the News in Review
to publicize an important announcement, event, or project
hosted by your organization. NIRs are hand-distributed to
all of the delegates at the PrepCom, sent by email to more
than 2000 subscribers, and are archived on our website.
1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $185
(Run your ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times
and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off.)
Cartoons, photos, artwork, poetry: The News in
Review wouldn't be complete without its fill of poignant,
satirical, and beautiful artwork. We are accepting all forms
of anti-nuclear artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif,
or .pdf file. Photos, paintings, doodles, cartoons, collage,
mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.
Submit your ad, article, or artwork by sending to ray[at]reachingcriticalwill.org:
- your organization's name;
- contact person;
- email address;
- phone number;
- type of submission (for ads, please specify the size
of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
- the submission
The deadline for all art, article, and advertising
submissions to the News in Review is 19 April 2009. The
earlier, the better.
17 February 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
On 12
February, Brazil's
ambassador to the Conference
on Disarmament (CD) in Geneva eloquently argued, "the
sense of insecurity is a fertile soil not only for the reluctance
to disarm but also for the ambition to acquire nuclear weapons.
The malaise of insecurity can be remedied by weapons in
the way that vitamins are supposed to strengthen ones resistance
to disease. Taking further that image, nuclear weapons are
like anabolic androgenic steroids which are outlawed in
the world of sports." The articulation of various conceptions
of security have been a highlight of this year's CD plenary
meetings, with delegations debating the validity of the
notion of equal security and others encouraging the development
of regional security mechanisms. Very few, however, have
called for emphasis on human security, except for Costa
Rica's representative, Counsellor Carlos Garbanzo, who
argued that the problem with the CD is that states are approaching
disarmament from an armament or military perspective rather
than a humanist one and that only a comprehensive point
of view centered on the humanitarian side will move the
Conference forward. He also reminded the Conference that
disarmament is not a topic exclusive to those countries
that have weapons; it effects any country and any population
that might suffer negative effects of use of any weapons.
Reaching Critical Will welcomes and encourages this dialogue
and urges civil society representatives to call on their
governments to think and talk about security in the most
comprehensive way possible. Government contact information
is available on RCW's website.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1)
Information on NGO accreditation and registration for the
2009 NPT PrepCom is now available
The Office for Disarmament Affairs has released the official
aide memoire for NGO participation at the NPT PrepCom. Below
is some very important information on accreditation and
registration. The complete aide memoire can be accessed
at http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/aidememoire09.pdf
Important notes overall
1. Your organization MUST work specifically on nuclear weapon
issues in order to be approved for accreditation. Only those
organizations that can demonstrate their active engagement
on related issues will be approved.
2. You do not need to send your registration form to UNODA
in advance. Please only send your accreditation request,
as detailed below, not your registration form. Bring
your registration form, along with your letter of approved
accreditation, with you to New York.
3. UNODA is not in a position to provide letters
of invitation and letters to consulates requesting that
NGO representatives be provided visas for travelling to
the United States for the PrepCom. The procurement of visas,
travel arrangements, and related costs are strictly the
responsibility of the NGO representatives.
Accreditation
NGO representatives with or without valid UN grounds
passes must apply for accreditation to ODA. All
NGOs, even those with ECOSOC or DPI accreditation, must
apply.
Please submit, by 31 March 2009, the following materials:
1) a letter on organizational letterhead, signed by the
head of the organization, requesting attendance at the Conference,
which includes the composition of the delegation and an
overview of past interactions between your organization
and the United Nations, particularly in relation to disarmament
and non-proliferation. Such interactions may include affiliation
with the Department of Public Information (DPI), consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), etc.
NGOs that will be participating for the first time should
indicate this in their request for accreditation.
Note: Names submitted for the delegation will not eligible
for later revision. It is advised that organizations submit
the composition of their delegations only after careful
review. Applicants for accreditation to UN conferences and
individuals planning to attend side events must be at least
18 years of age.
Additional note: Your organization MUST work specifically
on nuclear weapon issues in order to be approved for accreditation.
The UN will consider requests from all organizations but
only those that can demonstrate their active engagement
on related issues will be approved.
2) A mission statement or summary of work that should include
information on the organization's purpose, programmes, and
activities related to the PrepCom. Not to exceed two pages
in length.
Please send all of the above materials to:
Secretariat of the Preparatory Committee
c/o Ms. Silvia Mercogliano
Information and Outreach Branch
Office for Disarmament Affairs
Room S-3151E
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 917 367 4124
Fax: +1 917 367 5369
Email: UNODA.NPT.NGO[at]un.org
Requests for accreditation that are received by fax
or email will be considered provisional until the signed
letters are received by mail. You must send hardcopies
to the above address.
NGO representatives will be notified by email on 8 April
2009 as to whether their documentation was received in order
and whether the name of their organization will be included
in the list for submission to states parties.
Registration and issuance of identification badges
NGO registration will be open in the visitor's lobby of
the United Nations from 8:00 AM-12:00 PM and from
3:00-5:00 PM on Monday, 4 May and Tuesday,
5 May. You must bring your filled out registration form,
the provisional accreditation request that has been authorized
by the Secretariat of the PrepCom (UNODA) and a valid photo
identification - passport is strongly encouraged,
driver's license is acceptable. Please come
early to register and please fill out your registration
form in advance. The process this year will be more
tedious than in years past and will take longer than in
Vienna or Geneva. If you want to attend the first plenary
meeting at 10:00 AM, please make sure you're in line by
8:00 AM.
Registration form: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/registrationform09.doc
Note: You do not need to send your registration form
to UNODA in advance. Please only send your accreditation
letter, not your registration form. Bring your registration
form with you to New York.
If you cannot come on the above dates and times for registration,
please contact Ms. Silvia Mercogliana at mercogliano[at]un.org,
+1 917.367.4123 or Ms. Jenny Fuchs at fuchs[at]un.org,
+1 212.963.2386.
Please note: UNODA is not in a position to
provide letters of invitation and letters to consulates
requesting that NGO representatives be provided visas for
travelling to the United States for the PrepCom. The
procurement of visas, travel arrangements, and related costs
are strictly the responsibility of the NGO representatives.
Additional information for NGOs
- The PrepCom will take place in Conference Room 1.
- NGOs may display their documents and other materials
on a table located outside Conference Room 1, though one
copy of each document/material must be provided to the
Secretariat through the NGO Coordinator, Ms. Ray Acheson.
- Limited space is available for exhibits. Please contact
Ms. Silvia Mercogliana at mercogliano@un.org for exhibit
requests.
2) Judge
Weeramantry argued against renewal of the UK's nuclear weapons
At a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, Judge Weeramantry,
the former vice president of the International Court of
Justice supported
attempts by the Scottish government to remove nuclear warheads
from Scottish soil and will argue that nonviolent resistance
to nuclear weapons can be justified under international
law. His speech was reportedly an eloquent indictment of
the possession, development, and threatened use of nuclear
weapons.
Judge Weeramantry argued that the right of nations such
as Scotland to challenge the deployment of weapons which
threaten their people, their environment and future generations
is undeniable, saying, "These are all areas which must
necessarily be concerns of the parliament of Scotland."
In its article about the event, the Sunday Herald noted,
"Last April, the Scottish government set up a Trident
Working Group to investigate ways of getting rid of nuclear
weapons using devolved powers. The group is due to report
in the spring. In June last year, the Scottish parliament
voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling on the
UK government not to go ahead with the planned replacement
of Trident."
3) The
UK government released a public information paper on UK
nuclear weapon policy
On 4 February 2009, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office
released a public information paper, "Lifting
the nuclear shadow: Creating the conditions for abolishing
nuclear weapons" (pdf). Ambassador
Duncan of the United Kingdom explained that the paper
does not change any formal statements made by him or other
UK ambassadors to the CD but is rather a "compendium"
of UK policies on nuclear weapons, "expressed in simple
language."
The paper outlines three conditions and six steps that
are "potentially attainable" within the next few
years toward "a global ban on all nuclear weapons,"
including:
- Preventing nuclear weapon proliferation by "securing
agreement among all the Non-Proliferation Treaty states
that the way forward must include tougher measures to
prevent proliferation and tighten security" and by
"working with the International
Atomic Energy Agency to help states which want to
develop a civil nuclear energy industry to do so in ways
which are safe and secure and which minimise the risks
of nuclear weapons spreading."
- Aiming for "minimal arsenals" and an "international
legal framework which puts tight, verified constraints
on nuclear weapons" through US-Russian negotiations
and agreements on further nuclear weapon reductions, bringing
the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty into force, and starting negotiations
"without preconditions" on a fissile
materials cut-off treaty.
- Finding solutions to the challenges of moving from
small numbers of nuclear weapons to zero in ways which
enhance security by "exploring the many complex political,
military, technical and institutional issues" through
a "strategic dialogue among the five Nuclear Weapon
States (and, in due course, others)."
Brief analysis from Reaching
Critical Will's CD Report of 5 February 2009
The key phrase in the information paper is that the UK government
has issued "a call to accelerate disarmament to prevent
proliferation to new states and to ultimately achieve a
world that is free from nuclear weapons" [emphasis
mine].
In their Foreign
Policy in Focus article on the phenomenon of "anti-nuclear
nuclearism"—the concept of the nuclear powers'
quest for sustained hegemony masquerading as non-proliferation
masquerading as disarmament—Darwin BondGraham and
Will Parrish note that this type of position emphasizes
"disarmament" steps and conditions "entirely
for what it means for the rest of the world — securing
nuclear materials and preventing other states from going
nuclear or further developing their existing arsenals."
Current nuclear weapon states' "responsibility to disarm
remains in the distant future, unaddressed as a present
imperative."
Indeed, the UK information paper has sections on "stopping
proliferation" in Iran, North Korea, and Syria, on
"tightening controls" on nuclear materials and
technology, on "strengthening international commitment
to preventing proliferation," on "managing the
growth in nuclear power" and finally, on "reducing
arsenals" and "going to zero". In the "reducing
arsenals" section, the paper argues, "Significant
reductions in the nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia
should be achievable without necessarily raising fundamental
security issues." BondGraham has argued that whereas
nuclear weapons once offered prestige and privilege in the
international community they are now seen by government
elites as as a drain on national resources, political capital,
and other forms of military power.
The UK paper also asserts, "A global ban [on nuclear
weapons] will not be successfully achieved and sustained
without removing or at least significantly improving the
political tensions which have led states to maintain their
nuclear weapons." In this regard, the UK government
argues, the nuclear weapon states have to ensure that elimination
of nuclear weapons does not spark an arms race in chemical,
biological, or conventional weapons—therefore, the
international community needs "effective international
controls on other weapons before a global ban on nuclear
weapons could be agreed" [emphasis mine].
One suggestion for preventing arms races the UK paper does
not make is that of reducing global and regional military
expenditure. The Costa Rican government, in its concept
paper on Article
26 of the UN Charter circulated before the open
debate in the Security Council last fall, suggested
the establishment of regional commitments to maintaining
collectively agreed levels of military spending.
Regarding the possibility of starting negotiations in the
near future on a Nuclear Weapons Convention, the UK information
paper asserts:
most of the states with nuclear weapons, including the
UK, while accepting that some form of such an agreement
is likely to be necessary in due course to establish the
final ban, consider that it would be premature and potentially
counter-productive to focus efforts on it now when the
many other conditions necessary to enable a ban have yet
to be put in place. Words alone will not rid the world
of nuclear weapons.
However, the paper contains several points on how to "transition
securely from low numbers to zero," which include "fierce
verification requirements." WILPF notes that the United
Kingdom has utilized some of their nuclear weapon establishment
to conduct an intensive verification study, which was launched
in 2005. Since they, it has also undertaken a joint study
with a Norway and the non-governmental organization VERTIC
on the technical aspects of verifying the dismantlement
of nuclear weapons.
Leave your feedback
Anyone can leave feedback on this information paper on the
UK ambassador to the CD's blog at http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/duncan/.
4) The
Indian government signed an IAEA Safeguards Agreement
The agreement, once ratified, will give International
Atomic Energy Agency inspectors the right to monitor
up to 14 Indian reactors by the year 2014. However, the
process of deciding which Indian facilities to place under
IAEA safeguards might prove to be politically difficult,
according
to an anonymous diplomat. Due to the US-India
deal and the waiver granted by the Nuclear Suppliers
Group, India has recently entered into nuclear cooperation
agreements with the United States, Russia, and France and
is close to concluding one with the Canada.
5) Security
without Empire: National Organizing Conference on Foreign
Military Bases
On 27 February–2 March 2009, a US organizing conference
on foreign military bases will meet at American University
in Washington, DC. The Project on Military Bases, a coalition
of fifteen national and community based organizations has
organized the conference and will also be joined by leading
anti-bases activists from Africa, Asia and the Pacific,
Latin America, and Europe. The conference will provide a
unique opportunity to learn about the dangers, "abuses
and usurpations" that come with foreign military deployments,
and to join in the process of organizing to win the closure
and withdrawal of these bases.
The conference aims to:
* Share information about U.S. military bases and resistance
* Develop strategies and expand the U.S. anti-bases movement
* Raise the visibility of the U.S. and international anti-bases
movements
* Apply pressure on Congress to close and reduce the number
of foreign bases
Speakers will include leading U.S. peace activists, scholars,
and allies from the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Germany, Guam,
the Netherlands, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Okinawa,
and South Africa. Additionally, they have arranged twenty
workshops to allow participants to explore issues and campaigns
more deeply and to develop new strategies.
Please find more detailed information at www.projectonmilitarybases.org.
6) International
Women's Day Disarmament Seminar: 4 March 2009
Since 1984, the Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) has
worked with other NGOs to organise a seminar linking 8 March–International
Women's Day–with disarmament, peace and security issues.
Each year, a report and statement from the NGO conference
has been read into the record of the Conference on Disarmament
(CD), the only official oral statement from NGOs to this
body.
On 4 March 2009, the International Women's Day disarmament
seminar will concentrate on the security challenges in the
Middle East, specifically on the threat perceptions that
create a professed need for a reliance on military means,
including weapons of mass destruction, to provide security.
Getting To Peace in the Middle East
The Role of Women in Changing Threat Perceptions
International Women's Day Disarmament Seminar
4 March 2009, 13:15
Palais des Nations - Room IX
Speakers will address the impact of media as well as other
actors in creating and sustaining the perception of imminent
danger, imminent threat. The seminar will also provide an
opportunity to brainstorm about how the international community
can better understand these threat perceptions, and help
shift them to create the conditions for negotiations on
both peace agreements and weapons of mass destruction free
zone agreements.
Building on the success of our 2008 seminar, that focused
on the roles and responsibilities of women in conflict prevention
and peace building, this seminar will examine the complex
issues in the Middle East and the efforts that women are
taking there to de-escalate current conflicts, and to shift
governmental spending priorities from the false sense of
military security to true human and sustainable security.
The goal of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass
destruction has been repeatedly affirmed by all states in
the region, as well as the international community at the
highest political levels. In preparation for the 2010 nuclear
Non Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, many states
have raised the issue of the status of implementation of
the 1995 resolution on the Middle East. It has been said
that this resolution cannot be implemented without; at least,
concurrent discussions on the Middle East peace process
overall. The roadmap to peace between Palestine and Israel
is known; it was defined decades ago through UN brokered
principles and resolutions. Another paper roadmap is not
needed; what is needed is the road. This seminar will pave
the way for creative thinking about new actors and new actions
needed to build and hopefully walk down this road.
Please save the date and join us for this seminar. You
can register online at:
http://www.wilpf.int.ch/events/2009/IWD_registration.html
2 February 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
The Conference
on Disarmament (CD) has met for its first three plenary
meetings of 2009, each of which has featured an interesting
discussion on questions of regional
security, military
spending, and civil
society participation. Regarding the latter, several
delegations supported increased engagement between the Conference
and civil society. Austria's
Ambassador Strohal noted that time and again "cooperation
between governments, parliaments and civil society"
has been beneficial to "other security related initiatives"
and that "success in the field of disarmament in general
will depend not only on a full commitment on the political
level but on a strong involvement by our civil societies
as well."
In the spirit of strong involvement of civil society and
cooperation between governmental and non-governmental actors,
Reaching Critical Will encourages our readers to take action.
On 15 January, the E-News announced
an opportunity for NGOs to make submissions
to the Australian government's review of its nuclear treaties
- submissions will be accepted until 15 February. Another
chance to contribute to global disarmament efforts is the
International
Commission on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament,
which will next meet in Washington, DC on 13 February. Civil
society organisations in Australia and Japan are forming
an NGO Shadow Commission and are welcoming groups from all
of the ICNND Commission countries to join. Please contact
WILPF International's Vice President Felicity Hill at felicity.hill[at]wilpf.ch
for more information. Also see Reaching Critical Will's
Action
page to learn about more oppotunities for getting involved.
In peace and action,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Resources
on anti-nuclear nuclearism
From Darwin BondGraham and Will Parrish, "Anti-nuclear
Nuclearism," Foreign Policy in Focus, 12 January
2009
Anti-nuclear nuclearism is a foreign and military policy
that replies upon overwhelming U.S. power, including the
nuclear arsenal, but makes rhetorical and even some substantive
commitments to disarmament, however vaguely defined. Anti-nuclear
nuclearism thrives as a school of thought in several think
tanks that have long influenced foreign policy choices related
to global nuclear forces. Even the national nuclear weapons
development labs in New Mexico and California have been
avid supporters and crafters of it.
As a policy, anti-nuclear nuclearism is designed to ensure
U.S. nuclear and military dominance by rhetorically calling
for what has long been derided as a naïve ideal: global
nuclear disarmament. Unlike past forms of nuclearism, it
de-emphasizes the offensive nature of the U.S. arsenal.
Instead of promoting the U.S. stockpile as a strategic deterrence
or umbrella for U.S. and allied forces, it prioritizes an
aggressive diplomatic and military campaign of nonproliferation.
Nonproliferation efforts are aimed entirely at other states,
especially non-nuclear nations with suspected weapons programs,
or states that can be coerced and attacked under the pretense
that they possess nuclear weapons or a development program
(e.g. Iraq in 2003).
Effectively pursuing this kind of belligerent nonproliferation
regime requires half-steps toward cutting the U.S. arsenal
further, and at least rhetorically recommitting the United
States to international treaties such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT). It requires a fig leaf that the United States
isn't developing new nuclear weapons, and that it is slowly
disarming and de-emphasizing its nuclear arsenal. By these
means the United States has tried to avoid the charge of
hypocrisy, even though it has designed and built newly modified
weapons with qualitatively new capacities over the last
decade and a half. Meanwhile, U.S. leaders have allowed
for and even promoted a mass proliferation of nuclear energy
and material, albeit under the firm control of the nuclear
weapons states, with the United States at the top of this
pile.
Many disarmament proponents were elated last year when
four extremely prominent cold warriors — George P.
Shultz, William Perry, Henry Kissinger, and Sam Nunn —
announced in a series of op-eds their commitment to "a
world free of nuclear weapons." Strange bedfellows
indeed for the cause. Yet the fine print of their plan,
published
by the Hoover Institute and others since then, represents
the anti-nuclear nuclearist platform to a tee. It's a conspicuous
yet merely rhetorical commitment to a world without nuclear
weapons. These four elder statesmen have said what many
U.S. elites have rarely uttered: that abolition is both
possible and desirable. However, the anti-nuclear posture
in their policy proposal comes to bear only on preventing
non-nuclear states from going nuclear, or else preventing
international criminal conspiracies from proliferating weapons
technologies and nuclear materials for use as instruments
of non-state terror. In other words, it's about other people's
nuclear weapons, not the 99% of materials and arms possessed
by the United States and other established nuclear powers.
This position emphasizes an anti-nuclear politics entirely
for what it means for the rest of the world — securing
nuclear materials and preventing other states from going
nuclear or further developing their existing arsenals. U.S.
responsibility to disarm remains in the distant future,
unaddressed as a present imperative.
Please go to http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/5782
to continue reading this article.
For more information, please see:
Darwin BondGraham on the Wall Street Journal op-ed
http://darwinbondgraham.blogspot.com/2009/01/in-january-2007-four-elder-statesmen.html
2) Brief
overview of the new US administration's take on space weapons
and missile "defence"
On 20 January 2009, US President Obama reportedly
pledged to seek a "'worldwide ban' on weapons that
could be used against military or commercial satellites."
Results of the Congressionally-mandated Space Posture Review,
due December, are expected to further formulate the Obama
administrations national space policy. Obama's statement,
however, did not "entirely" rule out "military
action to defend U.S. spacecraft."
According to Reuters,
Obama's administration will also review plans to deploy
elements of its ballistic missile "defence" system
in Poland and the Czech Republic. Michele Flournoy, undersecretary
for policy at the Pentagon, said the plans should be reviewed
as part of a regular broad look at policy, known as the
quadrennial defense review, or QDR, due to take place this
year. However, Flournoy also indicated it is in US interests
to "cooperate" with Russia on missile defence,
providing further indications that "reducing tensions
with Russia" over the plans to install missile "defence"
systems in Eastern Europe means bringing Russia into the
fold, not withdrawing the plans themselves. Russian officials
have previously rejected US offers of cooperation as "insufficient",
though they have not ruled it out as an option altogether.
Since this review has been announced, the Russian government
declared a halt to its own plans to deploy missiles in Kaliningrad
in response to US missiles in Eastern Europe.
It is also important to remember that US Defense Secretary
Robert Gates supports missile "defence" in general
and the plans for US interceptors and radars in Europe.
In addition, Obama has
picked a former Raytheon lobbyist, William Lynn, to
serve as Deputy Secretary of Defense. Raytheon is one of
the major
US missile defence contractors. While Obama previously
"vowed to stop the revolving door that lets onetime
lobbyists go to work for the Federal Government and oversee
contracts that could harm—or help—their former
employer," administration officials said the loophole
was allowed because Lynn is "uniquely qualified"
for the job. Danielle Brian, head of the nonprofit Project
on Government Oversight, a watchdog group in Washington,
pointed out, "While Lynn may be well qualified, it
is absurd to argue that he is uniquely qualified. There
are plenty of people with far greater business-management
experience than that of a lobbyist." Likewise, Time
Magazine argues, "the idea that Lynn is 'uniquely qualified'—the
White House's language—for the post is simply bogus.
The phrase doesn't mean merely good or talented; it means
that Lynn, of all the possible candidates for the position,
is the only person who could fill it."
3) International
Conference on missile "defence" in the Asia Pacific
to convene in April
From Global
Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
International Conference against the Asia Pacific Missile
Defense and for the End of Arms Race
Seoul, South Korea | 16-18 April 2009
1. Background Information
The 17th annual conference of the Global
Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space will
be held in Seoul, Korea from April 16-18, 2009, under the
title of the 2009 International Conference against the Asia
Pacific Missile Defense and for the End of Arms Race.
The Korean committee for the conference, lead by the Peace
Network (Korean),
(English)
and Center for Peace and Disarmament, People's Solidarity
for Participatory Democracy (Korean),
(English)
and is formed by 10 peace organizations is the Co-Sponsor
with the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power
in Space for this conference.
The signs of a 'new cold war' are brewing as the U.S. pushes
ahead with the missile defense (MD) system installations
in Eastern Europe against Russia's strong opposition. There
is an urgent need for the international civil society to
respond against the current rapid arms race in the Asia
Pacific where the US leads the Asia Pacific MD efforts,
supported strongly by Japan, Australia and South Korea;
against the frontline of opposition formed by China, Russia
and North Korea.
The MD issue is becoming the core element of the destabilization
of peace in Northeast Asia, not to mention the Korean peninsula,
especially when the U.S. intends to make South Korea its
MD outpost and the Lee Myung Bak government promotes stronger
US-South Korea alliance and the US-South Korea-Japan trilateral
system formation.
By this great chance, the Korea Committee points out the
Korean peace issues within the international peace movement
circles, and wants to share international understanding
and cooperation about Korean peninsula's peace and reunification
issues.
In light of such concerns, holding an international peace
conference in South Korea on missile defense and arms race
issues will provide an important momentum in bringing the
issues pertaining to the Korean peninsula-one of the last
divided countries by the cold war in the world- and the
North East Asia to the international community and in developing
international solidarity.
We, the Korea Committee is already excited and grateful
by many international participants' enthusiasm to participate.
Above all, we, the Korean Committee welcomes everyone in
the world, who wants to share the urgent issues in each
country regarding the Missile defense, military base, arms
race etc. issues and to promote further international solidarity
one another.
2. Summary of the International Conference
Official event dates: April 16 to 18, 2009
- Core issues: MD and space weaponization; Arms race and
arms reduction; US bases and the peace movement in Northeast
Asia; and global meaning of the peaceful reunification process
in Korea etc.
- Main events: International symposium (Seoul), International
news conference (Seoul), Visit to Panmunjeom, Peace campaign
(Pyeongtaek) and GN annual strategy and business meeting
(Seoul)
- Interpretation: International symposium will be translated
in Korean and English simultaneously while the other programs
will be done consecutively. The GN annual strategy and business
meeting will be done in English. For the effective usage
of time, we integrated the whole program rather than having
separate workshops.
3. Daily events and programs of the GN International
Conference(Consecutive Interpretation)
(1). April 16, 2009 (Thursday)
09:00(07:00)-15:00(17:30): International participants trip
to Panmunjeom(the symbol of Korean division, http://koreadmztour.com/english/tour/tour2.htm)
or Visit to the vicinity of the DMZ(Imjingak, Dorasan observatory
etc.)/meeting with activists/cultural event etc as a plan
B
18:00-21:00: dinner and entertainment(including the speech
by 3~4 GN participants)
(2). April 17, 2009 (Friday): International meeting
(Simultaneous interpretation)
9:00-10:00 Foreign and domestic press conference (consecutive
translation)
9:45-10:00: Registration
10:00-10:10: Welcome speech (Korean dignitary)
10:10-10:20: Greeting speech (GN Chairman )
10:20-10:40: Keynote speech, "Star Wars (space weaponization),
Future Warfare, and the Global Peace" (GN)
10:40-12:20: Plenary session I "MD and the World"
10:40-11:00: The MD policy of the overall and Obama government
(USA participant)
11:00-11:20: MD, Europe and the New Cold War including
the NATO missile defense(European participant): 11:20-11:40:
MD, Arms Race and the Future of the North East Asia(Korean
participant):
11:40-12:00: What is the alternative against the MD?: Nuclear
Disarmament and Conversion of the Military Industrial Complex(GN
participant)
12:00-12:20: Q and A
12:20-14:00: Lunch and break (There will be short presentation(about
4min.) of the slide projection )
14:00-15:20: Plenary session II "Global Anti-War and
Peace Movements"
* Each international participant requested to give a ten
minute speech on the MD and No US bases movements; and Q&A.
The participants from GN are cordially asked to give a speech.
15:20-15:30: Break
15:30-17:00: Plenary session III " Korea, Japan and
the Northeast Asia Peace
15:30-16:00: Peace Constitution in Japan and the Northeast
Asia Peace (Japanese participant):
16:00-16:30: Korea Peace and Reunification Process and
the Northeast Asia Peace (Korean participant): ?
16:30-17:00: Q& A
17:00: Closing the symposium
18:00-21:00: Dinner and Entertainment: includes three Keynote
speeches
(3) April 18, 2009 (Saturday) (English)
9:00-12:00: GN Annual Strategy and Business Meeting
12:00-13:00: Lunch
13:00-20:00: visit and rally/ protest in front of the military
base in Pyeongtaek (the emerging hub of US military bases
in construction) and dinner meeting with the local peace
organizations
(4). Official Conference and Stay site
Seoul Women's Plaza, Seoul, from April 15 to April 19(During
the given official dates above, no stay cost by the international
participants. The Korean Committee is reserving seven western-style
two-bed rooms and seven Korean-style two bed rooms except
for the special request. The rooms are the building can
best afford. Reservation for the first comers, first. The
international participant may pay for other nights at low
cost or request for the info. of home stay/ other hotels
as alternative. Regarding stay, please contact wooksik[at]gmail.com,
armha5156[at]gmail.com,
and globalnet[at]mindspring.com.
4) Pouring
water on the fire of military spending
Several articles providing arguments against increased military
spending as a reasonable response to the financial crisis
have been released recently. All of them point out the counterproductive
nature of giving money to the US Department of Defense in
order to increase jobs.
In the Washington Times, William Hartung and Christopher
Preble argue, "The defense budget is not a jobs program,
nor should it be. Decisions on how many Humvees to buy,
or how many bases to refurbish, should rest on military
necessity, not economic expedience subject to political
chicanery."
See William Hartung and Christopher Preble, "Defense
Doesn't Need Stimulus," The Washington Times, 28
January 2009.
In CounterPunch, William T. Wheeler notes, "if employment
is the aim, it makes more sense to cut defence spending
and use the money in programmes that do it better."
See Winslow T. Wheeler, "Save
the Economy by Cutting the Defense Budget," CounterPunch,
27 January 2009.
In addition, Greg Mello of the Los
Alamos Study Group (LASG) argued in a recent letter,
"there could be a temptation, what with very large
financial bailouts and large economic stimuli passing and
under discussion in Congress, to consider defense spending
and Weapons Activities spending in particular as useful
forms of economic stimuli. Relative to almost any other
use for federal money, they aren't." He goes on to
cite a recent study
(pdf) "of the relative merits of various forms of fiscal
stimulus" done by Robert Pollin and Heidi Garrett-Peltier
at the University of Massachusetts in 2007, noting, "health
care or home weatherization creates about 1.50 times as
many jobs as defense spending, education 2.07 times as many,
and mass transit 2.31 times as many. Total wages and benefits
are also higher."
5) Nobel
Laureates send a letter to US President Obama on the abolition
of nuclear weapons
On 20 January 2009, twelve Nobel Prize Laureates and a former
Under-Secretary General of the United Nations addressed
US President Barack Obama on nuclear disarmament. In an
open
letter, they reminded President Obama of his promise
to seek a world in which there are no nuclear weapons. Pointing
to the shortfalls of the existing international regime for
nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, Sir Harold Kroto
(Nobel Prize for Chemistry), Member of the Advisory Board
of INES, and his co-signers remind Barack Obama of the recent
suggestion by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to use the
existing Model Nuclear Weapons Convention as a starting
point for the path into a nuclear weapons free world.
Letter Text
An initiative of International Network of Engineers and
Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES)
International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against
Proliferation (INESAP)
20 January, 2009
Open Letter to the President of the United States of America
Barack Obama
Dear Mr. President,
Much hope has been created in your nation and in the entire
world due to your election as President of the United States
of America.
We are inspired by your public statements, that you will
seek a world in which there are no nuclear weapons. This
fundamental change of thinking deserves our full support.
We agree that the dangers of existing nuclear arsenals of
the five acknowledged nuclear weapon states and the four
de-facto nuclear weapon states (more than 100,000 Hiroshima
bomb equivalents) as well as the dramatically increasing
risks of nuclear proliferation to other states and terrorists
require new political concepts and technical approaches.
Nuclear weapons are inherently inhumane because they can
cause the extinction of all humankind and have long-term
genetic and ecological effects.
The world desperately needs a conspicuous signal of commitment
and willingness by the nuclear weapon states to eliminate
their arsenals as well as a convincing and irreversible
plan to achieve a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World, one which can
be secured and stabilized against possible new proliferators
and which would be enshrined in international law.
We would like to offer our support in helping to conceptualize
and elaborate the details of a plan towards this goal meeting
the demands for new thinking and for realistically feasible
action.
Our proposal today is to start negotiations on a Nuclear
Weapons Convention now. The pattern has to be the one which
has already been set by the Biological and the Chemical
Weapons Conventions – a total ban. A Nuclear Weapons
Convention should not be regarded as a premature jump to
a distant goal. Instead, it establishes the framework for
a logical sequence of steps that ensure the safe transition
to the complete disarmament of nuclear weapons in all its
aspects under strict and effective international control.
The Convention should guarantee the irreversibility of disarmament
and security against break-out scenarios by using stringent
verification measures, preventive control measures leading
to non-accessibility to proliferation-prone nuclear materials
and technology.
We would like to encourage you to take the lead in this
direction. We believe that the arguments for choosing this
path are irrefutable.
We briefly outline a few of these:
• If a smaller number of states continue to possess
nuclear weapons and have plans to use them to enforce regional
security or their global interests that will certainly increase
the perceived "value" of these weapons and thus
dangers of proliferation. Steps aiming at only reduced arsenals
will not suffice, since there is no permanent stability
at low numbers. There are only two options: one is the progression
down to zero; in the absence of a serious move to zero,
the other option is the spread of nuclear weapons to many
nations. Any argument in favour of maintaining nuclearweapons
is an unwanted and dangerous support for nuclear weapon
related activities in other states. Thus, maintaining the
arsenals increases the danger of further spread of these
weapons. North Korea and other countries should not be given
an excuse by the nuclear-weapons-based rationale of those
countries that still maintain nuclear arsenals and doctrines.
• Two decades after the end of the Cold War and four
decades after finalization of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT), the time is ripe for the nuclear weapon states
to fully comply with the spirit and letter of NPT Preamble
and Article VI. The world has lost trust in the repeated
declarations of nuclear disarmament by the nuclear weapon
states. Instead, the world sees the stabilization and modernisation
of nuclear arsenals without fundamental changes and, even
worse, that nuclear strategies tend to reduce the threshold
to nuclear weapons use.
• We recall the 13 steps noted in the Final Document
of the NPT Review Conference of 2000 asking for the abolition
of all nuclear arsenals to which all States parties are
committed. In particular, we recall the promise of an unequivocal
undertaking of the five acknowledged nuclear weapon states
for the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Further, we
recall the globally accepted interpretation of the NPT norms
and goals as recorded in the nuclear non-proliferation and
disarmament objectives of the NPT Review and Extension Conference
of 1995. Thus, we as world citizens are awaiting a substantial
move from the side of the nuclear weapon states.
• We recall the Advisory Opinion issued on 8 July
1996 by the International Court of Justice on the illegality
of the use or the threat of use of nuclear weapons. The
Court called for a legally binding instrument filling the
gap in international law as promised in Article VI of the
NPT by negotiating in good faith the global ban of nuclear
weapons and bringing the negotiations to a conclusion by
a new Treaty.
• A carefully elaborated Model Nuclear Weapons Convention
has already been developed and released by NGOs in 1996
and revised in 2007; it was first submitted in 1997 to the
UN Secretary-General and in a revised version in 2007. On
18 January 2008, the UN Secretary-General has circulated
it as UN Document No. A/62/650 to all UN member States at
the request of Costa Rica and Malaysia. On 24 October 2008,
United Nations Day, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon gave
a landmark speech, entitled "The United Nations and
Security in a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World", in which
he called on governments to fulfill their nuclear disarmament
obligations. He gave a five-point disarmament plan calling
for negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention and recommended
the
existing Model Convention to be used as a starting point.
• The NPT might not be the suitable framework for
the entire path towards total elimination. First, the NPT
has been criticized for its
loopholes allowing further spread of nuclear weapons. Second,
the NPT is regarded by many as discriminatory in nature
and unjust in practice. Third, the disarmament objective
is not elaborated in detail. Further, the NPT can hardly
be universalized because the de-facto nuclear weapon states
cannot be drawn in by signing the NPT as non-nuclear-weapon
states. Indeed, there have been encouragements to stay outside
such as by the Indo-US nuclear co-operation agreement. Finally,
the NPT cannot be sustained when nuclear weapon states give
up their status as this is defined in Article IX (3). Thus
the Nuclear Weapons Convention would eliminate the contradictions
and weaknesses of the NPT and could substantially increase
effectiveness against further proliferation.
We know quite well that the Nuclear-Weapon-Free World will
not come overnight. We are also aware that other fundamental
questions regarding peaceful and just living together of
people and nations will be on the agenda when the renouncing
of nuclear weapons by their possessors will become reality.
However, we are convinced that the process of negotiations
has to be started right now. Only then, we can expect to
bring in the harvest of this undertaking within the coming
ten to twenty years.
Please, act now and take the lead in starting negotiations
on a Nuclear Weapons Convention. The people and nations
of the world will follow suit, we are sure.
We hope that we can join you in your efforts towards this
challenging goal, which is deeply rooted in our respect
to humankind and our planet as well as in our own commitment
to humanity.
Sincerely,
Sir Harold Kroto (Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
On behalf of my colleagues who, until January 20, 2009
have also signed this letter:
Mairead Corrigan-Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize)
Paul Crutzen (Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
Jayantha Dhanapala (former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament
Affairs at the United Nations)
Dudley Herschbach (Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
International Peace Bureau (Noble Peace Prize)
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
(Nobel Peace Prize)
Jerome Karle (Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
Wolfgang Ketterle (Nobel Prize for Physics)
Wangari Maathai (Nobel Peace Prize)
Erwin Neher (Nobel Prize for Medicine)
John Polanyi (Nobel Prize for Chemistry)
Jack Steinberger (Nobel Prize for Physics)
For more information, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Harry Kroto, Member of the Advisory Board of the
International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global
Responsibility (INES)
c/o INES, Glinkastrasse 5, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 30-20 65 38 31; Fax: +49 (0) 30- 21 23 40
57
ines.office[at]web.de
| www.inesglobal.co
6) IANSA
Women's Network to address connections between HIV/AIDS
and small arms
From the International
Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) Women's Network,
Bulletin
No. 17, January 2009
The 53rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women
will be held at the United Nations headquarters in New York
from 2-13 March 2009. The priority theme is 'The equal sharing
of responsibilities between women and men, including care
giving in the context of HIV/AIDS'.
IANSA women will be making the connection between small
arms and HIV/AIDS, and how small arms fuel conflicts that
contribute to forced migration, infectious disease, and
psychological trauma. Sexual violence at gunpoint poses
high risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
Sexual violence and exploitation, all too common in conflict
and post-conflict settings, contribute to increased rates
of HIV transmission. Rape by an infected man directly exposes
a woman to the virus, and the abrasions or tearing of vaginal
tissues that may result, increase their risk of infection
even more.
In some conflicts the planned and purposeful infection
of women with HIV becomes a tool of ethnic warfare. Some
HIV-infected rape survivors may become pregnant as a result
of the assault, bearing children who will eventually become
AIDS orphans or succumb to the disease themselves.
There are many important dynamics involved in HIV transmission,
including ongoing displacement and poverty which create
environments that place women at risk. Internally displaced
women face additional dangers as they are often invisible
to the international community within the context of violent
conflict.
Camps for refugees and the internally displaced have been
criticised for not addressing women's needs and concerns
in their design and procedures. Failure to account for women's
security and health needs can make a camp intended to provide
refuge a dangerous and deadly place for women and girls.
"Wars and armed conflicts generate fertile conditions
for the spread of HIV. Rape inside or outside refugee camps
has doubtless played a part in spreading the virus."
UNAIDS
Small arms proliferation may also force governments to
focus a majority of their efforts on defense and security
measures, leaving them with few resources to cope with the
health effects of gun violence, or deal with HIV/AIDS.
Even as conflicts subside, the extremely difficult economic
and social conditions that follow often leave many people
unemployed and unable to resume their normal community or
family lives. In such situations, where AIDS is already
a problem, women bear the largest burden of care for family
members. Thus, women are not only uniquely at risk of HIV
contraction during and after conflicts; they also bear a
disproportionate amount of the burden of caring for family
members with HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS is not only a health issue: it is a social issue.
Girls and women who have been raped and/or captured are
often blamed for their fate. Therefore impact of conflict
and HIV/AIDS on women and girls' affects their social status
and can lead to further violence.
The review theme of the CSW "Equal participation of
women and men in decision making processes at all levels"
adopted at the 50th session of the CSW will be discussed
through an interactive dialogue. IANSA will participate
as part of the NGO Working Group (NGO WG) on Women Peace
and Security and link the issue of gun violence with women's
peace and security, to ensure that women's participation
in disarmament processes and the development of small arms
policy and practice are clearly included in issues of 1325
implementation, and in advocacy around 1325 National Action
Plans.
For more information, see:
Commission on the Status of Women
www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw
HIV/AIDS, Conflict and Displacement
UNICEF and UNHCR, 2006
http://data.unaids.org
IANSA Women's Network
http://www.iansa.org/women/
15 January 2009
Dear Reaching Critical Will friends and advisors:
Welcome back for another year of campaigning for nuclear
disarmament, the reduction of military expenditures, and
the elimination of militarism and its associated structures
and systems. 2009 is a special year for Reaching Critical
Will, as it marks the project's tenth anniversary!
Founded in 1999, Reaching Critical Will has been providing
information, analysis, and liaison services for the disarmament
NGO, UN, and diplomatic communities for ten years. In anticipation
of continuing for another ten years, we ask all those who
use Reaching Critical Will's resources and services on a
regular basis to donate at least $10 in 2009. $10 from each
of our subscribers would ease RCW's financial concerns in
this economically troublesome time, ensuring that the project
continues to operate as you've come to expect—and
to grow and improve. For information on how to donate to
Reaching Critical Will, please contact the Project
Director or go to http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/about/donate.htm.
2009 also holds more opportunities to advance our goals
for disarmament, peace, and justice. Below, learn how to
get involved with the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva
and the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference in New
York, and find out more about civil society efforts for
disarmament around the world.
In peace,
Ray Acheson, Project Director
1) Conference
on Disarmament 2009
The first part of the Conference
on Disarmament (CD)'s 2009 session will begin 19 January.
Subscribe to RCW's CD
Report to keep informed, by emailing ray[at]reachingcriticalwill.org
with the subject line "subscribe cdreport". Also
check in with the RCW CD webpage, where all CD Reports,
press releases, statements, and papers will be posted.
An updated version of Reaching Critical Will's Guide
to the Conference on Disarmament is now available online
in both PDF
and HTML.
Designed for activists and educators to use when learning
or teaching about the CD, our guide is an easy information
reference. It includes general information about the CD,
a brief chronological history, an overview of the agenda
and CD groupings, a summary of the critical issues, and
information on what NGOs to help activate the CD. Please
use and distribute widely through your networks.
2) Preparing
for the NPT Preparatory Committee 2009
The third Preparatory Committee of the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty 2010 review cycle will be held
4–15 May 2009 at UN Headquarters in New York
City.
Accreditation and registration
The Office for Disarmament Affairs has not yet released
its aide memoire with accreditation and registration information.
As soon as this information becomes available, Reaching
Critical Will will distribute it to this email list and
post it on the website at:
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/2009index.html
In the meantime, Reaching Critical Will has many ways for
NGOs to begin preparing for the PrepCom.
The role of NGOs at the PrepCom
In recent years, NGOs have provided invaluable insight and
expertise to the conference, and their influence is growing.
In order to continue and build on this influence, committed
NGOs should attend the PrepCom to insist states parties
make use of their time and devote their energy to progress.
NGOs are needed to provide credible analysis, views, and
perspectives on the global nuclear regime, support progressive
measures towards disarmament and non-proliferation, and
bring media and public attention to these important issues.
At this meeting, NGOs will be:
- urging the governments to renew their commitment to
the NPT in a fair and balanced manner;
- offering review and analysis of the nuclear weapon
states' progress on the 13 point action plan for disarmament;
- fostering a reassessment of the role and level of participation
of NGOs in international fora;
- recommending ways of strengthening other disarmament
machinery, including the Conference on Disarmament, the
Disarmament Commission, and First Committee;
- engaging diplomats in discussions on the newest ideas
and issues in disarmament at side-events and lunch time
panels;
- holding press conferences and conducting media outreach
to draw attention to the PrepCom and the issues;
and more.
NGO Side Events
NGOs will probably be allowed access to one conference room
for their use throughout the Preparatory Committee. If your
organization wishes to organize an event, we encourage you
to book your time slot as soon as possible - many organizations
have already booked the room. Check the Calendar
of Events on the Reaching Critical Will website to make
sure the time you want is available, then send an email
to ray[at]reachingcritialwill.org
with the title of your event, the time and date, and contact
information. All events will be posted on the Calendar of
Events as well as in the daily News in Review.
NGO Statements
Reaching Critical Will continues to serve as facilitator
for NGO statements to the PrepCom. NGOs will probably be
allotted a three-hour session to present their ideas and
recommendations to states parties. These presentations are
drafted through an online process and will be distributed
to all governments and archived on the RCW website.
(You can read the statements from the 2008 PrepCom at http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom08/ngostatements.html)
If you are an NGO wishing to participate in this drafting
and editing process - and we urge you to do so, whether
or not you plan to go to New York - we invite you to join
the NPT Presentations yahoo group by sending an email to
npt_presentations-subscribe@yahoogroups.com,
or by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/npt_presentations/.
Once you have subscribed, you will receive further instructions
on participating.
If you joined this listserve in 2008, you do NOT
need to join again. Only those who did not participate in
the NGO presentations process last year need to subscribe.
If you joined in 2008 but do not wish to participate this
year, please send an email to npt_presentations-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/npt_presentations/.
This process will begin soon, so subscribe today!
News in Review
The News in Review is a daily publication produced
during NPT Preparatory Committee and Review Conferences.
It features analysis of the day's events, feature articles
from NGOs around the world, interviews with diplomats and
NGO representatives, nuclear facts, announcements, cartoons,
a calendar of events, and more. You can access archived
NIRs online at http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nirindex.html
We encourage you to submit to this year's News in Review.
The guidelines are as follows:
Feature articles: In addition to the daily analysis
of the proceedings of the PrepCom, the News in Review
also contains feature articles that cover a range of nuclear
disarmament issues. We welcome submissions from NGO experts
around the world, regardless of whether or not you will
be in Geneva. Articles should be between 500-1000 words.
The deadline for feature submissions is 19 April. Please
submit in .doc format and the body of the email. Articles
will be attributed to the author and may be edited for length.
Advertising space: You can use the News in Review
to publicize an important announcement, event, or project
hosted by your organization. NIRs are hand-distributed to
all of the delegates at the PrepCom, sent by email to more
than 2000 subscribers, and are archived on our website.
1/4 page ad: $40
1/2 page ad: $60
full page ad: $130
back page ad: $185
Run your ad twice and get $5 off. Run your add three times
and get $10 off. Run your ad four times and get $15 off.
We accept cheques, cash, money orders, PayPal, and wire
transfers. Ads can be sent in .jpg, .gif, or .pdf format.
Cartoons, photos, artwork, poetry: The News in
Review wouldn't be complete without its fill of poignant,
satirical, and beautiful artwork. We are accepting all forms
of anti-nuclear artwork, to be sent in either a .jpg, .gif,
or .pdf file. Photos, paintings, doodles, cartoons, collage,
mixed media, and drawings are all welcome.
Submit your ad, article, or artwork by sending to ray[at]reachingriticalwill.org:
- your organization's name;
- contact person;
- email address;
- phone number;
- type of submission (for ads, please specify the size
of the ad, dates for it to run, and payment method); and
- the submission.
The deadline for all art, article, and advertising
submissions to the News in Review is 19 April 2009. The
earlier, the better.
Accommodations in New York City
Reaching Critical Will's stellar intern Lacy has researched
information for many budget hotels and hostels in NYC. The
links provided are intended to assist you in making your
own arrangements. We are providing information from our
own research, but do not endorse any of the accommodations
in any way. See http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom09/accommodations.html
What to do if you can't go to New York
There are plenty of opportunities for active involvement
with the PrepCom even if you can't make it to New York City:
- See where your government stands on the issues by reading
their statements from the 2008 PrepCom here: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/prepcom08/statements.html
- Subscribe to RCW's CD Report list, and receive weekly
updates on what your government is saying in Geneva (email
the Project
Director with the subject line "subscribe cdreport").
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/political/cd/cdindex.html
- Subscribe to the News in Review, the daily non-governmental
NPT publication, and receive daily updates on what is
happening at the PrepCom (email the Project
Director with the subject line "subscribe nir").
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nirindex.html
- Make an appointment with your Foreign Ministry or equivalent.
Urge your Foreign Minister to attend the conference, reminding
them that they represent YOU. Call your representatives
in New York and Geneva, to let them know that you are
paying attention, and that you are demanding nuclear disarmament.
Use our Governmental Contact Database for their information:
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/resources/govcontacts/govindex.html
- Call your local media. Publicize your views and your
government's policies, and let them know what's happening
in New York.
- Once the PrepCom is in session, you can read what your
government did or did not say by checking RCW's NPT page
every day. We post all statements, working papers, non-papers,
reports, NGO statements, and official documents on our
website in near real-time: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/2009index.html
Links for more information
The Reaching Critical Will website hosts a wealth of information
on the NPT:
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/legal/npt/nptindex1.html
3) International
NGOs are encouraged to submit a report to the Australian
Federal Parliamentary Inquiry on Nuclear Disarmament and
Uranium Exports
As an input to the joint Australia-Japan International
Commission on Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation,
the Prime Minister of Australia has initiated a Federal
Parliamentary Inquiry into nuclear non-proliferation and
disarmament issues. The inquiry will examine the set of
international nuclear treaties involving Australia—including
Australia's uranium exports bilateral agreements—and
report on how they may be made more comprehensive or effective
and how they may advance Australia's objectives in this
field.
This is a key opportunity for international civil society
to comment on Australia's performance in international disarmament
and nuclear diplomacy.
The Inquiry is also an opportunity to influence the Australian
Government to take up a lead role for nuclear disarmament
and to drive strengthened international initiatives in the
lead up to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review
Conference in 2010; to recognise nuclear insecurity issues
and to reject any proposed expansion of nuclear reactors;
and to require a range of strengthened safeguards as pre-conditions
on supply of Australia's uranium exports—including
on nuclear disarmament, nuclear waste management, security
and safety issues, as a step toward phase out of uranium
exports.
Australian NGOs strongly encourage input, however brief!
This Inquiry should give lead consideration to a proposed
Nuclear Weapons Convention to bring about the elimination
of nuclear weapons and recommend that Australia champion
this initiative before the United Nations, see: http://www.icanw.org/nuclear-weapons-convention
The Inquiry will conduct a review of the NPT and examine
a range of other nuclear treaties—including steps
to bring the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) into force
and for a proposed Fissile Materials Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT)
that must prohibit reprocessing and the separation of weapons-usable
fissile materials as a key step toward an end to the production
of fissile materials.
This Inquiry also provides a lead opportunity for a critical
review of Australia's nuclear cooperation and uranium exports
agreements across the board and in particular the treaty
signed with China by the previous Federal Liberal Government.
The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCT) will conduct
the Inquiry and report in mid-2009.
Public submissions are sought by 30 January 2009 (extensions
will be provided by the Secretary; many Australian NGOs
have sought them, and there is discussion underway within
the Committee about changing the deadline until the end
of February - Ph: 02-6277 4002 and e-mail: jsct[at]aph.gov.au).
Hearings will be held around Australia with the committee
to Report in mid-2009. For further information on the JSCT
Inquiry see: http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/jsct/nuclearnon_proliferation/tor.htm
For more information on the inquiry contact WILPF International
Vice-President Felicity Hill at Felicity.Hill[at]wilpf.ch.
For more information and on Australia's uranium exports
and safeguards contact. Jim Green, Friends of the Earth
Australia, Ph 03-94198700 and e-mail: jim.green[at]foea.org.au
and from David Noonan, ACF Nuclear Free Campaigner, Ph 08-82116838
and e-mail: d.noonan[at]acfonline.org.au
4) New
peace campaign will launch on 19 January 2009 in honour
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
In honour of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, celebrated in
the United States on 19 January 2009, United for Peace and
Justice (UFPJ) is launching its 'Beyond
War, A New Economy Is Possible: Yes We Can' campaign.
This campaign, set to run from 19 January to 4 April, is
a call for a new set of national priorities rooted in the
vision and values of Dr. Martin Luther King: a world without
racism, poverty, or war.
In his speech of 31 March 1968, "Remaining Awake Through
a Great Revolution," Dr. King said, "It is no
longer a choice, my friends, between violence and nonviolence.
It is either nonviolence or nonexistence. And the alternative
to disarmament, the alternative to a greater suspension
of nuclear tests, the alternative to strengthening the United
Nations and thereby disarming the whole world, may well
be a civilization plunged into the abyss of annihilation,
and our earthly habitat would be transformed into an inferno
that even the mind of Dante could not imagine."
Join UFPJ in mobilizing and organizing people who want
to see an end to war with that money going to fund housing,
healthcare, education, jobs and a radically different environmental
policy. For more information, visit www.unitedforpeace.org.
5) Czech
activists continue to protest US missile "defence"
in Europe
The following are two letters sent from activists in the
Czech Republic who are opposing, along with 2/3 of the Czech
population, the installation of a US missile "defence"
radar system on Czech soil. In the second letter, one of
the activists, Jan Tamáš, proposes a day of
action of 18 February in Brussels.
a) Open letter to Mayors and organizations
Re: 18 February 2009: Meeting with European Parliament
The U.S. government and the Czech government have agreed
to place the military radar base of the US National Missile
Defense (NMD) system on Czech territory.
Despite the fact that it is called "Space Shield",
this is not a defense weapon but an attack one, and it represents
a real danger for all: this plan in fact is already increasing
tensions between USA, Russia and the European Union and
is leading to a new expansion of the arms race and establishing
another "cold war" atmosphere.
This issue involves not only Czech Republic and Poland
(where a base for interceptor missiles would be installed)
but all Europe, because it will influence the security in
the entire continent. We are concerned that due to this
advanced system, Europe will become the main battlefield
in a potential international conflict.
It is not by pure chance that European politicians who
usually support militaristic policies have declared their
opposition to the Space Shield.
Two thirds of the Czech citizenry do not agree with the
arrangement. Despite their opposition, the Czech government
has signed agreements with the United States that are due
to be ratified shortly by the Parliament. Unfortunately
our Constitution does not offer the mechanism of a referendum,
but in the dozens of self-conducted consultations we have
organized in the villages and towns of the area where the
radar base would be installed, more than 95% of the population
on average voted against this project.
We have also organized demonstrations, international conferences
and a hunger strike that involved activists (not only Czech,
but all over the world) and Czech personalities in the academic,
sports, artistic, trade-union and political fields, united
in their request to suspend this dangerous project.
In the beginning of 2009 the Czech Republic has assumed
for 6 months the presidency of the European Union; for this
reason we thought it was important to bring our protest
inside the European Parliament, that so far has not taken
a position on this fundamental issue. On February 18th we
are organizing a meeting of 40 members of the League of
Mayors against the Radar with members of the European Parliament
in Brussels.
In view of this important gathering, we address this appeal
to you and ask you to show your support for our protest
with a solidarity letter that will be brought to this meeting.
To present, discuss and approve in your City Council a position
against the Space Shield would be another important help.
We hope that our common commitment can contribute to the
construction of a world without wars and violence, and that
the tendency towards the escalation of arms and military
aggression will be replaced instead by investment into areas
that contribute to real human development.
Best regards
Jan Neoral, spokesperson of the League of Mayors against
the radar base
Jan Tamáš, spokesperson of Non-violence Movement
against the bases
Dana Feminová, Czech spokesperson of Europe for Peace
Information:
Video about "Star Wars" http://www.nenasili.cz/en/945_about-the-star-wars-shield
Video – interview with N. Chomsky (explaining the
link between the US project and nuclear danger)
http://www.europeforpeace.eu/video-detail.php?id=1027&country=
World March for Peace and Non-violence: http://www.worldmarch.info/
b) Letter to disarmament activists
Re: Day of protest on 18 February 2009
Dear friends,
The situation in the Czech Republic (CR) regarding the installation
of the radar base – part of the United States Star
Wars project – is the following:
1. The Senate has ratified the agreement with the United
States
2. The Lower House has not managed to do so, thanks to the
protests, but could do in the following months.
3. The protest is still very strong and 2/3 Czechs continue
to oppose this project. The censorship against us by mass
media has been worsened by a truly slanderous campaign:
Jan Tamas is a terrorist, a left-wing radical, a right-wing
radical. A real witch hunt has begun. Since we have various
activities as humanists, including projects in Africa, long
distance adoptions, schools, hospitals etc, some journalists
were sent to Guinea to check the projects and create false
proof to affirm that we are using the money destined to
help the children for a political battle against the radar.
There is a real repression going on.
4. In the next six months the Presidency of the European
Union will be in charge of the CR.
We've said, time and again, that the Star Wars project
divides Europe, increases international tensions, especially
with Russia and encourages the arms race. The attitude of
the new US administration is not clear yet, but it is evident
that CR and Poland are a Trojan horse, their leaderships
have the task of dividing Europe, at the mercy of the United
States .
Proposal of a Day of Protest on February 18th in Brussels:
On February 18, about 40 mayors of the region in which
the radar is to be built, Czech representatives of the nonviolent
movement against the bases and Europe for Peace were invited
by some MEPs to the European Parliament to address the missile
shield.
We invite the representatives of Europe for Peace in various
European countries, as well as, other organizations to attend
the meeting with a delegation and to organize, together,
a protest in front of the European Parliament.
In different European cities, we could organize, on the
same day, protests and sit-ins, send letters of protest
to the Czech embassies and solidarity messages to the mayors
and to the movement against the bases, adding other initiatives
suggested by creativity.
Another proposal is to ask mayors and city councils in
all Europe to express their solidarity to the mayors of
the CR, sending a letter and having their council (city,
province, region etc) approve a motion against the US missile
shield.
We have examples of this in certain Italian municipalities
(Bresso, Rozzano, Limbiate).
Attached is a letter to the mayors.
These are the materials we can use:
* (the old) Star Wars video http://www.nenasili
.cz/en/945_ about-the- star-wars- shield
* Video – interview to N. Chomsky (excellent because
it explains the link between the US project and nuclear
danger) http://www.europefo
rpeace.eu/ video-detail. php?id=1027&country=
* A power point which will be ready in the following days.
In general, we think it is necessary to strengthen the
protest against wars, arms' race and especially against
nuclear weapons. The last events in Gaza are alarming.
Finally, we propose to start organizing great activities
to ask for peace and nuclear disarmament in March, during
the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Irak (a possible
date could be March 21st, the exact date the war began.)
A strong hug
Jan
6) The
International Renewable Energy Agency will meet on 26–27
January 2009
Mandated by governments worldwide, IRENA
aims to guide and coordinate renewable energy initiatives
on an international level. Acting as the global voice for
renewable energies, IRENA will provide practical advice
and support for both industrialised and developing countries,
help them improve their regulatory frameworks, and build
capacity. The agency will facilitate access to all relevant
information including reliable data on the potential of
renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms
and state-of-the-art technological expertise. For more information
on IRENA, see www.irena.org.
All UN member states are invited to sign the Statute at
the Conference on the Establishment of IRENA on 26 January
2009, in Bonn (Germany). From that day forth, the Statute
will be ready for signature by any states interested in
becoming a member of the Agency. Please check
to see if your country is planning to attend and encourage
your government to do so if its not yet on the list—or
congratulate them if they are planning to be there.
Notably absent at the table will be Canada, Japan, Russia,
Australia and the United States.
Regarding the Canadian government's decision not to attend
the conference, Embassy
Magazine reported, "The decision not to join has
left veteran diplomats mystified, while environmentalists
and opposition politicians say this is just one more example
of the Conservative government's lax environmental policy."
German, Danish and Spanish officials encouraged the Canadian
government to join, but the government declined to participate
aside from its observation of the first IRENA preparatory
conference, arguing that IRENA is a redundant organization.
An e-mail statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs
pointed to Canada's membership in Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency Partnership, the Global Bio-Energy Partnership,
and the International Energy Agency.
However, German Ambassador Hauswedell argues that IRENA
is being founded because these organizations give short
shrift to renewable energy:
All of the organizations cited by DFAIT have fewer members
than IRENA, he said, and do not as effectively bring together
developed and developing economies. The IEA in particular,
he said, has only a minor mandate for renewable energy
and is focused primarily on fossil fuels. "It spends
just two per cent of its resources and very little personnel
on renewable energy," Mr. Hauswedell said. "If
you look at the [IEA's] advisory board, it is structured
by fossil fuel interests and of course the analytical
tools and analysts are more there for fossil fuels and
not renewable energy," he continued. "We don't
think renewable energy gets a fair deal at the IEA."
Meanwhile, the Yomiuri
Shimbun reported that the Japanese government "has
expressed reluctance to join IRENA partly because Japan
likely would be asked to contribute hundreds of thousands
of yen a year to the new entity at a time when the national
economy is weak." However, as the news source points
out, "dozens of nations, including developing nations,
likely will join IRENA." Reportedly, some government
officials have "urged the government to actively utilize
IRENA," noting "that Japanese industries would
benefit from the measures the body will promote. 'Joining
IRENA would contribute to the proliferation of Japanese
technologies, such as solar power generation,' one official
said."
7) United
States ratifies IAEA Additional Protocol
On 6 January 2009, the US Mission to the International Organizations
deposited its instrument of ratification for the Additional
Protocol to the Agreement between the USA and the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the Application of Safeguards,
which requires states to provide broader declarations to
the IAEA about their nuclear programmes and nuclear-related
activities and expands the access rights of the Agency.
US President Bush signed the Additional Protocol on 30 December
2008.
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said
the US ratification gives the country "a stronger foundation
from which to encourage other states to adopt the Protocol.
The President has spearheaded international efforts to bring
about universal adoption of the Additional Protocol."
To date, 118 countries have signed the Additional Protocol.
89 have ratified it.
8) Conference
on uranium weapons in San José, 4–6 March 2009
In March 2009, San José, Costa Rica, will be the
location of the annual International
Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW) conference.
The conference is being organised and hosted by the San
Jose Friends Peace Centre (CAP) on behalf of ICBUW. CAP
has invited representatives from government and non-governmental
organizations throughout Latin American to attend, as well
as experts from around the globe to discuss the effects
of DU. This event is an important opportunity to raise awareness
in the Americas and to make a unified stand against the
use of these arms.
Background information in English and Spanish and a list
of confirmed speakers is available on the conference websites:
http://amigosparalapaz.org/conference
http://amigosparalapaz.org/conferencia
To register for this conference, please contact:
Isabel Macdonald, Coordinator
The Friends Peace Center
ducongress[at]amigosparalapaz.org
2222-1400, 2233-6168
Costa Rica