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Dialogue between NGOs and government representatives
5 August 2004
Luis Alfonso de Alba
Permanent Representative of Mexico to the UN in Geneva
Promoting nuclear disarmament is not only a responsibility of states.
We are all vulnerable to the nuclear threat. Therefore, the international
community as a whole, including civil society, should act together
to address this problem in a comprehensive manner. International
peace and security is a global good, and as such it is in the interest
of everybody to preserve it. This implies a shared responsibility.
We must all participate in promoting it. We all have the right to
build our future, we all have the obligation to preserve peace,
we all have to assume our responsibility and work towards nuclear
disarmament.
But how can we act to foster a concerted action within the largest
part of humanity which agrees that the mere existence of nuclear-weapons
represents a threat to international peace and security. In this
regard it is necessary that governments favouring a comprehensive
approach to the threats of nuclear weapons, parliamentarians, local
authorities, and civil society organizations act together and express
the point of those who want to live in peace and out of nuclear
danger.
Unfortunately, public opinion is not as aware as it would be desirable
of the threats derived from the mere existence of these weapons.
It is necessary that all those who are committed to achieve a nuclear-weapon
free world act together in raising awareness on these issues.
The impact that Hibakusha and nuclear victims in the world have
is of utmost importance. Nobody better than them can explain the
horrors that nuclear weapons represent.
Similarly, initiatives such as Mayors for Peace have a very important
role in raising awareness at local level. It is important to continue
to work towards the objective of having more Mayors involved, particularly
of cities of nuclear weapon States.
Civil society organizations have to make particular efforts in
raising awareness in nuclear-weapon countries.
Civil society plays a pivotal role in Education for Disarmament
and Non-Proliferation. Education has been underutilized for this
cause. The media should be more involved in Education for Disarmament
and Non-Proliferation. There is a need to ensure continuation of
institutional knowledge.
Most of the great achievements of humankind have not been achieved
by governments but by the people. Achieving a nuclear weapon free
world might be a success of civil society.
Mexico is convinced of the positive contributions that civil society
is in a position to make to the disarmament process. This is the
reason why we will continue to press for a greater involvement of
civil society in this process.
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