International Meeting
2004 World Conference against A & H Bombs
Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)/
Abolition 2000
U.S.A.
ABOLITION NOW! DARE TO PLAN!
ORGANIZING FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREE WORLD
This May, the nations of the world will gather at the United Nations
in New York City for the 2005 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference,
35 years after the treaty was ratified by the United States Senate,
in which the then existing nuclear powers, the US, USSR, UK, France
and China promised to give up their nuclear weapons in return for
a promise from all the nations in the world, except four-- India,
Pakistan, Israel, and Cuba-never to acquire nuclear weapons. Cuba
joined the NPT two years ago. The Treaty is in tatters. At the last
Preparatory Committee Meeting in May 2004, the meeting ended in
total disarray, the delegates unable to even reach agreement on
their mandate to produce an agenda and background documentation
for the 2005 Review. With more than 30,000 nuclear weapons on the
planet, the US arrogantly insisted that the NPT should be dealing
only with problems of nuclear proliferation by other countries such
as North Korea and Iran, maintaining that it had no obligation to
comply with its obligation to eliminate its own massive nuclear
arsenal-- while hypocritically dismissing any relationship between
its aggressive program to build new kinds of nuclear weapons-bunker
busters and more “usable” mini-nukes, a program now budgeted at
$6.8 billion annually-and the desire of states, which it has characterized
as “rogues” to acquire their own nuclear deterrents to help them
avert the onslaught of the Empire. At the NPT, the Brazilian delegate
said in the face of this blatant double standard, “One cannot worship
at the altar of nuclear weapons and raise heresy charges against
those who want to join the sect.”
The 1970 NPT provided that the States would hold a Review and Extension
Conference in 25 years to evaluate what progress had been made towards
nuclear disarmament and whether the Treaty should be renewed. The
number of nuclear bombs on the planet had more than doubled since
the treaty was signed. NGOs from all over the world gathered to
lobby the delegates for swifter measures towards disarmament. We
were appalled that there was no thought of exacting conditions as
the US and its allies twisted arms-- and more-- to get the treaty
extended indefinitely and unconditionally. Only vague assurances
were given for systematic and progressive efforts for nuclear disarmament,
the establishment of a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in
the Middle East, and a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty which the Clinton
administration riddled with loopholes to buy the support of the
weapons labs by giving them a $4.5 billion program annually that
enabled them to design new nuclear weapons in computer simulated
virtual reality with the help of “sub-critical” tests 1000 feet
below the Nevada desert floor. .
During that Conference, the Abolition 2000 Network was born. A
statement was drafted calling for a treaty for the elimination of
nuclear weapons to be negotiated by the year 2000. Before the end
of the four week conference, the statement was faxed around the
world and more than 600 organizations had signed on. We produced
a model nuclear weapons convention, drafted by scientists, lawyers,
and policy makers, which is now an official UN document. We organized
in nations around the world to bring a lawsuit for a Declaratory
Judgement from the International Court of Justice which ruled that
there exists an obligation “to bring to a conclusion, negotiations
for nuclear disarmament, in all its aspects.” In 1999, we organized
an enrollment campaign and got more than 2000 organizations in 95
countries to join our Network as it became apparent to us that Abolition
2000 would no longer stand for the completion of nuclear disarmament
negotiations by the year 2000.
The 2000 NPT review extracted some new promises from the nuclear
weapons states. Spearheaded by a groups of six nations, Ireland,
Sweden, Mexico, Egypt, Brazil, and South Africa, the New Agenda
Coalition, with the help of the NGO effort led by the Middle Powers
Initiative, the nuclear weapons states pledged an “unequivocal commitment
to the total elimination of nuclear weapons” and set forth 13 steps
on the path, such as ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty, making nuclear disarmament measures irreversible, a diminished
role for nuclear weapons in national security policies, and maintaining
the “strategic stability” of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
Bush has no intention of submitting the CTB to the Senate for ratification,
says that nuclear weapons are a cornerstone of our national security
policy, is developing new nuclear weapons and, most egregiously
has withdrawn from the ABM Treaty which is provoking a new arms
race to the heavens. Indeed I was present at the tough bargaining
during the 2000 NPT final session, which went past midnight on the
last day, when a diplomatic device called stopping the clock took
place and the meeting went on till 5 am, adjourned until 11pm on
the next day under the stopped clock rule, and finally resulted
in agreement to the 13 steps. Nevertheless, both China and Russia
took exception to the final report, while not blocking consensus,
noting that if the US did not maintain the ABM Treaty, all bets
would be off. And now we see Russia and China matching the US, tit
for tat, as they beef up their arsenals, and in Russia, back down
from their prior START II agreements for disarming some of their
missiles. Because of these regressive policies and actions, provoked
by the US the NPT may not survive the 2005 Review.
But all is not lost! The rising power of the people is now focused
on what to do after the NPT Review. The Mayors of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki are spearheading a Mayors for Peace Campaign, proposing
a realistic timetable for achieving a nuclear-weapon free world
by 2020 with negotiations to being in 2005 and to conclude by 2010
with global nuclear disarmament implemented no later than 2020.
They succeeded in having the US Conference of Mayors pass a resolution
that they “shall remain engaged in this matter until our cities
are no longer under the threat of nuclear devastation.” At the 2004
NPT Preparatory Committee Meeting, they brought 15 Mayors to New
York, including the Mayor of Kiev, in the Chernobyl area, and the
Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv. Four of them addressed the delegates.
Next year, we hope to have 100 Mayors in New York, and plan to hold
a World Peace Fair for Nuclear Disarmament with the Mayors, the
many ethnic communities of New York which they represent, and as
many visitors as possible, on May 1st, the day before the NPT opens.
The Mayors are also calling on Heads of States to show up at the
UN with the authority to authorize negotiations.
And if the US won’t participate in negotiations, we will see if
we can get the talks started in an Ottawa-like process. This is
not completely out of the question. There are promising developments
outside of the NPT process. The new Congress government in India
is revising the Rajiv Gandhi plan for nuclear disarmament. Perhaps
India will take the lead in a Delhi process. If it does, Pakistan
will surely follow. And China has repeatedly supported General Assembly
resolutions calling for nuclear disarmament over a number of years.
Perhaps Asia can be persuaded to lead the way. And while we Americans
must all do whatever it takes to defeat George Bush, electing John
Kerry will not solve our problem. As Zia Mian said at our Abolition
2000 Town Meeting during the 2004 NPT Conference, “ Americans must
defeat Bush. The world will never forgive you if he returns to office.
But then, we will still have to deal with the Empire-a kinder, gentler
Empire. “ Kerry has taken a strong position, in the current climate
of fear of nuclear terror, to safeguard all nuclear materials on
a four year timetable. We will have to press him to go beyond mere
non-proliferation measures while applauding his good judgement in
placing a priority on securing all nuclear materials world-wide.
After all, we can’t have nuclear disarmament until we know where
all the stuff is and put it under lock and key-overseen by international
guards.
And the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace-don’t be confused
by the name-they are the quintessential arms controllers-continuing
to promote 20th century methods to keep a lid on the inevitable
spread of nuclear weapons and terror while maintaining US hegemony
and not addressing the imperative need to finally negotiate an end
to nuclear arms-as they advise that the US use threats of military
“sticks” against recalcitrant “rogue” proliferators if “carrots
won’t work-even they, in their recent report, “Universal Compliance:
A Strategy for Nuclear Security”, are calling for the US to move
from a defensive to an offensive strategy for nuclear disarmament,
by setting out a minimal PLAN for the dismantlement of nuclear arsenals
to save the NPT by showing that the nuclear weapons states take
their disarmament obligations seriously. Let us take them up on
their call for a plan. What would disarmament look like in the United
States? In Russia? In France? In England? In China? In India? In
Pakistan? In Israel? What conditions would have to be met in order
for them to start seriously dismantling-in an irreversible manner-their
nuclear stockpiles? Such a plan would manifest a State’s leadership
ability, around which the non-nuclear weapons states and NGOs could
rally. It would give disarmament advocates-on the non-governmental
as well as the governmental side-something to work with, a point
of reference and food for thought. Non-nuclear weapons states, in
the meanwhile, should be drafting their own plans for disarmament,
plans that also incorporate serious and verifiable non-proliferation
initiatives including existing nuclear power and research reactor
facilities. Abolition 2000 already has a plan. The Model Nuclear
Weapons Convention is our plan that we can distribute to willing
nations as a starting point for making their plans!!
.
In the coming year, our Abolition 2000 Network will focus our energies
and resources in a new Campaign, Abolition Now! Dare to Plan! to
create the political will, through the mobilization of civil society,
for backing the Mayors plan for a nuclear weapons free world by
by 2020. In the lead-up to the NPT Review Conference at the UN in
New York this May, Abolition Now! asks individuals, citizen groups,
and community and civic leaders to make a personal commitment to
support the call for concrete plans for a nuclear free world during
the 60th Anniversary Year of Remembrance and Action for a Nuclear
Weapons Free World from August 6, 2004 to August 9, 2005.
The Time to Dare to Plan is NOW!
What You Can Do…
1. Enroll your Mayor in the Mayor’s Campaign, endorsing the Model
Nuclear Weapons Convention, and calling for negotiations to begin
in 2005 to ban the bomb.
2. Join the Mayors in calling on your Heads of Government to go
to the NPT Review Conference in 2005, to be held on May 2nd through
May 28th , with their plans in hand telling the world what steps
they will take to eliminate nuclear weapons under strict and effective
international control. Endorsing our Model Nuclear Weapons Convention
is the starting point for negotiations and the Mayor’s 2020 Vision
is the timetable for achieving a nuclear-free world.
3. Create a grassroots effort to raise the profile of nuclear abolition
in your community and sign up as many people you can in our Abolition
NOW! Campaign. Keep working to enroll your Mayors.
4. Come to the First Committee of the General Assembly in New York,
October 4th to Novemer 12th, to lobby delegates before the NPT Review
conference. Reaching Critical Will plans to facilitate workshops
and teach-ins for diplomats to teach them and urge them to bring
workable plans for nuclear disarmament from their governments to
the NPT. For more information, please contact Rhianna - (212) 682
1265, rhianna@reachingcriticalwill.org <mailto:rhianna@reachingcriticalwill.org>
5. Come to the NPT 2005RevCon in New York City.
6. Spread the word about the May 1st 2005 International Peace Fair
for Nuclear Disarmament in NYC, before the opening day of the NPT
Review and please join us there.
7. Join an Abolition 2000 Working Group. New groups include the
Citizens Inspections Working Group and the Youth Outreach Working
Group. Sign up on the Abolition Caucus (Write to:abolition-caucus-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)
Check out our Abolition 2000 website at www.abolition2000.org <http://www.abolition2000.org>
This is a very exciting stage in the development of the work of
Abolition 2000, as we approach our 10th anniversary. There are countless
millions of people around the world who are deeply concerned about
the direction our world is taking into greater and greater insecurity.
The time is ripe for us to engage with them in a campaign to rid
the world of the threat of nuclear disaster. With a new government
in India, the call led by Russia and China for a treaty to prevent
the weaponization of space, the rising tide of grassroots protest
across the globe against militarism and war, we cannot ignore this
opportunity to unite in focused action to rid the world of the nuclear
scourge.
-----------------------------------------------------
Alice Slater
Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE)
215 Lexington Ave., Room 1001, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 726-9161 Fax: (212) 726-9160
email: aslater@gracelinks.org
<http://www.gracelinks.org/>
GRACE is a member of Abolition 2000, a global network for the elimination
of nuclear weapons.
|
