Dialogue on Matters that Matter

Event Date: 27th May 2020
Location: Internet webinar 1:00 - 2:30pm EDT. They are 5 hours behind us, so 6pm - 7.30pm our time

Dear Southern Region CND ,

On May 27, the America Bar Association International Law Section will hold a ‘virtual’ (webinar) Dialogue on Matters that Matter with Ms Izumi Nakamitsu, United Nations Under-Secretary General and HIgh Representative for Disarmament, moderated by Jonathan Granoff, President of the Global Security Institute (co-founder of UNFOLD ZERO).

The dialogue takes place just two years after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterreslaunched Securing Our Common Future: A Disarmament Agenda, and a few days after Women’s International Day for Peace and Disarmament (May 24), which was marked by a global appeal of women legislators, religious leaders and civil society leaders. 

On May 24, 2018 (Women’s International Day for Peace and Disarmament), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched Securing Our Common Future: An Agenda for Disarmament. It’s key themes of Disarmament to save humanity, Disarmament to save lives, Disarmament to save future generations and Strengthening partnerships are increasingly relevent in a post COVID-19 world.

Where is disarmament heading in these times of increased tensions between large powers and spiralling weapons spending (now at $1.9 trillion per year)? Is the COVID-19 pandemic helping to shift government priorities to human security and disarmament – or are the powers vested in the arms race impervious to the new political imperatives? What role can the UN play – and how can it’s positive contribution to disarmament be strengthened?

Join the dialogue on May 27 to find out more. 1:00 – 2:30pm EDT. Click here to register.

The event will also include presentation of the ABA International Law Section’s Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr Granoff, with remarks from Michael Douglas and Jane Goodall, United Nations Messengers of Peace.
  

Nuclear abolition in a post COVID-19 world

For stimulating and thought-provoking background on nuclear disarmament in a post COVID-19 world, we recommend the Food-for-Thought videos relased last week by Abolition 2000, which include presentations by Maria Espinosa (Ecuador) President of the 73rd UN General Assembly; Kate Hudson (UK), General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic), Deputy Chair of PragueVision for Sustainable Security; Oleg Bodrov (Russian Federation), Public Council of the South Coast of the Gulf of Finland; Suvrat Raju (India), Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace, and more. 

Yours sincerely
UNFOLD ZERO