"End the global nuclear threats" Civil society addresses NPT Review Conference
Posted: 7th August 2022
“End the global nuclear threats”
Civil society addresses NPT Review Conference
NoFirstUse Global presents Open Letter
No-first-use policies supported by civil society,
the Holy See and others
Representatives of civil society were invited to address the 10th NPT Review Conferenceyesterday (Friday August 5) following four days of opening statements by leaders and ambassadors of NPT States Parties – including the nuclear-weapon States – the United Nations Secretary-General and other representatives of relevant international organizations.
Civil society presenters (you can watch them presenting on UNTV) echoed the warning given by UNSG António Guterres, at the opening of the 4-week long conference, that dangerous nuclear weapons policies combined with conflicts involving nuclear-armed countries have elevated the risk of nuclear war, and that “Today, humanity is just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”
“Nuclear fuses are burning, not only over Ukraine, most especially since the invasion, but also potentially in the Taiwan Strait and between India and Pakistan”, said John Hallam, a member of the NoFirstUse Global steering committee and the Abolition 2000 Working Group on Nuclear-Risk Reduction.
Mr Hallam presented Fulfil the NPT: From nuclear threats to human security, an Open Letter to the NPT endorsed by over 1400 influential people including political, military and religious leaders, as well as legislators (parliamentarians and mayors), academics, scientists, business leaders, youth, lawyers, artists, Nobel Laureates and other representatives of civil society from 80 countries. (Click here for the PDF version of the appeal and list of endorsers).
John Hallam, holding a hard copy of Fulfil the NPT: From nuclear threats to human security, as he presents it to the NPT Review Conference at the UN General Assembly in New York. The Open Letter calls on the NPT States Parties to:- End the nuclear arms race and phase out the role of nuclear weapons in security policies starting with no-first-use;
- Commit to a timebound framework for the global elimination of nuclear weapons;
- Adopt a concrete plan to implement this commitment including through the systematic and progressive reduction of nuclear arsenals;
- Agree to shift budgets and public investments from the nuclear weapons industry to instead support public health, climate stabilization and sustainable development.
“Parliaments, governments and civil society must rise to the challenge of these three perils (nuclear risks, threats to peace and the climate crisis) that transcend borders, threaten current and future generations, and require cooperation and common security to resolve – not a further descent into nationalism, confrontation, competition and war,” said Mr Kidd.
Bill Kidd, Member of the Scottish Parliament, presenting a statement Leadership to address nuclear risks, threats to peace and the climate crisis on behalf of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND).No-first-use supported by Holy See and others at the NPT Review Conference
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Head of Delegation of the Holy See, addressed the NPT Review Conference on August 4th, reaffirming the words of Pope Francis that “international relations cannot be held captive to military force, mutual intimidation, and the parading of stockpiles of arms.”“The Holy See calls on all nuclear-weapon States to develop practical policies to reduce nuclear dangers, de-escalate nuclear weapons from heightened alert status, and strengthen threat reduction measures, so that actions match rhetoric,” said Archbishop Caccia. The Holy See also “encourages adoption of No-First-Use policies by all nuclear weapons states, as a step toward nuclear disarmament and de-escalation.“
Bill Kidd, in the PNND presentation to the NPT Review Conference, highlighted somerecent actions by legislators to promote no-first-use policies, including the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly declaration (Birmingham Declaration) adopted on July 6 and the Joint statement on March 2, 2022 of the US Congress Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, co-chaired by PNND Co-President Senator Edward Markey.
These parliamentary actions actions will be discussed in more detail at the August 8 side event Legislators’ actions for nuclear risk reduction and disarmament.
NoFirstUse Global is a network of organizations, academics, policy makers and civil society advocates working cooperatively for the adoption of no-first-use policies by nuclear-armed States, the support for such policies from nuclear allied countries, and the implementation of such policies to help achieve broader nuclear risk-reduction, non-proliferation and disarmament measures.