Launch of LAW not War

Posted: 10th October 2023

UNFOLD ZERO Newsletter



UN First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) meets under a cloud of international conflicts

* Message of the UN General Assembly President

Launch of LAW not War

Scientists Appeal on Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons *Dear Peter,The United Nations First Committee opened on Oct 2 under a cloud of international conflicts which hampers its important work on Disarmament and International Security. The Committee meets annually for four weeks in October-November for UN Member States to discuss and adopt disarmament resolutions.

In opening remarks to the Committee, the President of the UN General Assembly appealedto “all Member States to recommit to the peaceful resolution of conflicts – and importantly – to a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Civil society actions to address the relationship between international conflict resolution and nuclear disarmament include Common Security v Nuclear Disarmament (a joint statement of 170 organizations), the upcoming launch of LAW not War and a Scientists statement on threat or use of nuclear weapons to be presented to the First Committee on October 11
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International conflicts threaten peace, security and disarmament


“Among threats to our peace and security, spanning Africa to the Middle East as well as the situation in Haiti – is the continued violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a fellow UN member – Ukraine – constitutes a serious violation of the UN Charter. The nuclear threat, meanwhile, is a real existential threat that casts a dark shadow over all that we seek to do in sustaining global peace and security.”

“Amid these challenges, the First Committee has the great responsibility to break the deadlock and bring the disarmament agenda back on track. As you begin your work, I urge all Member States to recommit to the peaceful resolution of conflicts – and importantly – to a world free of nuclear weapons.”

Ambassador Dennis Francis, President of the UN General Assembly
 

Managing and resolving international conflicts to assist nuclear disarmament


As indicated by the President of the UN General Assembly (and also the UN Secretary General in A New Agenda for Peace), advancing effective ways to manage and resolve international conflicts is vital to ensure peace and security and to enable progress on disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament.

This is addressed the statement Common Security v Nuclear Deterrence: How to replace the current reliance on nuclear weapons with sustainable security for all, which was presented to the NPT Prep Com in Vienna on August 2.

It will be further developed and promoted in the LAW not War campaign which will be publicly launched at Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War): Increasing the universality and effectiveness of the International Court of Justice, a side event to the First Committee on October 23 (see below).

Launch of LAW not War (Legal Alternatives to War)
Increasing the universality and effectiveness of the International Court of Justice

Monday October 23
1:15-2:45pm (Eastern Time, USA) / 7:15-8:45pm Central Europe Time
Hybrid event:An event to discuss and promote the jurisdiction and use of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as an important judicial mechanism to assist countries resolve international disputes peacefully rather than through recourse to the threat or use of force.

The event will include the launch of Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War):Towards universal jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, a new global campaign which aims to:
  • Increase the number of States accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ;
  • Encourage more frequent use of the ICJ as a dispute resolution mechanism provided in international treaties;
  • Appeal to States to make use of ICJ jurisdiction through mutual agreement for specific disputes;
  • Support UN bodies to request ICJ Advisory Opinions on critical issues;
  • Encourage states to adopt constitutional amendments or legislative measures to affirm the UN Charter prohibition of war and the obligation to resolve international disputes peacefully including through recourse to the ICJ.
The campaign supports efforts of like-minded States to enhance the use of the International Court of Justice including the Handbook on accepting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice published by Switzerland, Netherlands, Uruguay, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Japan and Botswana, and the Declaration on promoting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice released by Japan, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain and Switzerland in 2021 and now endorsed by 33 States.

For more details including the program and registration visit the event webpage. 

Scientists statement on nuclear threat or use


On January 17, the Physicists Coalition for Nuclear Threat Reduction released a Statement from Scientists on the Use and Threats of Use of Nuclear Weapons.

The statement highlights the increased threats of the use of nuclear weapons arising from international conflicts – in particular the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It affirms that “any threat to use nuclear weapons, at any time and under any circumstances, is extremely dangerous and totally unacceptable.” And it calls on “all people and governments everywhere to clearly condemn all nuclear threats, explicit or implicit, and any use of such weapons.”

The statement, which has now been endorsed by over 1,000 scientists, remains open for endorsement by additional scientists. It will be presented to the UN General Assembly on October 11. Yours sincerely
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