John Hallam / Friends of the Earth Australia, – 2004-03-24 09:40:34
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/resources/govcontacts/govindex.html
Demand Disarmament and Compliance with NPT
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (March 24, 2004) — The elimination of nuclear weapons is vital for the safety of the world. The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is the world’s main legal instrument that obliges the nuclear weapon States to achieve complete nuclear disarmament (article VI) and bans the proliferation of nuclear weapons. It is more vital than ever that the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty be honored and implemented.
Real progress toward the elimination of nuclear disarmament is under threat, as is the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The Preparatory Committee of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference meets from April 26 – May 7, at the United Nations. This will be an important opportunity to emphasize the international commitment to nuclear disarmament.
The continued possession of large nuclear arsenals by the US, Russia, China, France, and the UK, and their nuclear policies are a grave threat to the NPT. The US and other nuclear weapon states continue to possess nuclear arsenals that include sufficient megatonnage on ‘Launch-on-warning’ status, to be able to destroy civilization and most life in an event sequence that would take about half an hour and could take place as a result of computer error, miscalculation in time of conflict or calculated use against a ‘State of concern’ that then escalates into nuclear war.
The nuclear weapons states continue to threaten the possible use of nuclear weapons and plan to develop new nuclear weapon types, such as ‘mini-nukes’ that they feel may be more useable.
The treaty is also being challenged by the acquisition of nuclear weapons by India, Pakistan, and the DPRK. There is particular concern about Pakistan’s role in spreading nuclear weapons technology to Iran, DPRK and Libya.
The nuclear weapon states have been quick to highlight transgressions by other States of the non-proliferation aspects of the NPT and rally coercive action in response, including calls for interceptions of shipments to and from ‘States of concern’ and the use of force against States suspected of contributing to proliferation. But the nuclear weapons states ignore the simple fact that their policies give value to nuclear weapons and so encourage nations that are not yet part of the nuclear club to acquire nuclear weapons, and has encouraged India, Pakistan, and the DPRK to become new members of the nuclear club.
The continued possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, encourages other nations (possibly Iran) to wish to counter its nuclear weapons with their own.
The head of the IAEA, Mohammad El Baradei, has issued a clarion call to action both to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to an increasing number of countries and for the existing nuclear weapon states to honour their nuclear disarmament obligations under article VI of the NPT. In Particular, El Baradei notes that:
“We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction yet morally acceptable for others to rely on them for security — and indeed to continue to refine their capacities and postulate plans for their use.” El Baradei’s call, which includes a wide variety of practical measures to prevent nuclear proliferation and eliminate nuclear arsenals is a lead that governments worldwide, starting with the established nuclear weapons powers, should be following.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE TO YOUR FOREIGN MINISTER AS FOLLOWS, (please rewrite this in your own words, preferably handwritten rather than printed, or else on formal organisational letterhead)
Points you need to make:
• The elimination of nuclear weapons is vital for the safety of the world. The NPT, though imperfect, commits all nations to bring about the elimination of nuclear weapons. The upcoming prepcom is an important forum in which the NPT and the elimination of nuclear weapons may be supported by your government.
• The NPT and progress toward nuclear disarmament, is threatened as never before, including by Bush administration policy, including both the moves to ready the US nuclear testing facility for use, the construction of the ‘modern pit facility’, and the development of new types of nuclear weapons and delivery systems.
• Your government can take action to support the NPT and the elimination of nuclear weapons, and in particular should support the call made by the head of the IAEA, Mohammad El Baradei.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Foreign Minister,
I am writing to draw your attention to the upcoming prepcom of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, in New York April. The NPT Prepcom precedes and prepares for, the next NPT Review Conference in 2005.
In particular I draw your attention to the recent call for action to prevent proliferation made by the head of the IAEA Mohammad El Baradei, both as it concerns the need for the established nuclear weapons powers to abide by their Article VI NPT obligations to achieve the total and unequivocal elimination of their nuclear arsenals, and as it outlines practical measures that should be taken to achieve nuclear disarmament and to prevent further proliferation.
The upcoming NPT Prepcom and the NPT Review conference come as the NPT is under greater pressure than ever before. The nuclear weapons states signatory to the NPT have failed to honour their clear obligations to disarm under article VI of the NPT.
The NPT regime failed to prevent efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities by DPRK and Iran, and the emergence of a clandestine trade in nuclear technology. India, Pakistan and Israel reamin outside the NPT and continue to defy the international norm against nuclear weapons.
The link between disarmament and non-proliferation was made clear by IAEA head Mohammed El Baradei when he said: “We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction yet morally acceptable for others to rely on them for security – and indeed to continue to refine their capacities and postulate plans for their use.”
Either development – proliferation or a continuation of current nuclear weapons policies by the NWS – will, potentially, very much weaken the NPT at the time when it most needs to be strengthened. This will result in a growing number of nuclear-armed nations, and a growing probability that nuclear weapons may at some point be used.
Accordingly, I urge your government to support practical initiatives being proposed or developed through the NPT Review process, including those of the New Agenda Coalition and the Non Aligned Movement (including especially measures to de-alert nuclear arsenals), and including the following suggestions by Mr El Baradei:
• a) Implementation of the 13 practical steps for disarmament which were agreed by all States at the 2000 NPT review conference.
• b) Consideration of the legal, political and technical requirements for the abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons, as indicated in the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention
• c) the development of legally binding security assurances to non-nuclear weapon States in order to enable them to remain nuclear weapons free without decreasing their security
• d) Increased work on the verification measures required for the elimination of nuclear weapons
• e) Support for disarmament and nonproliferation education as recommended by the UN Study on Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education.
The recent proliferation revelations demonstrate that we can no longer control “peaceful” nuclear technology, and we urge a moratorium on any further sharing of such technology and support efforts to establish an International Sustainable Energy Fund to provide all nations with their own sovereign ability to access the power of the sun and the wind for their energy needs, while dismantling current civilian nuclear power plants, and thus put a safe end to further horizontal nuclear proliferation.
Yours Sincerely,
Signed (Your name)
FAX NUMBERS FOR WORLD LEADERS
Fax numbers of some selected foreign ministers, heads of state, and United Nations missions:
Note that you will need to use whatever is the ISD access code for your country if you are faxing these from another country. If you are faxing your own countrys foreign minister your information may be better than this list. If you have information that is better than what is on this list please share it with us. John Hallam Nuclear Weapons Campaigner Friends of the Earth Australia, nonukes@foesyd.org.au 61-2-9567-6222, fax 61-2-9567-7166.
• GEORGE W. BUSH: +1-202-456-2461; 1-202-456-6218; 1-202-456-6201
• CONDOLEEZA RICE: +1-202-456-2883
COLIN POWELL: +1-202-647-6047; UN – +1-212-415-4443
• PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN: +7-095-205-4330, +7-095-206-5173,
• FOREIGN MINISTER IVANOV: +7-095-244-4112, +7-095-247-2722, +7-095-206-3731, +7-095-293-3323,
• Russia UN +1-212-628-0252, CANB: 61-2-6295-1847
• UK – UN 1-212-745-9316,
• MOFA +44-207-829-2417, +44-207-270-2833,
• CHINA: UN +1-212- 634-7626, 41-22-793-7014
• JAPAN: +81-3-3581-9675 UN – +1-212-751-1966
• CANB 61-2-6273-8073
• DPRK: 850-2-2381-4636 +82-2-730-5076, UN1-212-972-3154
• CANB 61-2-6286-4795
• RoK: +82-2-724-8291, UN 1-212-986-1083,
• FRANCE: 33-1-4317-5203 UN 1-212-421-6889
• GERMANY 49-1888-17-34-02 UN 1-212-940-0402
• S. AFRICA 27-12-351-0253 UN 1-212-692-2498
• AUSTRALIA Foreign Minister Alexander Downer 61-2-6273-4112, UN 1-(212) 351-6610
More Information on the topic of nuclear weapons and the NPT is available at the following website:
http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org/
