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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Friday, 17 May 2019 12:45 |
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By Thalif Deen - Reprint
Sweden’s Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson
STOCKHOLM, May 17 2019 (IPS) - When the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) concluded a three-day forum on “Peace and Development” on May 16, the primary focus was the daunting challenges threatening global security, including growing military interventions, spreading humanitarian emergencies, forced migration, increasing civil wars, extreme weather conditions triggered by climate change and widespread poverty and conflict-related hunger.
For many decades, said the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation Peter Eriksson, the rules of war were designed by the Geneva Conventions.
“Do we need to develop and adopt common principles for building peace?,” he asked, before a gathering of more than 400 high-level policymakers, researchers and practitioners in the Swedish capital during the opening session of the sixth annual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development
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Last Updated on Tuesday, 21 May 2019 10:06 |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Friday, 22 February 2019 15:05 |
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VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran has remained within the key limits on its nuclear activities imposed by its 2015 deal with major powers despite growing pressure from newly reimposed U.S. sanctions, a report by the U.N. nuclear watchdog showed on Friday.
The International Atomic Energy Agency is policing the deal, which lifted sanctions against Tehran in exchange for restrictions on Tehran’s atomic activities aimed at increasing the time Iran would need to make an atom bomb if it chose to.
Iran has stayed within caps on the level to which it can enrich uranium, as well as its stock of enriched uranium, the IAEA said in a confidential quarterly report sent to its member states and obtained by Reuters.
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Tuesday, 06 November 2018 14:27 |
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BY Basel Peace Office
Last week (Oct 24-30) was UN Disarmament Week, during which member states voted on a range of disarmament decisions and resolutions. Decisions are binding on the United Nations. Resolutions are indications of governments' positions and intent – they are not binding but can be very authoritative and influential if supported by key countries.
The deliberations and votes took place in an environment of increasing tensions between nuclear armed States, and also an increasing divide between non-nuclear countries and those countries which rely on nuclear weapons for their security.
Nuclear risk-reduction: Reducing nuclear danger A resolution Reducing nuclear danger submitted by India received 127 votes in favour (mostly non-aligned countries). It failed to get support of nuclear-armed or European countries, primarily because it only calls for nuclear risk reduction measures by China, France, Russia, UK and USA – leaving out the other nuclear armed States – India, Pakistan, DPRK and Israel.
A resolution Decreasing the operational readiness of nuclear weapons systems Decreasing the operational readiness of nuclear weapons systems submitted by a group of non-nuclear countries, was much more successful receiving 173 votes in favour, including from most of the NATO countries and from four nuclear armed States (China, DPRK, India, Pakistan).
Civil society presents to the UN General Assembly First Committee, October 2018
Nuclear prohibition:
A resolution on the Treaty on the Prohibition Nuclear Weapons Treaty on the Prohibition Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was supported by 122 countries. This is more than the number who have signed the Treaty, which is 68 (with 19 of these countries having now ratified). The vote indicates that more signatures are likely. However, the resolution was not supported by any of the nuclear-armed countries, nor any of the countries under nuclear deterrence relationships, i.e. NATO, Australia, Japan, South Korea. The opposition of nuclear-armed and allied States to the resolution is another indication that they do not intend to join the new treaty. In general, this means that they will not be bound by the treaty's obligations. However, the customary law against the use of nuclear weapons which is re-affirmed by the treaty will apply to all States regardless of whether or not they join.
A resolution on the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons submitted by India received 120 votes in favour, including from themselves and another three nuclear-armed States (China, DPRK and Pakistan). Some non-nuclear States have historically opposed the resolution in response to India testing nuclear weapons and becoming a nuclear-armed State in 1998. India has requested these countries to reconsider their opposition, especially in light of the international conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in which India participated and which highlighted the importance of preventing any use of nuclear weapons.
UN Conferences:
A resolution affirming a previous decision to hold a UN High-Level Conference (Summit) on Nuclear Disarmament Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament,was supported by 143 countries. The resolution, entitled Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament, also promotes negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons Convention - a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons that includes nuclear-armed States (unlike the TPNW which does not include them). Despite getting a strong vote in favour, including from some nuclear armed states, the proposed conference does not yet appear to have enough political traction to be held. The resolution did not set a date for the conference.
The UNGA adopted a Decision to convene a conference no later than 2019 on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Despite the objective of a Middle East Zone being supported by most UN members in a separate resolution (supported by 174 countries), the decision to convene a conference in 2019 to ‘elaborate a legally binding treaty’ was supported by only 103 countries. The hesitation by many countries to support the resolution was due to the fact that they believed that concrete preparations and negotiations for a Middle East Zone Treaty would require the participation of all countries in the region, and currently there is at least one country (Israel) that is not ready to work on such a regional treaty.
Other discussions and resolutions
There were other disarmament discussions at the UN General Assembly last week – included a heated discussion between Russia and the United States over the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). Both US and Russia claim that the other party is in violation of the treaty, and last week President Trump announced that the US was initiating procedures to withdraw from the treaty.
In addition there were a number of other disarmament resolutions that were introduced, some of which were adopted and some of which are being actioned (voted upon) this week.
For more information see
UNGA First Committee
Press releases: Nov 1 and Nov 2.
Reaching Critical Will UN First Committee
Yours in peace
The Basel Peace Office team |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Wednesday, 22 August 2018 11:24 |
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. Global Compliance Research Project
Joan Russow Phd
The reason given in December 2016 by most non-nuclear North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries for not adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was that the nuclear weapons of the United States of America were essential for all of their security. Ursula Franklin, a physicist, pacifist and educator, has stated, “We must reappropriate the word ‘security’ and not allow it to be distorted by the military”, and recalled the 1982 report of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues, written by Olof Palme, entitled “Common security: a programme for disarmament”.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 August 2018 11:28 |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Wednesday, 22 August 2018 11:05 |
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Global Compliance Research Project
Joan Russow Phd
The reason given in December 2016 by most non-nuclear North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries for not adopting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was that the nuclear weapons of the United States of America were essential for all of their security. Ursula Franklin, a physicist, pacifist and educator, has stated, “We must reappropriate the word ‘security’ and not allow it to be distorted by the military”, and recalled the 1982 report of the Independent Commission on Disarmament and Security Issues, written by Olof Palme, entitled “Common security: a programme for disarmament”.
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Monday, 20 August 2018 09:43 |
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By Joan Russow PhD
Global compliance Research Project
Concurring with the statement in resolution 2282 (2016)
Emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to sustaining peace, particularly through the prevention of conflict and addressing its root causes, strengthening the rule of law at the international and national levels, and promoting sustained and sustainable economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, sustainable development, national reconciliation and unity including through inclusive dialogue and mediation, access to justice and transitional justice, accountability, good governance, democracy, accountable institutions, gender equality and respect for, and protection of, human rights and fundamental freedoms, of a comprehensive approach to sustaining peace, particularly through the prevention of conflict and addressing its root causes, strengthening the rule of law at the international and national levels, and promoting sustained and sustainable economic growth, poverty eradication, social development, sustainable development, national reconciliation and unity including through inclusive dialogue and mediation, access to justice and transitional justice, accountability, good governance, democracy, accountable institutions, gender equality and respect for, and protection of, human rights and fundamental freedoms,
“
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Last Updated on Monday, 20 August 2018 09:48 |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Saturday, 11 August 2018 12:20 |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Wednesday, 06 June 2018 04:26 |
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The United Nations yesterday (June 5, 2018) elected Ecuador Foreign Minister Maria Fernanda Espinosa to be the incoming President of the UN General Assembly. She will become the 73rd person, and the fourth woman ever, to hold the UNGA presidency.
Sra Espinosa is a former Defence Minister, Ambassador to the UN in Geneva and an accomplished poet, having published five volumes of poetry and receiving the Ecuadorian National Poetry Prize in 1990.
Sra Espinosa has also been a long-time advocate for peace, human rights, nuclear disarmament and environmental protection. She serves as a Council Member of the influential World Future Council, and has partnered in a number of events and initiatives with key international peace and disarmament organisations including Abolition 2000, Basel Peace Office, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament and UNFOLD ZERO.
During her term as Ecuador Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, for example, she co-hosted a number of nuclear disarmament events with these NGOs at the UN, including some of the annual commemoration events for the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Friday, 25 May 2018 06:31 |
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Last Updated on Friday, 25 May 2018 06:50 |
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Peace News
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Posted by Joan Russow
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Saturday, 31 March 2018 09:24 |
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FRom the archives 2011
COP17 Durban; Time to address Militarism’s Massive Contribution to the Climate Crisis
-Joan Russow GlobalCompliance Research Project
At COP15 in Copenhagen and at COP 16 in Copenhagen, there were calls to address the contribution of militarism to climate change:both as a drain on resources which could be spent on addressing serious consequences of climate change but also as a serious cause of climate change
![[boy+peeing+on+soldier.jpg]](file:///C:/Users/admin/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg)
![[boy+peeing+on+soldier.jpg]](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_-RxFG9Q7LUY/SXTCRRZGw7I/AAAAAAAAA3o/VErieCUd1Ag/s1600/boy%2Bpeeing%2Bon%2Bsoldier.jpg)
A 2011 version of the Emperor's new Clothes
MILITARISM WASTE AND MISUSE OF RESOURCES
Throughout the years, through international agreements, member states of the United Nations have recognized that the military budget has been a waste and misuse of resources. Currently the Global Community is now spending 1.7 trillion per year on the military budget at a time when many basic and fundamental rights have not been fulfilled.
In 1976 at Habitat 1, member states of the United Nations affirmed the following in relation to the military budget:
"The waste and misuse of resources in war and armaments should be prevented. All countries should make a firm commitment to promote general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control, in particular in the field of nuclear disarmament. Part of the resources thus released should be utilized so as to achieve a better quality of life for humanity and particularly the peoples of developing countries" (II, 12 Habitat 1).
In 1981, in the General Assembly resolution entitled Resolution on the reduction of the military budget, the member states
(i) reaffirmed "the urgent need to reduce the military budget, and agreed to freeze and reduce the military budget";
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