Follow-up Action on Nuclear Disarmament at the UN

 In Nuclear Weapons, Peace Action

As promised at the September 26 first-ever United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on nuclear disarmament, the Non-Aligned Movement succeeded in passing two General Assembly resolutions earlier this week aimed at breaking the logjam on this crucial issue.

While there is skepticism about the prospects for movement at the Conference on Disarmament (see below), there is a group of countries committed to trying, and the continued support for the Open-Ended Working Group on Nuclear Disarmament is significant.

Now most people, including many nuclear disarmament activists, may not have heard of some of these UN structures and processes. The point is that despite the general rejectionism of the nuclear weapons states, the majority of the world’s nations are dedicated to persisting in pressuring the nuclear haves for progress toward a nuclear weapons-free world.

Somewhat predictably, and consistent with their past behavior, nuclear states North Korea, China, India and Pakistan voted yes, while Israel, France, UK, US and Russia voted no on the first resolution described below.

Thanks to our colleagues at the Basel Peace Office, Reaching Critical Will project of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Open the Door to a Nuclear Weapons-Free World project of Abolition 2000.

United Nations General Assembly takes new action for nuclear disarmament!

151 countries support UN Open Ended Working Group, 129 support NAM resolution

 

5 November 2013.

From May to August 2013, the UN Open Ended Working Group ‘opened the door’ to a nuclear weapon free world (see UN body adopts report on advancing nuclear disarmament negotiations). This was followed on 26 September by the first ever UN High Level Meeting on nuclear disarmament.

 

Yesterday the door was opened wider with the resounding adoption at the United Nations First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) of two key nuclear disarmament resolutions.

 

 

  1. 1.      Resolution L.6:  Follow-up to the 2013 high-level meeting of the General Assembly on nuclear disarmament;

On 26 September this year, the United Nations General Assembly, for the first time ever, held a High Level Meeting dedicated to the total elimination of nuclear weapons. The meeting elevated the issue but did not take any decisions. The next step was taken yesterday with the adoption by the UN General Assembly of a follow-up action resolution. Introduced by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Resolution L.6 calls for the immediate commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a nuclear weapons convention.

 

Before the negotiations can begin, however, the Conference on Disarmament (CD) will have to overcome its deadlock of 17 years. The CD has established an Informal Working Group to tackle this challenge head on. So there is at last a possibility for progress. The resolution calls on the UN Secretary General to review progress later in the year, with the input of States (all are invited to do so) and report back to the next UN General Assembly in October 2014. In addition the UN General Assembly, in adopting Resolution L.6, decides to:

a)      hold a UN High Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament in 2018 to review and advance the process, and

b)      establish 26 September as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.

129 countries voted in favour of the resolution, a significant majority of the UN Members.

 

‘This is an historic resolution,’ says Jackie Cabasso, Director of Western States Legal Foundation (USA) and co-founder of theAbolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons. ‘It reflects years of persistent and consistent civil society advocacy for the global abolition of nuclear weapons through a nuclear weapons convention. Now we have a definite goal set and a process agreed by United Nations members for its accomplishment. We hope that everyone will get behind this and make it work.’

 

  1. 2.       Resolution L.34  Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations

In 2012, frustrated at the lack of progress in the Conference on Disarmament, the United Nations General Assembly established a new and innovative initiative – an Open Ended Working Group on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations(OEWG). Governments and civil society engaged in constructive, interactive and successful deliberations on elements and approaches to achieving a nuclear weapons free world. The governments adopted a consensus report which includes a range of innovative proposals – including the ‘building blocks’ approach.

 

A super-majority of UN members (154 countries) voted for Resolution L.34 calling on the Conference on Disarmament (and other forums) to take up the nuclear disarmament proposals in the OEWG report. The resolution (like the NAM resolution) calls for a UN Secretary General report and evaluation at the UN General Assembly in October 2014 of how these multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations are progressing, and whether further work should be undertaken by the OEWG in 2015 in order to ensure sufficient progress is made on multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations.

 

‘The Open Ended Working Group has opened the door to a nuclear weapon free world,’ says Jana Jedlickova, Coordinator of the Abolition 2000 Task Force on the OEWG. ‘It has brought a constructive approach into nuclear disarmament diplomacy, started to forge the divides that have until now blocked progress, and identified key areas where further work is required to ensure success.  It’s time now for the deliberations and proposals to move on to practical work and actual negotiations for the elimination of nuclear weapons.’

 

‘Civil society, including mayors and parliamentarians, played a key role in the success to-date of the OEWG,’ says Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. ‘This included participating fully in the OEWGsessions and promoting the process globally, particularly through inspiring Open the door actions. We should encourage our governments to ensure that the opportunity that has now arisen from the OEWG is not squandered.’

&n bsp;

 

 

‘Open the Door to a Nuclear Weapons Free World’ Project

www.openthedoor2013.org  /  info@openthedoor2013.org

 

 

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Comments
  • Jerry "Peacemaker"
    Reply

    Great deal which should be supported whole-heartedly by all people of the Earth. Great post – great news. Thank you.

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