The Momentum Builds

NWC Update: February 21, 2010

Dear Supporter,

Over the last week we have seen some positive statements regarding a nuclear weapons convention. From an op-ed in the New York Times challenging the incremental approach to nuclear disarmament to hints by Norway that it may initiate an Oslo-style process for nuclear disarmament, the momentum for an NWC seems to be building. This is timely given that the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference is just two-and-a-half months away. Let's keep up the pressure.

1. Global Action Agenda -- February-June 2010

 Two weeks ago I circulated an international strategy document developed by ICAN for the NPT Review Conference and beyond. I have since turned this into a document titled "Global Action Agenda -- February-June 2010", which we will distribute to all of our supporters and partner organizations encouraging them to engage with their government on the question of a nuclear weapons convention. Our two specific requests are: (1) to lobby your government in the lead-up to the NPT Review Conference; and (2) to hold an event on Saturday 5 June to promote negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention. The document includes information to assist with lobbying. I have also produced a briefing paper on an NWC to hand to diplomats.

2. Will Norway take the lead on a nuclear weapons convention?

 Last week Norway expressed frustration at the inability of the Conference on Disarmament to make meaningful progress on nuclear disarmament. Noting the success of the Oslo process for a convention outlawing cluster munitions, it suggested that a similar process might work for nuclear weapons. "We cannot leave it to the nuclear states alone to decide when it is time for them to do away with these weapons," the Norwegian delegate said. "We believe it could be possible to develop norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and even to outlaw them, without a consensus decision, and that such norms will eventually be applied globally." The speech also underscored the importance of including civil society in disarmament processes.

Depending on the outcome of the NPT Review Conference in May, it is possible that Norway will initiate an Oslo-style process for nuclear disarmament involving like-minded states as it did for cluster munitions. There are a number of potential allies in such an endeavour. Malaysia and Costa Rica have of course been vocal proponents of a nuclear weapons convention for many years. But more recently Austria and the Philippines have also expressed strong support. Some of the countries that are currently "sitting on the fence" would perhaps be willing to support a process involving like-minded states once it became clear it was actually going to proceed. Getting at least one of the NPT nuclear-weapon states (e.g. the United Kingdom) and a non-NPT state (e.g. India) on board from the outset would give the process added credibility.

3. New York Times op-ed calling for a comprehensive approach

Barry Blechman, who was a mid-level State Department official under the Carter Administration, wrote an excellent op-ed for the New York Times last week describing why a comprehensive approach to nuclear disarmament is the only approach that will work, and why it is politically achievable in the United States. "[P]iecemeal control efforts will never work; we have to think more boldly if we are to achieve global nuclear disarmament," he wrote. "Accelerating nuclear proliferation and terrorist attacks have led diplomats worldwide to embrace disarmament as a long-term goal. At the same time, they say it is unrealistic to pursue zero weapons in the near term. Fortunately, that's not true." In the second half of the piece, he provided a good description of the basic premises of a nuclear weapons convention, and dismissed the critics' claim that an NWC would be impossible to verify.

4. Movie project for the NPT Review Conference

Several NGOs are inviting people to make a short video explaining why they want a nuclear-weapon- free world, and how we can get there. The best videos will be shown at the NPT Review Conference in May. The five-minute final cut will consist of short clips from people around the world calling on their leaders to abolish all nuclear weapons. The deadline for submissions is 29 March. Videos should be 2GB or less in size, 90 seconds or shorter, and have no background music. Only MPEG-4, DV, or .mov video files can be accepted. We have produced a flyer for this activity, which we encourage you to circulate to people you think might be interested e.g. students. It includes details on submitting the videos.

5. 'Time to Abolish Nuclear Weapons' banner activity

ICAN is calling on young people around the world to create banners declaring to world leaders it's "Time to Abolish Nuclear Weapons". The letters for the banner can be downloaded from our website. Each student in the class is allocated a letter to colour in and decorate with peace and anti-nuclear images, and then their teacher takes a photo and sends it to us by May 1 to be displayed at the NPT Review Conference. Full details are available at www.icanw.org/timeforabolition (in English as well as German). Over the coming months, ICAN will be developing more activities aimed at giving students the opportunity to influence the Review Conference. 

6. Become an ICAN partner organization

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons has about 200 partner organizations in 60 countries. If your organization isn't an ICAN partner but would like to become one, please contact us. We have produced a document outlining why groups should join -- even if nuclear disarmament isn't their key purpose. If you're an existing ICAN partner and would like to get more groups in your country involved in the campaign, this document might be helpful for that also.

7. List of new ICAN documents

Let's keep up the pressure for a nuclear weapons convention. Please keep me updated on developments in your country.

In peace,

Tim Wright