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More than 100 organisations from over thirty countries signed on to letter with ICAN to press for civil society access at the upcoming 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), currently scheduled to take place 4-28 January at UN Headquarters in New York. The letter was sent on 17 November to NPT Review Conference President-Designate Gustavo Zlauvinen and the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs, which convened a civil society consultation shortly thereafter on 24 November.
The full text of the letter and organisational sign ons appear below. Organisations still interested in signing on to the letter may do so by contacting [email protected].
17 November 2021
To:
Mr. Gustavo Zlauvinen, NPT Review Conference President-Designate and;
Ms. Izumi Nakamitsu, UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
We would like to congratulate you on confirming the dates of the upcoming 10th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in January. However, pursuant to your 25 October 2021 letter, we would also like express our deep concern about the proposed modalities for civil society participation at this meeting.
The ongoing denial of access to civil society at the UN Headquarters is of grave concern, as is the failure of UN Secretary-General António Guterres to adequately respond to previous complaints in this regard, including from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.
Nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to all humanity. Civil society has, for decades, consistently raised the priority of this issue with policymakers and the public through our diverse research, advocacy, and other initiatives; our knowledge and experience bring unique perspectives and important information that is used and appreciated by states and the UN community.
While recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has generated necessary limitations in order to maintain health and safety, other UN forums are now opening to allow some in-person civil society participation. As such, it is unacceptable for civil society to be excluded from any form of in-person participation at a meeting of such importance to international peace and security.
As sixty states told the President of the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly in a joint statement in early October, civil society “enrich and improve the relevant outcomes” of multilateral work “through their lived experiences, diverse range of expertise and feet on the ground.”
For the success and legitimacy of the upcoming NPT Review Conference, we urge you to ensure that civil society may contribute meaningfully and substantially to this meeting as they have in every meeting beforehand. This may include, but is not limited to, in-person access and participation to the Review Conference, the ability to disseminate reports and other information resources with states parties, receive conference documents, and deliver statements to NPT states parties and the broadcasting of the Review Conference plenary sessions on UN TV. To discuss this further, we would like to request a Zoom consultation with you about NGO participation and access to the UN Headquarters before the end of November. We look forward to engaging constructively with you to find an appropriate solution, taking into account necessary health restrictions.
Signed,
Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons Coordinating Committee
Abolition des Armes Nucléaires - Maison de Vigilance
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
ANT-Hiroshima
Arms Control Association
Association des jeunes de Saint Charles Lwanga
Association Timbuktu Center for Strategic Studies on the Sahel
Beati i costruttori di pace (BCP), Blessed Are the Peacemakers Italy
Beyond the Bomb
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security
Canadian Pugwash Group
Center for Political Ecology
Chernobyl-Hibakusha Support Kansai
Cultural Youth Initiative Movement of Nigeria
Disarmament and Security Centre
Dutch Peace Tribunal
End Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation of Children
Ethics in Technology
Facilitation for Integrated Community Rural Development (FICRD)
Forbyd Atomvåben - ICAN in Denmark
Forum for Nation Building Nepal
Frauennetzwerk für Frieden e.V. / Women's Network for Peace, Germany
FundiPau (Foundation for Peace)
Global Security Institute
Global Zero
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations)
Human Rights Education and Peace International
International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - Aotearoa New Zealand
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - Australia
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - France
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons - Norway
International Disarmament Institute, Pace University
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
International Health & Epidemiology Research Center
International Peace Bureau
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War – Norway
International Trade Union Confederation
International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations (ISMUN)
Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Israeli Disarmament Movement
Japan Congress against A- and H-Bombs (GENSUIKIN)
Japanese Liaison Council of Second-Generation Atomic Bomb Survivors
Journalists for Human Rights-North Macedonia
Kairos Foundation of Nigeria
Know Nukes Tokyo
LABRATS International
Mayors for Peace
Medical Association for Prevention of War (Australia)
Middle East Treaty Organization
Mines Action Canada
Movement for a Non-violent Alternative
Nadam Foundation
Nei til Atomvåpen (No to Nuclear Weapons Norway)
Norwegian Peace Council
Norwegian People's Aid
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Nuclear Watch New Mexico
NuclearBan.US
Nukewatch (USA)
NVMP - Artsen voor vrede
Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
PAX
Pacific Network on Globalization
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Vlaanderen vzw
Peace Action Wisconsin
Peace Boat
Peace SOS
Peace Union of Finland
Peace-Activism
PeaceWorks Kansas City
Peaceworkshop Mutlangen
People for Nuclear Disarmament
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy
Peoples Federation for National Peace and Development
Poovulagin Nanbargal
Project Ploughshares
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs
Pugwash - Netherlands
Rete Italiana Pace e Disarmo
RootsAction.org
SALAM Association, Union of Comoros
Secure Scotland
SEHLAC Network
Senzatomica
Soka Gakkai International
Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea
Spanish Commission for Justice and Peace
Swedish Physicians Against Nuclear Weapons
The Human Survival Project
The Simons Foundation Canada
TreatyAwareness.US
UK and Ireland Nuclear Free Local Authorities
UN House Scotland
United Nations Association - UK
Vrede vzw
War Prevention Initiative
Western States Legal Foundation
Women Concern
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - Netherlands
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - US
World Council of Churches
Youth Arts New York/Hibakusha Stories