Peace & Sustainability
August 2002

International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility (INES)

Statement on Peace and Sustainable Development for the Johannesburg World Summit in August 2002

Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development

Having met at Rio de Janeiro from 3rd to 14th June 1992,

Reaffirming the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16th June 1972 and seeking to build upon it,

With the goal of establishing a new and equitable global partnership through the creation of new levels of cooperation among states, key sectors of societies and people,

Working towards international agreements which respect the interests of all and protect the integrity of the global environmental and developmental system,

Recognizing the integral and interdependent nature of the Earth, our home,

Proclaims that:

Principle 25: Peace, development and environmental protection are interdependent and indivisible.

Sustainable development is unthinkable without peace. Peace is a prerequisite and component of sustainable development, and for a sustainable society that solves fundamental global social and ecological problems and strives for worldwide justice, peace is more than the absence of structural force. In the Rio documents of 1992 this principle is acknowledged at various places, but no mention is made of the terrible consequences of war and no tools are recommended for the banning of war and the establishment of peace. In particular, the problem circle: peace–disarmament–conflict prevention has not been under discussion.

Therefore a passage about peace and sustainability should be included in the documents of Johannesburg both in the governmental documents and in the documents of the NGO’s.

A Sustainable Society requires Peace,

Peace requires Sustainable Development.

When aiming for conflict prevention and peaceful solutions, we again have to put emphasis on disarmament.

Armament already kills in times of peace. The huge sums spent on armaments (in 2000 approx. 750 billions US$) divert resources away from solving many of the worlds real problems, intensify poverty and lead to further restrictions of social welfare benefits. Peaceful conflict resolution and proactive policies based on democracy and equity must take the place of military intervention and armed internal conflicts.

Weapons of mass destruction (above all, nuclear weapons), in addition to the risk to humanity, also pose major risks to the biosphere. Treaties for the reduction and elimination of such weapons are in a serious crisis. The military use of space must be prevented as it can lead to the destruction of the arms control systems built up painstakingly over decades.

Armament kills daily in the 49 wars taking place in 2001, by the worldwide export of armaments, by mines and small arms. Military interventions aggravate the already violent situations in regional conflicts and civil wars.

Lasting peace is secured by the promotion of sustainable development rather than the development of ever more sophisticated weapons systems and is basic to achieving long term stability and security of individuals and nations.

The abominable international violence of 11th September 2001 gives a new dimension to terrorism and warfare that in the age of globalization reaches all of us. It makes new demands on politics and societies worldwide, to take on new responsibilities, combining common sense, ethical principles and special expertise, in order to find answers to the questions of conflict and crisis.

A solution of the problems will only be achieved if the roots of war and terrorism are attacked. These include:

• Worldwide power and prosperity differences:
• Cultural and religious differences; and
• The growing readiness of many persons to put their own lives into the service of terrorist organizations.

The formulation of an effective international response to terrorism that takes into account the policies that lead to hatred will be essential to achieving peace in the world.

In Johannesburg, governments should:

• Include the issues of conflict prevention and resolution, peace and disarmament in the future sustainability agenda;
• Develop more effective and adequately resourced UN systems for conflict prevention, humanitarian intervention and peace-making;
• Pledge to divert a significant proportion of the large R&D effort and financial and other resources devoted to military purposes of researching, developing and implementing measures aimed at achieving sustainable development;

and agree to:

• A 10 year plan to decrease armament expenditures in every country by at least 5% each year, and provide the financial means for peace policy, the support of the developing countries and of worldwide sustainability projects;
• Use this process to scale down the weapons industry and support the conversion to non-military products;
• A global ban or strict controls on the export of armaments to be signed by the industrialized countries by the year 2005;
• Strengthen the international regimes for conflict prevention by signing and ratifying without further delay, irrespective of some governments not yet participating:
• The convention on small arms trade,
• The biological weapons verification protocol,
• The convention on the international criminal court,
• A convention for the abolition of nuclear weapons,
• An extended ban on the production of and trade in land mines,
• A recommitment to the 1967 „Outer Space Treaty," and a new treaty banning the weaponization of space.