NUCLEAR AGE PEACE FOUNDATION
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Rick Wayman
(805) 696-5159; rwayman@napf.org
Sandy Jones
(805) 965-3443; sjones@napf.org
More than 120 Nations Convene Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty Negotiations at the United Nations
New York City–Beginning on Monday, March 27, 2017, for the very first time, negotiations on a treaty to ban nuclear weapons in international law are taking place under the auspices of the United Nations. More than 120 nations have gathered to participate in the negotiations.
A treaty banning nuclear weapons would make using, possessing, developing, and assisting with nuclear weapons illegal under international law and provide a framework for the weapons’ eventual complete elimination. Banning these weapons is the next step in a decades-long effort to ensure that the laws of war are followed and the indiscriminate destruction and unnecessary suffering caused by nuclear weapons is prevented forever.
David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, said, “This is a breakthrough day and week in the Nuclear Age. For the first time ever, nations will be negotiating to ban nuclear weapons – weapons capable of destroying civilization and complex life.”
The world now faces 21st century threats and challenges — cybersecurity, pandemic disease, and terrorism. These threats cannot be addressed by nuclear weapons or the logic of nuclear deterrence. More ominously, the spread of nuclear weapons, technology, and material only increases the chances of intentional or accidental nuclear detonation by states or terrorist groups.
The treaty is expected to:
- Legally bind parties from using, possessing and developing nuclear weapons, and assisting others in those activities.
- Work in concert with the existing regime of nonproliferation and disarmament agreements.
- Strengthen the norm against indiscriminate weapons and provide countries a method to meet disarmament obligations.
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will be represented at the ban negotiations by Robert B. Laney, Chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Rick Wayman, Director of Programs. Wayman will be among the presenters in a discussion on Tuesday, March 28, from 10:00 AM ‘til noon, entitled, “US Nuclear Modernization Under President Trump: Implications for the Ban Treaty Process.”
Wayman commented earlier on Monday, “In an epic role reversal, this morning we saw U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley protesting outside the UN General Assembly Hall while the majority of the world’s nations, supported by NGOs from around the world, began negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will continue to support the good faith efforts of those negotiating a nuclear ban treaty and oppose the nuclear weapons states’ efforts to keep nuclear weapons in perpetuity.”
The negotiations will take place in two sessions; this week in March and three weeks in June/July of 2017 at the United Nations. This week, representatives will meet to begin the drafting process by discussing and submitting language for the various components of the treaty. Between the two meetings, draft text will be produced for negotiation at the June/July meeting.
With the risk of nuclear detonation higher than at any time since the end of the Cold War, this treaty is an urgent priority for all countries that believe in a future free of nuclear weapons.
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If you would like to interview Rick Wayman, please call (805) 696-5159 or email him at rwayman@napf.org
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s mission is to educate and advocate for peace and a world free of nuclear weapons and to empower peace leaders. Founded in 1982, the Foundation is comprised of individuals and organizations worldwide who realize the imperative for peace in the Nuclear Age. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with consultative status to the United Nations. For more information, visit www.wagingpeace.org.