At the last NPT Review Conference in 2000, against all expectations, the 188 signatories, including the five acknowledged nuclear weapon states (NWS) agreed “an unequivocal undertaking by the NWS to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament” as one of the Thirteen Steps drawn up to implement the Treaty. As Brian Wicker of Pax Christi writes, “You have to be a very clever lawyer or politician not to recognise this as a promise.”
“Counter-proliferation”
However, as we approach the 2005 Review Conference, taking place in New York this month, the signs are not good. It seems likely that the Treaty will be used to support the status quo, ignoring the obligation to disarm, and maybe to legitimise the use of force to prevent Iran's nuclear programme. We saw the writing on the wall two years ago when Britain's Non Proliferation Department was renamed the “Department of Counter-Proliferation”.
Raising the profile
The Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's five-year Countdown Campaign has focussed on the NPT. We have attended the annual Preparatory Committee Meetings and visited the UK Embassies of both the NWS and the seven New Agenda Coalition countries whose pressure was largely responsible for the success of the 2000 Review Conference. We are developing some expertise in lobbying and are getting to recognise and be recognised by some UN delegates, thanks to our annual “Embassies Walk”.
In order to raise the profile of the NPT as a moral issue, a Churches Pack on nuclear weapons was produced and hundreds have been sent out on request. An Interfaith Prayer Campaign was launched on Hiroshima Day in the run up to the Review Conference which has been taken up by all kinds of different groups.
CCND will be present in New York in May. We have organised a daily Vigil outside the UN every weekday of the conference and hope people of different faiths will join us to pray for the success of the conference. The least that could be counted as a success is that the nuclear nations start their disarmament programme.
We will also be supporting an interfaith service taking place on the first Monday of the conference, as well as playing a full part in NGO events. A petition in support of the Treaty that has been running for the last year will be presented to the chair of the Review Conference. At the moment, supportive statements from faith communities and well known people are being collated: we hope these will be put into a booklet which can then be presented to the delegates.
The NPT is likely to be overshadowed by the general election -- so watch out for news -- and ask your candidates their opinion on what Britain should be doing to fulfil its obligations.
More details of the Treaty are available from the CCND office.