NGOs express disappointment in ICNND outcomes
Nov. 10, 2009
by Yumi Kanazaki, Staff Writer
On November 6, a group which included members of NGOs that have taken part as civilian representatives in discussions with the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) released a statement on the fourth meeting of the ICNND held in Hiroshima in October. It called the comments made by the ICNND co-chairs, in outlining the results of the meeting, "a great disappointment."
The statement was signed by ten people including Haruko Moritaki, co-chair of the ICNND Japan NGO Network, and Tilman Ruff, NGO advisor to the ICNND co-chairs, who have provided proposals to the ICNND. In the statement, they fear that the Commission's final report, now being compiled by the ICNND and expected to avoid proposing a target date for eliminating nuclear weapons, "will be used as justification for those who aim for a world with fewer rather than no nuclear weapons."
It went on to express "major disappointment" over the Commission's lack of engagement on a Nuclear Weapons Convention and for not recommending the early adoption of a "no first use" policy for nuclear weapons.
The statement was sent to Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans, ICNND co-chairs, as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Australia, which serve as secretariats for the Commission.
(Originally published on November 7, 2009)
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On November 6, a group which included members of NGOs that have taken part as civilian representatives in discussions with the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) released a statement on the fourth meeting of the ICNND held in Hiroshima in October. It called the comments made by the ICNND co-chairs, in outlining the results of the meeting, "a great disappointment."
The statement was signed by ten people including Haruko Moritaki, co-chair of the ICNND Japan NGO Network, and Tilman Ruff, NGO advisor to the ICNND co-chairs, who have provided proposals to the ICNND. In the statement, they fear that the Commission's final report, now being compiled by the ICNND and expected to avoid proposing a target date for eliminating nuclear weapons, "will be used as justification for those who aim for a world with fewer rather than no nuclear weapons."
It went on to express "major disappointment" over the Commission's lack of engagement on a Nuclear Weapons Convention and for not recommending the early adoption of a "no first use" policy for nuclear weapons.
The statement was sent to Yoriko Kawaguchi and Gareth Evans, ICNND co-chairs, as well as the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Australia, which serve as secretariats for the Commission.
(Originally published on November 7, 2009)
Related articles
ICNND report to specify target number for nuclear arms reductions as 2,000 or less (Oct. 26, 2009)
ICNND closes discussion, seeking "no first use" declaration but compromising 2025 reduction target (Oct. 22, 2009)
Kawaguchi indicates inclusion of "nuclear abolition by 2020" in ICNND report difficult (Oct. 20, 2009)
