[E-rundbrief] Info 1643 - UN-Vote World Rejects Nuclear Weapons 122-1

[Matthias Reichl]

E-Rundbrief - Info 1643 - John Hallam (People for Nuclear Disarmament/ 
Human Survival Project): World Rejects Nuclear Weapons in 122-1 Vote 
at UN. Netherlands voted "No".

Bad Ischl, 8.7.2017

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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On Fri, Jul 7, 2017 at 11:18 AM, John Hallam johnhallam2001 [at] 
yahoo.com.au wrote:


     People for Nuclear Disarmament
     Human Survival Project

     World Rejects Nuclear Weapons in 122-1 Vote at UN

     At the United Nations in New York, a meeting convened by a 
December 2016 vote of the UN General Assembly has voted to make 
nuclear weapons illegal.

     The decisive vote of 122 'yes' to 1 'no' vote took place this 
morning in the vast and packed Conference Room 1 just off the first 
sub-basement of the UN, after the Netherlands called for a vote. They 
were the sole 'NO' vote though Singapore abstained.

     The vote was followed by prolonged cheers and clapping both from 
the many nongovernmental organisations present in the completely full 
Conference room 1 and in an overflow room, also completely full.

     The President of the conference, Ambassador Elaine Whyte-Gomez of 
Costa Rica, could be seen with a number of other delegates, wiping 
away tears as the numbers flashed onto the electronic voting board.

     As the vote was announced, she announced that there was a very 
long list of Governments that wished to speak about the decision. In 
fact as I write this release in the lunch-break that list has not been 
exhausted.

     The vote followed three weeks of often agonizing negotiations, as 
well as two days of preliminary negotiations in March.

     The Nuclear Prohibition Treaty arguably reinforces what is 
already implicit in both International Humanitarian Law and in article 
VI of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), namely that nuclear 
weapons are illegal.

     While it could be argued that nuclear weapons are already illegal 
this treaty for the first time provides an explicit multilateral legal 
instrument that outlaws them.

     In taking the floor, country after country noted the historic 
nature of what was being done. Other weapons of mass destruction such 
as biological weapons and chemical weapons, as well as landmines, are 
illegal. Yet until today, a specific instrument outlawing nuclear 
weapons has not been in existence. Now, there is one. Governments also 
noted the critical role of civil society in bringing about this 
result, as well as its existential necessity.

     People for Nuclear Disarmament's nuclear weapons campaigner John 
Hallam, who has been present for the full three weeks of the 
negotiation as well as participating in some of the conferences 
leading up to it, noted that:

     " Nuclear weapons remain the only weapon that can destroy both 
civilization and much of the biosphere in less than a couple of hours 
and can do so by mistake - a mistake that has nearly taken place on 
upwards of a dozen terrifying occasions already."

     "To eliminate nuclear weapons completely is an survival 
imperative that civilization cannot evade. Its clear that the 
overwhelming majority of the worlds Governments understand that narrow 
considerations of so called 'national security' cannot override the 
imperative of the survival of civilization and of the human species, 
which nuclear weapons place in jeopardy. We call on all Governments 
without exception, including especially the Governments of the 
'official' nuclear weapon states and other states that possess nuclear 
weapons, to do their moral duty to the rest of the planet and to join 
the treaty and eliminate their nuclear arsenals."

     "Ultimately, if we completely fail to eliminate nuclear weapons, 
nuclear weapons will eliminate us. Nuclear abolition is not a 
'feel-good some-century' ambition. It is an urgent survival imperative 
and needs to be prioritised as such. The majority of the worlds 
Governments have shown that they understand that very well. Now the 
states that have nuclear weapons must come on board"

     "We call on all Governments without exception, no matter what 
kinds of military alliances they may be involved with, to join the 
Treaty and to make the necessary changes in their security policies."

     John Hallam,

     People for Nuclear Disarmament

     Human Survival Project

     United Nations

     johnhallam2001 [at] yahoo.com.au
     jhjohnhallam [at] gmail.com


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Matthias Reichl, Pressesprecher/ press speaker,
Begegnungszentrum fuer aktive Gewaltlosigkeit
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