Ban treaty here we come
by Tilman Ruff
March 31
Tilman Ruff prepares to address the ban treaty conference on March 28
The first negotiating session of the historic conference to negotiate a treaty to ban and provide for the elimination of nuclear weapons has just finished. In content, process and significance, it was extraordinary. The number of states participating was 132—even more than the 123 that voted for the UN resolution mandating these negotiations. Read more…
Clearing the path to the ban
Day 4 of ban treaty negotiations
Something extraordinary happened yesterday. What started as an informal discussion of the proposals and divergent viewpoints that had emerged earlier in the week turned into a collective working session among the State and civil society participants in coming to terms with those differences. It was one of the most productive, energized, and energizing exchanges most of us have ever experienced inside a UN conference room. Read more…
Family values update
Moms for Nukes to close up shop after protests from children?
I got an e-mail from one of our Australian doctors who said he was “horrified” by US ambassador Nikki Haley’s comments (exact phrase redacted) Monday.
“I told my seven-year-old son that the US wanted to keep nuclear weapons ‘for their children.’ He asked me whether anyone had asked the children whether they wanted them, because he doesn’t! Out of the mouths of babes…..”
Digging into the negotiating details
Thea Katrin Mjelstad presents ICAN’s views on core ban treaty prohibitions.
Ban treaty negotiations day 3:
Ray Acheson summed up the principal goal of the ban treaty yesterday in WILPF’s statement to the ban treaty negotiators: “In order to be effective as a prohibition treaty that leads to the elimination of nuclear weapons, the core prohibitions of the treaty should be as clear and comprehensive as possible.” Read more…
The ban treaty is transformative
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
Statement to the UN conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading to their elimination, Topic 2
Delivered by Ray Acheson, Director of Reaching Critical Will
29 March 2017
Ray Acheson urges the conference to produce the strongest possible prohibition
Thank you Madame President,
Thank you for this opportunity to address this conference. WILPF has prepared a paper on principles, prohibitions, and positive obligations of a treaty banning nuclear weapons. After listening closely to interventions from delegations this morning, I would like to comment on a few of the prohibitions and positive obligations. Read more…
We must fill the legal gap completely
[ICAN delivered the following statement on core prohibitions that should be included in the ban treaty during the civil society session of the negotiation conference on March 29.]
Thea Katrin Mjelstad presents ICAN’s views on core ban treaty prohibitions.
Madam President:
I speak on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, and its partner organization Norwegian People’s Aid Solidarity Youth.
The community of nations must fully seize this historic opportunity to establish an unambiguous, comprehensive global prohibition on the very worst weapons of mass destruction. Read more…
Wholly unacceptable and unethical weapons
ICAN statement on preambular elements
UN Conference to Negotiate a Legally Binding Instrument to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leading Towards Their Total Elimination
Linnet Ngayu speaking for ICAN at ban treaty negotiations
Thank you, Madam President.
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, ICAN, wishes to make the
following recommendations for the preamble:
First and foremost, it must convey our deep concern at the catastrophic
humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons – and our determination,
for the sake of all humankind, to eliminate these abhorrent, earth-destroying
weapons forevermore. Read more…
“We may not have a second chance”
[IPPNW co-president Tilman Ruff delivered the following statement to the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons leading towards their total elimination. Watch the video on IPPNW’s YouTube channel.]
Tilman Ruff prepares to address the ban treaty conference
UN New York 29 March 2017
These negotiations grew out the humanitarian initiative, advanced by ICRC president Kellenberger’s 2010 call to the Geneva diplomatic corps, and the subsequent recognition of the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons in the consensus outcome document of the 2010 NPT Review Conference. Read more…
Actually banning nuclear weapons
Sue Coleman-Haseldine (r) and Setsuko Thurlow prepare to address the ban treaty negotiations at the UN
Ban treaty negotiations day 2:
ICAN executive director Beatrice Fihn captured the spirit of the day during our debriefing meeting, when she said “Today it felt like we made the transition from arguing that we need a ban treaty to actually banning nuclear weapons.” Read more…
“The ban treaty will change the world”
[The following statement was read by Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow, on behalf of ICAN, during the first series of civil society statements at the ban treaty negotiations conference.]
Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow delivers impassioned opening statement on behalf of ICAN
Distinguished Delegates,
I am honored to be given this opportunity, as a survivor from Hiroshima, to speak at this historic occasion. Already 72 years have passed since my beloved hometown was utterly destroyed by one atomic bomb. Read more…
Bimal Khadka
Bjorn Hilt
Charles K. Johnson
Gunnar Westberg
IPPNW
John Loretz
Lawrence Wittner
Maria Valenti
mollymcgint
Sue Wareham
Tilman Ruff
Tim Wright
Xanthe Hall
IPPNW peace and health blog 