Three Things you can do To Help Eliminate Nuclear Weapons

[John Hallam <nonukes at foesyd.org.au>]

(Sorry for duplicate copies caused by double- posting.)

There are three things you or your organisation can do between now and
April 24-May19 when the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review
Conference takes place at the United Nations in New York, which will help
to move the world toward the elimination of nuclear weapons.

1)If you are an ordinary person or an organisation, you can send a suitably
customised version of one of the sample letters below to either your prime
minister, your president, or most importantly, your foreign minister.

A shorter letter (very short) is available on:

Http://www.abolition2000.org.  Fax numbers of heads of state, foreign
ministers, and UN Missions  are also available on that URL.

Another URL that has the fax numbers of heads of state, foreign ministers
and UN missions and also has lots of information on the NPT Review is:
Http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org


2)If you are an organisation and especially if you have already signed the
'Heads of State' letter that I posted some time ago, you may also want to
sign the letter to be found on the following URL:
<http://www.clw.org/coalition/nptsign-on0300.htm>

3) if you are an organisation please sign the Abolition Statement (which
you have probably recieved in the previous email) by emailing
A2000 at silcom.com or by visiting Http://www.abolition2000.org.


Next comes the texts of a sample letter that can be sent by anyone to their
heads of state, prime ministers and foreign ministers anywhere, and a
sample letter that can be sent to the Russian government.

I reccommend sending the letter to the Russian government if you are in
Eastern Europe or in Russia or in CIS countries as well as a letter to your
own head of state/foreign minister.  Note that it is copied to President
Clinton.

The general letter is to be sent anywhere, but is largely designed for
countries other than the US, Russia,  or the UK. I strongly suggest that
you make changes to adapt it to what you know of your particular country
and its position.

For example, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa, and
a large number of other countries have actually taken a very good position
on this issue. If your country's position is a good one your letter will
need to congratulate them for that, and urge them to maintain it.

If you don't know exactly what your countrys position is going to be then
send the letter as it is but ask them what it will be.

TEXT OF
(1)GENERAL SAMPLE LETTER FOR EVERYBODY TO SEND
AND
(2)SAMPLE LETTER TO PUTIN AND IVANOV

FOLLOWS


(1)GENERAL SAMPLE LETTER FOR EVERYBODY TO SEND

RE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE APRIL 24-MAY 19 2000
- GETTING RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

TO: PRESIDENT, PRIME MINISTER AND FOREIGN MINISTER,


Your Excellency,
[0r]
Dear President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister,

I am writing  to urge [your/our]  government to take a strong position at
the upcoming  Review Conference of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty in
New York April 24 to May 19, 2000, and to urge [your/our] head of state or
of government or foreign minister to attend this  meeting.

It is vital that the governments of all nations   do their utmost to
pressure  the nuclear weapons states, especially the US and Russia, to do
more  to fulfill their obligations under Article VI of the NPT,  and
negotiate their nuclear weapons stockpiles down to zero.

The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in 1996, in a unanimous
advisory opinion that this is indeed a legal obligation.

The nuclear weapons states are currently making very little movement toward
fulfilling  this obligation.  Instead there have been many developments in
the opposite direction.

The US Senate has failed to ratify the CTBT, (Comprehensive Test Ban
Treaty) and the US is contemplating the deployment of a Ballistic Missile
Defence System in violation of the 1972 ABM (Anti-Ballistic Missile)
treaty.

Talks between the US and Russia to make cuts in nuclear weapons are
stalled, as is implementation of  START II. Russia has changed its previous
policy of 'no first use' of nuclear weapons to one that mirrors those of
the western states, and its Duma has refused to ratify START-II.

Both the US and Russia continue to conduct 'subcritical' nuclear tests.
China is modernizing its nuclear arsenal, and India and Pakistan have
openly tested nuclear weapons. Israel,  in spite of a recent debate in the
Knessett, refuses to acknowledge its nuclear capabilities but may have as
many as 400 weapons.

On the other hand, the non nuclear weapons states with a few notable
exceptions, have adhered to their side of the bargain, while the NPT has
become nearly universal.

A successful outcome at the coming NPT Review Conference,  would explicitly
commit parties under Article VI to the elimination of nuclear weapons at an
early date,  and a global regime banning nuclear weapons, and would outline
the process for that to occur.

It is important that your government and every government, use its position
to push the nuclear weapon states and particularly the US and Russia, to
fulfill Article VI during the coming review conference.

A key preliminary step in this direction that would reduce the danger of
purely accidental war,  and improve the climate for further steps, would be
the abandonment of 'launch on warning' postures. This should be followed by
reduction of alert status of warheads, and the verifiable physical removal
of
warheads from delivery vehicles.

It is especially vital that [your/our] [head of government/head of
state/foreign minister] be present at the proceedings of this review
conference. The decisions taken at the coming NPT Review conference will
literally determine the fate of the world. Only by the authority lent by
the presence of heads of State or of Government can decisions be taken that
will have the end result of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and
fulfilling the mandate of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty over the last
thirty years.

Signed...etc.



SAMPLE LETTER FOR EVERYONE TO SEND TO PRESIDENT PUTIN
AND
FOREIGN MINISTER IGOR IVANOV.

RE: NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION TREATY REVIEW CONFERENCE APRIL 24-MAY 19 2000
- GETTING RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

TO: PRESIDENT PUTIN +7-095-205-4330,
FOREIGN MINISTER IVANOV +7-095-244-3276, +7-095-244-2203
RUSSIAS UNITED NATIONS AMBASSADOR + 1 212 628 0252
cc
PRESIDENT CLINTON +1-202-456-2461

Dear President Putin and Foreign Minister Ivanov,

I am writing  to urge Russia's government to fulfill its obligations under
Article VI of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

It is vital that we negotiate their nuclear weapons stockpiles down to zero
sooner rather than later.

The International Court of Justice reaffirmed in 1996, in a unanimous
judgment, that this is indeed a legal obligation.

It is now vital that the Russia and the US fulfill their clear obligations
under Article VI of the nonproliferation treaty. While arms reductions have
occurred since the 1980s, this process of reduction has now stalled and may
be going into reverse.

The US and Russia are both signed on to a treaty, article VI of which
demands that you negotiate to eliminate your nuclear arsenals. The binding
nature of Article VI was  reaffirmed by the 1996 unanimous advisory opinion
of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Russia and the US together, as well as China, the UK and France cannot
forever refuse to fulfill their clear legal obligations under the NPT while
expecting that other countries will continue to fulfill theirs. The
credibility of the NPT will disappear if the nuclear weapon states -
yourselves - do not fulfill your obligations. The eventual result of that
is likely to be much wider acquisition of nuclear weapons, with a vastly
increased likelihood of nuclear war.

While Russia may have been given reasons to distrust US and NATO
intentions, the stakes in getting rid of nuclear weapons are literally
ultimate. No political goal no matter how central it may seem to the
interests of either Russia or the US can justify the possible destruction
of human civilisation and life worldwide.

Public opinion in both your countries is strongly in favor of negotiating
to eliminate nuclear weapons. Global public opinion is overwhelmingly in
favor of this and indeed demands it, as do the overwhelming majority of
governments.

A successful outcome at the coming NPT Review Conference,  would explicitly
commit parties under Article VI to the elimination of nuclear weapons at an
early date,  and a global regime banning nuclear weapons, and would outline
the process for that to occur.

In this context, it is especially vital that the Russian and US Presidents
be present at the proceedings of the NPT  Review Conference, and be ready
to negotiate to eliminate your nuclear arsenals as you are obliged to do
under Article VI. The decisions taken at the coming NPT Review conference
will literally determine the fate of the world. Only by the authority lent
by the presence of heads of State or of Government can decisions be taken
that will have the end result of ridding the world of nuclear weapons and
fulfilling the mandate of the nuclear nonproliferation treaty over the last
thirty years.

Signed...etc.

John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 2042
Fax (61)(2)9517-3902  ph (61)(2)9517-3903
nonukes at foesyd.org.au
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd