Memorandum from the Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom
INTRODUCTION
1. The Women's International League for
Peace and Freedom (WILPF) grew from a remarkable gathering of
women of different nations—both from Europe and America,
from "enemy" no less than neutral countries—in
April 1915 at The Hague. From that beginning the League has grown
to an organisation of 36 country sections and is a respected Non-Governmental
Organisation consulted by the United Nations.
2. Since its formation the League has worked
for the abandonment of war as a means of addressing international
disputes and has emphasised the consequences to women and children
of military conflict.
3. At this crucial time in world affairs, and
when the British Government is considering updating its nuclear
capability, the United Kingdom Section of WILPF wishes to make
its voice heard in the Defence Select Committee's deliberations.ILLEGALITY
4. There is a compelling legal argument against
further development of nuclear weapons. The 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT) committed the UK to nuclear disarmament "at
an early date". This was not imposed on Britain from outside.
It was ratified by Parliament and is therefore part of UK law.
Further, the 2000 NPT Review Conference laid out a Programme of
Action which included "an unequivocal undertaking by the
nuclear-weapon states to accomplish the total elimination of their
nuclear arsenals leading to nuclear disarmament". Nuclear
weapons should have a diminishing role in national policies
and disarmament must be irreversible. These pledges are a natural
extension of the original NPT and they are legally binding on
all states, including the UK.
5. There are no nuclear disarmament negotiations
at all at the present time, and instead of pursuing this aim those
countries (particularly the USA and the UK) with nuclear weapons
are putting a huge amount of resources, both in terms of scientific
expertise and money, into updating/replacing their current arsenals.
6. The UK Government should take the lead in
abiding by its pledge to work towards the total elimination of
nuclear weapons and aught to set an example to the rest of the
world. How can we criticise Iran when we are breaking international
law ourselves?THE EFFECT
OF MILITARISM
ON WOMEN
AND CHILDREN
7. Throughout history warfare has had a terrible
effect on women and their families, without any aggression on
their part. They are left to look after families when men folk
go to war; they not only have to cope with being the main providers,
they are vulnerable to vicious rape and loss of their homes. This
is particularly the case in poor countries where life is hard
enough.
8. The world's politicians must face up to their
responsibilities towards future generations and turn their minds
to peaceful resolution of disputes—nuclear war cannot benefit
anyone.
9. Real security depends upon access for all
to a fair share of the world's resources, in particular water
and food, education and sanitation as in the Millennium Development
Goals. This would reduce tension, aggression and conflicts caused
by perceived injustice in the world.
10. Women have a record of opposition to nuclear
weapons in the UK, and are now demonstrating at Aldermaston against
their further development, and at the Faslane facility. We will
continue to oppose the updating of the Trident system and work
towards the abolition of war as a means of tackling international
disputes.WASTE OF
RESOURCES
11. How can the world's politicians contemplate
pouring resources into weapons of mass destruction, when there
is already so much suffering in the world? Instead, they should
channel the expertise and energies of their scientists into fighting
the deterioration of the living conditions of so many caused by
drought, poor health, lack of education, and past and current
conflicts.
12. In the UK alone, there are other urgent issues
to address, not least that manufacturing industries should be
revitalised and support given for modernisation. Resources should
be devoted to serious research into ways of changing armament
factories over to manufacture of goods which could mean less imports
and thus less environmental degradation.CONCLUSION
13. We urge the Defence Committee to recommend
to the Government that they abide by the law passed by Parliament
to work towards nuclear disarmament at an early date and this
means they have no legal right to consider updating the Trident
nuclear weapons programme
18 April 2006
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