Select Committee on Defence Written Evidence


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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