Submission from Sergey Kolesnikov, Ime John, Vappu Taipale, Co-Presidents, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

 

 

International lawyers, physicians, scientists, and other civil society experts have offered a roadmap toward a nuclear-weapons-free world in the Model Nuclear Weapons Convention. The model NWC-a comprehensive framework for global nuclear disarmament in all its aspects-has been a working document of the General Assembly since 1997. Support for a convention has been voiced repeatedly by majorities of UN Member States. A First committee resolution (A/C.1/62/L.36) adopted last year and supported by 127 Member States called for the commencement of "multilateral negotiations leading to an early conclusion of a nuclear weapons convention prohibiting the development, production, testing, deployment, stockpiling, transfer, threat or use of nuclear weapons and providing for their elimination".

 

We believe that UK leadership toward the achievement of a nuclear-weapons-free world, through the kind of comprehensive approach to disarmament spelled out in the Convention, is essential if this goal is to be reached.

 

IPPNW welcomes the Committee's inquiry into the British government's approach to non-proliferation and disarmament, and fully endorses the analysis and recommendations submitted to the Committee by our British affiliate, Medact. We urge the Committee to give full consideration to these recommendations, and we look forward to the outcome of your deliberations.

 

26 September 2008