Andreas Pecha
We would like to endorse the proposed appeal for the Conference and for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Europe and inform you that we intend to be represented at the Second Consultation, on 7 and 8 December.
We suggest that the consultation in December should discuss and plan for an intensive all-European campaign - to be undertaken in Spring 2001 - against the nuclear arms race and for a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Europe. The date of this campaign could be March and April, i.e. about one year after the Review Conference for the NPT, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The Final Document of this Conference laid down obligations of the 187 member States to advance nuclear disarmament. One year after the NPT-Review Conference 2000 can be seen as a suitable moment to address parliaments and governments and to ask them: What has been done to fullfil the commitments laid down at the Review Conference?
The organisations and persons participating in the Campaign should ask:
1. What steps leading to the start of negotiations for a convention on a step-wise process leading to the complete ban and destruction of all nuclear weapons world-wide have been taken?
The Final Document of the NPT-Review Conference 2000 expresses agreement on practical steps for systematic and progressive efforts to implement Article VI of the NPT, in particular:
This point should be addressed primarily to the parliaments and governments of nuclear-weapon states, but also to all other states, since they have the possibility to raise the issue of such a ban in the United Nations and in the Conference on Disarmament. The issue is, of course, not specific European, but the proposed Campaign should indicate the global aspects of the nuclear threat and of nuclear disarmament and should not limit itself to European issues.
2. The Campaign should call for efforts to establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Europe.
Steps towards that goal to be advocated by the Campaign could be discussed at the consultation in December. Here are some proposals for such steps:
Unilateral declarations of European states banning nuclear weapons from their territories.
Reference could be made to such a declaration by Mongolia. This declaration has been notified to the international community and has been taken note of in the Final Document of the NPT Review Conference 2000. Such a ban has also been declared by a constitutional law adopted by the parliament of Austria in July 1999, but so far there was no notification of the international community.
Establish a nuclear-weapon-free zone embracing a corridor of countries running north-south in Europe by an appropriate treaty. Clearly, such a corridor should be quite wide. The treaty could be modelled after the treaties by which nuclear-weapon-free zones were set up on other continents - i.e. the treaties of Tlatelolco (Latin America), Rarotonga (South Pacific), Bangkok (South-East Asia) and Pelindaba (Africa). By protocols attached to these treaties, the nuclear-weapon states are (or will be) under obligation to respect the nuclear-weapon-free status of the territory forming the zone. Such a protocol would clearly have to be attached also to the treaty on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Europe.
Establish a nuclear-weapon free zone embracing all countries of Europe wishing to be nuclear-weapon free under international law by an appropriate treaty. A draft for such a treaty, with the appropriate protocol for the commitment of nuclear-weapon states to respect the zone, has been formulated by Austrian NGOs some time ago and could be distributed in advance of the consultation in December. It is suggested that such a treaty would enter into force upon ratification by10 or 12 European states.
Ideas for other steps should be developed, e.g. on the way in which nuclear-weapon states should contribute to making the nuclear-weapon-free regions of Europe as large as possible.
3. The main aim of the Campaign should be to present its demands to governments and parliaments in a manner which will oblige them to discuss the issue in public and to declare their positions. The consultation in December could exchange suggestions for the activities of the Campaign - resolutions and petitions, demonstrations, national and international conferences, delegations to address governments and parliamentarians - perhaps with international composition, internationally coordinated information for the media, preparation of a summary report of the campaign, etc.
4. A recent international seminar in Uppsala (1 to 4 September), sponsored inter alia by the Dag Hammarsköld Foundation, has called for further nuclear-weapon-free zones to be established in many parts of the world and has outlined a programme of activities for that goal. The consultation in December should analyse in which way the results of the Uppsala seminar could contribute to the Campaign in the spring 2001.
Andreas Pecha, Secretary
Austrian Peace Council
Koelblgasse 18/1; A-1030 Vienna
Phone+Fax (+43-1) 7965021
E-mail: pax.vienna@aon.at