Letter from Abolition

legal instrument that obliges the nuclear weapon States to achieve
complete nuclear disarmament (article VI) and bans the proliferation of
nuclear weapons. It is more vital than ever that the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty be honored and implemented.

Real progress toward the elimination of nuclear disarmament is under
threat, as is the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. The Preparatory
Committee of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conference meets
from April 26 - May 7, at the United Nations. This will be an important
opportunity to emphasize the international commitment to nuclear
disarmament.

The continued possession of large nuclear arsenals by the US, Russia,
China, France, and the UK, and their nuclear policies are a grave threat
to the NPT. The US and other nuclear weapon states continue to possess
nuclear arsenals that include sufficient megatonnage on
'Launch-on-warning' status, to be able to destroy civilization and most
life in an event sequence that would take about half an hour and could
take place as a result of computer error, miscalculation in time of
conflict or calculated use against a 'State of concern' that then
escalates into nuclear war. The nuclear weapons states continue to

threaten the possible use of nuclear weapons and plan to develop new
nuclear weapon types, such as 'mini-nukes' that they feel may be more
useable.

The treaty is also being challenged by the acquisition of nuclear
weapons by India, Pakistan, and the DPRK. There is particular concern
about Pakistan's role in spreading nuclear weapons technology to Iran,
DPRK and Libya.

The nuclear weapon states have been quick to highlight transgressions by

other States of the non-proliferation aspects of the NPT and rally
coercive action in response, including calls for interceptions of
shipments to and from 'States of concern' and the use of force against
States suspected of contributing to proliferation. But the nuclear
weapons states ignore the simple fact that their policies give value to
nuclear weapons and so encourage nations that are not yet part of the
nuclear club to acquire nuclear weapons, and has encouraged India,
Pakistan, and the DPRK to become new members of the nuclear club. The
continued possession of nuclear weapons by Israel, encourages other
nations (possibly Iran) to wish to counter its nuclear weapons with
their own.

The head of the IAEA, Mohammad El Baradei, has issued a clarion call to
action both to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to an increasing

number of countries and for the existing nuclear weapon states to honour
their nuclear disarmament obligations under article VI of the NPT. In
Particular, El Baradei notes that:

"We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible
for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction yet morally
acceptable for others to rely on them for security - and indeed to

to prevent nuclear proliferation and eliminate nuclear arsenals is a
lead that governments worldwide, starting with the established nuclear
weapons powers, should be following.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO WRITE TO YOUR FOREIGN MINISTER AS FOLLOWS, (please rewrite this in your own words, preferably handwritten rather than printed, or else on formal organisational letterhead)

Points you need to make:

--The elimination of nuclear weapons is vital for the safety of the
world. The NPT, though imperfect, commits all nations to bring about the
elimination of nuclear weapons. The upcoming prepcom is an important
forum in which the NPT and the elimination of nuclear weapons may be
supported by your government.

--The NPT and progress toward nuclear disarmament, is threatened as
never before, including by Bush administration policy, including both
the moves to ready the US nuclear testing facility for use, the
construction of the 'modern pit facility', and the development of new
types of nuclear weapons and delivery systems.

--Your government can take action to support the NPT and the elimination

of nuclear weapons, and in particular should support the call made by
the head of the IAEA, Mohammad El Baradei.

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Foreign Minister,

I am writing to draw your attention to the upcoming prepcom of the
nuclear nonproliferation treaty, in New York April. The NPT Prepcom
precedes and prepares for, the next NPT Review Conference in 2005.

In particular I draw your attention to the recent call for action to
prevent proliferation made by the head of the IAEA Mohammad El Baradei,
both as it concerns the need for the established nuclear weapons powers
to abide by their Article VI NPT obligations to achieve the total and
unequivocal elimination of their nuclear arsenals, and as it outlines
practical measures that should be taken to achieve nuclear disarmament
and to prevent further proliferation.

The upcoming NPT Prepcom and the NPT Review conference come as the NPT
is under greater pressure than ever before. The nuclear weapons states
signatory to the NPT have failed to honour their clear obligations to
disarm under article VI of the NPT. The NPT regime failed to prevent
efforts to acquire nuclear weapons capabilities by DPRK and Iran, and
the emergence of a clandestine trade in nuclear technology. India,

Pakistan and Israel reamin outside the NPT and continue to defy the
international norm against nuclear weapons.

The link between disarmament and non-proliferation was made clear by
IAEA head Mohammed El Baradei when he said:
"We must abandon the unworkable notion that it is morally reprehensible
for some countries to pursue weapons of mass destruction yet morally
acceptable for others to rely on them for security - and indeed to

continue to refine their capacities and postulate plans for their use."

Either development - proliferation or a continuation of current nuclear
weapons policies by the NWS - will, potentially, very much weaken the
NPT at the time when it most needs to be strengthened. This will result
in a growing number of nuclear-armed nations, and a growing probability
that nuclear weapons may at some point be used.

Accordingly, I urge your government to support practical initiatives
being proposed or developed through the NPT Review process, including
those of the New Agenda Coalition and the Non Aligned Movement
(including especially measures to de-alert nuclear arsenals), and
including the following suggestions by Mr El Baradei:

a) Implementation of the 13 practical steps for disarmament which were

agreed by all States at the 2000 NPT review conference.
b) Consideration of the legal, political and technical requirements for
the abolition and elimination of nuclear weapons, as indicated in the
Model Nuclear Weapons Convention
c) the development of legally binding security assurances to non-nuclear
weapon States in order to enable them to remain nuclear weapons free
without decreasing their security

by the UN Study on Disarmament and Nonproliferation Education.

The recent proliferation revelations demonstrate that we can no longer
control "peaceful" nuclear technology, and we urge a moratorium on any
further sharing of such technology and support efforts to establish an
International Sustainable Energy Fund to provide all nations with their
own sovereign ability to access the power of the sun and the wind for
their energy needs, while dismantling current civilian nuclear power
plants, and thus put a safe end to further horizontal nuclear
proliferation.

Yours Sincerely,

Signed

(Note that you will need to use whatever is the ISD access code for your country if you are faxing these from another country. If you are faxing your own countrys foreign minister your information may be better than this list. If you have information that is better than what is on this list please share it with me.)

Write Your Government Now - Help Keep the World Safe - Demand Disarmament and Compliance with NPT