Campaigners meet to discuss disarmament as humanitarian action

2012 Arms Hdsummit 300x199

A delegation of civil society representatives meets with UN High Representative for Disarmament, Ms Angela Kane to hand over a communiqué on humanitarian disarmament.

Article 36 participated in a Humanitarian Disarmament Campaigns Summit, organized by Human Rights Watch on 20-21 October 2012 along with 28 other non-governmental organizations. The Summit took place in New York on the margins of the UN First Committee on Disarmament and International Security and on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

The Summit brought together NGOs working on disarmament issues that are concerned about the humanitarian impact of weapons. This includes representatives from global campaigns on the Arms Trade Treaty (Control Arms Campaign), biological weapons (BWPP), casualty recording (Every Casualty campaign), chemical weapons (CWCC), cluster munitions (CMC), explosive weapons (INEW), landmines (ICBL), nuclear weapons (ICAN), robot weapons control (ICRAC), and uranium weapons (ICBUW). A full list of participating organizations is below.

Campaigners discussed how they could enhance their cooperation and coordination and work together in order to better change the policy and practice of states and other actors in relation to disarmament, arms control and the protection of civilians.

The Summit issued a communiqué that was handed over to the UN’s High Representative on Disarmament, Ms Angela Kane, and was handed out to delegates participating in the UN First Committee. It calls on governments to:

  • Adopt a proactive approach to tackle existing and emerging issues of concern in humanitarian disarmament by reviewing and strengthening policy and practice, undertaking national measures, and intensifying diplomatic engagement and political leadership;

  • Acknowledge that successful multilateral diplomatic work in humanitarian disarmament is best achieved when based on the will of the overwhelming majority of participating states;

  • Recognize that civil society plays a vital role in tackling humanitarian disarmament concerns and work to accord a substantive role for civil society representatives in multilateral processes.

The communiqué is available in English and French.

Participating organisations:

Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy

Action on Armed Violence

Article 36

BioWeapons Prevention Project

Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition

Cluster Munition Coalition

Center for Civilians in Conflict

Ecumenical Campaign for a Strong and Effective Arms Trade Treaty, World Council of Churches

Fundació per la Pau

Green Cross International

Handicap International

Human Rights Watch

IKV Pax Christi

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

International Campaign to Ban Landmines

International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons

International Committee for Robot Arms Control

International Network on Explosive Weapons

Mines Action Canada

MAG (Mines Advisory Group)

Nobel Women’s Initiative

Norwegian People’s Aid

Oxford Research Group

Peace Boat

Peace Movement Aotearoa

Physicians for Human Rights

Protection

Strategic Concept for Removal of Arms and Proliferation (SCRAP)

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, President, Pugwash Conferences on Science & World Affairs

Links:

Human Rights Watch

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/10/24/nations-should-step-humanitarian-disarmament

4 disarmament

http://www.4disarmament.org/2012/10/23/humanitarian-disarmament-campaigns-summit/

 

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