International Peace Bureau

IPB will co-organise two important meetings during the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepComm:

ONE:

Nuclear weapons at what price?
An economic, moral and political assessment

Palais des Nations, Geneva - Monday, 28 April 2008.
Venue: NGO Room near location of main NPT PrepComm
15.00 – 18.00

Speakers
Stephen Schwartz, co-author, Atomic Audit (Brookings Institution, USA)
Marie Dennis, co-President, Pax Christi International
Amb. Abdul Minty, South Africa

Nuclear weapons incur enormous costs. Apart from the destruction of blast, fire and radioactive fallout from actual use in warfare, the weapons impose major financial, moral and political costs on nuclear weapon states and others. According to the Brookings Institution, the overall cost of the US nuclear weapons programme alone from 1945–96 was $5.5 trillion. If this is extrapolated to 2007-8, the figure is over $7 trillion. Figures for other nuclear states are harder to find, but (to take one example) the renewal of the UK's Trident system is likely to cost about £25 billion. CND estimates that 50 more years of UK nuclear weapons could cost up to £115 billion.These are colossal sums to be spent from the public purse, and from an ethical perspective can be regarded as a theft from the poor – both the poor in the US/UK and in the developing world.

The moral and political costs are perhaps more insidious. Willingness to inflict massive destruction on civilian populations (including those not even born) is illegal and undermines every positive human and ethical value. While the use of genocidal weapons threatens humanity, the menace of their existence burdens the international system with mistrust, suspicion, inequality, non-cooperation and a lack of goodwill. Those who have them lose the moral authority to be convincing advocates for international security, human rights and disarmament.

Note: you need to have an NPT or other entry pass to access the UN building during the conference.

Co-sponsored by the International Peace Bureau and the World Council of Churches
Contact: Colin Archer, IPB (secgen@ipb.org - www.ipb.org)
Jonathan Frerichs, WCC (jcf@wcc-coe.org - www.oikoumene.org)

TWO:
May 1 Programme Cover

Good Faith, International Law, and the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons:
The Once and Future Contributions of the International Court of Justice.

Venue:: Warwick Hotel, 14 Rue de Lausanne, Geneva, (opposite the main train station), Thursday 1 May 2008, 10.00 -18.00. Registration at 9.30

Keynote speaker: Judge Mohammed Bedjaoui, President, International Court of Justice, 1994-1997, Algerian Foreign Minister, 2005-2007

With a focus on the theme of good faith, the conference will examine the obligation to achieve the global abolition of nuclear weapons contained in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and rooted in humanitarian and other international law. Academic and practising lawyers, researchers, diplomats, members of civil society, and NGOs will be among the speakers and participants.

Seating is limited. Please register with George Farebrother, World Court Project UK, geowcpuk@gn.apc.org.

Conference co-sponsors: International Peace Bureau; International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms; International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; The Simons Foundation; World Court Project UK; Abolition 2000 Europe; Western States Legal Foundation; International Law Campaign; Lawyers’ Committee on Nuclear Policy; International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility.

For full programme click here.

Statement to the 2nd Session of the Preparatory Committee
for the 2010 NPT Review Conference

Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (GENSUIKYO)
April 2008

The next NPT Review Conference is only within two years. Now that almost 63 years will have passed since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we are deeply concerned that about 26,000 nuclear weapons are still stockpiled or deployed, while we witness the danger of proliferation of nuclear weapons in the world.

For the full statement click here.

INTERNATIONAL VOICES UNITE IN WORLDWIDE DEMONSTRATION
TO BAN CLUSTER BOMBS

PRESS RELEASE
19th April 2008

Global Day of Action against cluster bombs

Exactly one month before a major international negotiation to ban cluster bombs, campaigners in over 50 countries worldwide are calling on governments to deliver a strong treaty with no exemptions, no loopholes and no delays. The Global Day of Action - a series of protests from Azerbaijan to Zambia - is urging governments to ensure the negotiations result in a treaty that will not only ban the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster bombs, but also include support for affected communities and clearance of contaminated land. >> Full Press Release

Money for Women Peacemakers - IFOR/WPP releases annual May 24 package

Fundraising, drawing up budgets, keeping records of expenses, and writing donor reports may not be the most attractive tasks for women peacemakers to spend their energies on, but they are indispensable.

Related to the May 24 celebration in The Hague, IFOR’s WPP has just published, in cooperation with the International Peace Bureau, its annual May 24 package.

This year’s 24 May package hopes to inspire women peacemakers and other women’s rights activist to discuss issues in depth, in their respective fields, such as the costs of war, the benefits of peace, funding, and fundraising. The package contains, among other authors, contributions by Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls, Cindy Clark, Silvi Sterr, Shelley Anderson and Lisette Caubergs.

The May 24 package can be downloaded from http://www.ifor.org/WPP/may24package2008-web.pdf

**24 May: International Women's Day for Peace and Disarmament**
Seminar ‘Money for Women Peacemakers’ in the Hague Including funds market and workshops, organized in cooperation with several Dutch NGOs Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) - 10TH ANNIVERSARY: 1997-2007 Without peace, development is impossible, and without women, neither peace nor development can take place. The Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) empowers women world-wide through gender-sensitive nonviolence training and education. WPP is a program of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR). Founded in 1919, IFOR is an inter-faith movement committed to active nonviolence, with branches and affiliates in 43 countries. IFOR has consultative status at the United Nations (ECOSOC) and has included six Nobel Peace Prize Laureates among its members. International Fellowship of Reconciliation Women Peacemakers Program Spoorstraat 38, 1815 BK Alkmaar The Netherlands / Pays-Bas Tel +31 (0)72 512 3014 Fax +31 (0)72 515 1102 m.vanbeek@ifor.org www.ifor.org/WPP

'Books or Bombs?' IPB SEMINAR - ALEXANDRIA, NOV. 2007
First set of papers now available

Alexandria Brochure Cover Page Once again I would like to thank all our colleagues at the IPS for their efficient and friendly collaboration, notably Amb. Aly Maher, Prof. Azza M. H El-Kholy and Ms. Shahinaz Elhennawi, as well as our principal funders, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, and Rissho Kosei-Kai (Japan). The first set of papers of the seminar organised by IPB, together with the Institute of Peace Studies at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina is now available. Please find below:

>> A selection of the speeches and presentations made at the seminar (English only). CLICK HERE FOR CHART.

>> List of participants FORTHCOMING together with the definitive seminar programme.

>> A booklet published in English and Arabic editions summarising the proceedings Available HERE.

>> A highly-recommended gallery of photographs, taken both at the seminar and also around the historic city of Alexandria, is available at: picasaweb.google.com/aurel.romania. For this our special thanks go to our photographer Aurel Duta (Romania).

We would be grateful if you could draw the attention of your colleagues to these materials – both those who were able to participate in the event and those who could not. The seminar papers cover a wide range of topics and constitute a fascinating collection of material, which we hope will be of practical use in developing our worldwide work for peace and sustainable development.

Colin Archer, IPB Secretary General

90th BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
TO GORAN VON BONSDORFF!

Bonsdorff with Magnusson