Geneva, Nov. 7, 2008. - Last week six major powers agreed to draft a third UN Security Council resolution on sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme. Officials from the US, Russia, China, France, Britain and Germany will meet on 19 November to assess UN and EU reports. Meanwhile, there are continuing rumours and warlike gestures, threatening strikes against Iran, and this against the background of revived international tensions and a re-launching of the arms race. These developments are causing grave concern around the world.

Yes, we must prevent new countries acquiring nuclear weapons. To reach that goal, states that already possess nuclear weapons themselves must renounce their claim that these weapons are indispensable

for their security, and commit themselves to making real progress towards nuclear disarmament, as they are legally bound to do by international treaties. This is a matter of justice and respect for international law. It is also a question of the survival of humanity, since weapons always end up being used.

In the case of Iran, the heavy-handed attitude demonstrated by the US and some of its allies like the UK and France, risks pushing the world into a spiral of horror. The negotiations that have recently had some positive results should be the only option; they have shown their effectiveness in the North Korean case. Also, the Iranian people must be convinced that they are safe from attack, contrary to what the partisans of the clash of civilizations and those who favour a confrontation at any price might say. The whole region of the Middle East must commit itself to disarmament. The end of the occupation of Iraq, and the resolution of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, will help to ease the tensions felt by the peoples of this region who have suffered so much from war.

The IPB, conscious that humankind has reached a critical point in relation to nuclear proliferation, appeals to the peoples of the world to act now to relaunch the disarmament process. Not only is the survival of mankind at stake; disarmament could free up enormous resources that could be used to respond to the challenges of development, the environment, education and health - the essential building blocks of sustainable peace.