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'Scrap all nukes or risk global disaster' - MEPs

31st May 2005

MPs speak out after UN disarmament talks grind to a halt

GREEN Euro-MP Caroline Lucas joined MPs from around the world in a call for the total elimination of all nuclear weapons as a UN nuclear disarmament conference in New York collapsed without agreement.

Dr Lucas, MEP for South-East England and Vice-President of the European Parliament's Peace Initiatives Intergroup as well as a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament's National Council, signed a joint statement issued by the Parliamentary Network for Nuclear Disarmament and backed by Mayors and national MPs from around the world, which observed:

"We have a role to protect the security of citizens living within our jurisdictions and to protect our localities for future generations. Such security is not advanced when there remain 30,000 nuclear weapons deployed and ready for use.

"The risk of nuclear weapons use - by accident, design or miscalculation - is increasing due to the proliferation of nuclear weapons to new States, the possibility of non-State access to nuclear weapons and bomb-building materials, and the expanded nuclear weapons use doctrines of the nuclear weapon states."

The statement was sent to world leaders taking part in UN talks in New York discussing the progress of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which commits all 'official' nuclear states to reduce the size of their nuclear arsenals, and all signatory 'non-nuclear' states to refrain from seeking or acquiring nuclear weapons. The talks ended on Friday without further commitments to disable any nuclear weapons.

The statement warned the global economic, social and medical repercussions of any nuclear weapon use - accidental or deliberate - would dwarf those of 9/11. A nuclear strike anywhere in the world could cause unimaginable devastation requiring massive international aid, clean-up and refugee management efforts.

Dr Lucas, whose political career began as a peace activist campaigning against nuclear weapons, added: "The only way to prevent nuclear weapons use is to eliminate all nuclear weapons, as required by the Non-Proliferation Treaty and in line with the 1996 World Court ruling that nuclear weapon use in conflict would breach international law.

"I am delighted to sign this statement and give my unequivocal backing to the 'Mayors for Peace' vision for the achievement of a nuclear weapons free world by 2020."