IPB Statements – IPB – International Peace Bureau

Civil Society Statement on Calling for the Commencement of Preparations for the UN’s Fourth Special Session on Disarmament

UNGA First Committee on Disarmament and International Security Delivered by Rafi Chowdhury, International Peace Bureau

Chairperson, distinguished delegates,

I present this statement on behalf of 175 civil society representatives and a coalition of organizations from around the world. We urge all member states to activate the UN General Assembly mechanism of Special Sessions on Disarmament without further procrastination, as per the recommendations of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Action 26(a) of the Pact for the Future.

Nobel Peace Prize 2024 Award to Nihon Hidankyo and the Fight Against Nuclear Weapons

Statement by Alain ROUY, National Secretary of the “Mouvement de la Paix” (France), Vice-President of the International Peace Bureau

The award of the Nobel Peace Prize 2024 to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo is a well-deserved reward for the hibakushas who have been warning against the use of nuclear weapons for decades.

We are living at a crucial moment when some are considering the use of nuclear weapons in ongoing conflicts, and when the nuclear powers are engaged in “modernizing” and increasing their nuclear arsenals.

This is particularly true of France, which is preparing to double its spending on nuclear weapons (7 billion euros in 2025, compared with 3.5 billion in 2017), with the terrifying goal of spending 100 billion in 15 years on nuclear weapons.

We have to say no to this infernal arms race and develop international mobilizations for the elimination of nuclear weapons. In France, we are asking our government to take into consideration the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force on January 22, 2021 and has already been signed by 94 countries and ratified by 73. France must take its turn in this process, first by participating as an observer in the meetings of the States Parties to the TIAN, to join it.

Following on the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the international ICAN campaign, the Nobel Prize 2024 is a powerful encouragement and support for all those fighting for a world finally free of nuclear weapons.

Déclaration de Alain ROUY, secrétaire national du “Mouvement de la Paix” (France), vice-président du Bureau International de la Paix

L’attribution du Prix Nobel de la Paix 2024 à l’organisation japonaise Nihon Hidankyo est une récompense méritée pour les hibakushas qui par leur témoignage mettent en garde depuis des décennies contre l’usage des armes nucléaires.

Nous vivons un moment crucial où certains envisagent l’utilisation des armes nucléaires dans les conflits en cours et où les puissances nucléaires sont engagées dans la “modernisation” et l’augmentation de leurs arsenaux nucléaires.

C’est en particulier le cas de la France qui s’apprête à doubler ses dépenses consacrées aux armes nucléaires ( 7 milliards d’euros en 2025 contre 3,5 milliards en 2017), avec l’objectif terrifiant de dépenser 100 milliards en 15 ans pour les armes nucléaires.

Il faut dire non à cette course infernale aux armements et développer les mobilisations internationales pour l’élimination des armes nucléaires. En France, nous demandons à notre gouvernement de prendre en considération le Traité sur l’Interdiction des Armes Nucléaires (TIAN)entré en vigueur le 22 janvier 2021 et déjà signé par 94 Etats et ratifié par 73. La France doit s’engager à son tour dans ce processus, d’abord en participant comme observateur aux réunions des Etats-parties au TIAN, avec l’objectif de le rejoindre.

Après le prix Nobel de la Paix de 2017 attribué à la campagne internationale ICAN, le Prix Nobel 2024constitue une aide et un puissant encouragement pour tous ceux qui luttent pour un monde enfin débarrassé des armes nucléaires.

Statement by Alain ROUY, National Secretary of the “Mouvement de la Paix” (France), Vice-President of the International Peace Bureau Download

Nihon Hidankyo is also an organizational member of the International Peace Bureau. The Hibakushas deserve this award, and it is about time to recognize their efforts and the legacy they live for — never again, no to nuclear weapons and yes to peace.

PRESS RELEASE: Climate and Peace Groups Join Togetherin First Global Week of Action

Berlin, September 21st, 2024

Peace and climate movements are taking action together in the first Global Week of Action for Peace and Climate Justice to highlight the connections between their causes.

The week runs from 21-28 September, with more than 50 events planned across five continents, in countries including Australia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Germany, Malawi, Mexico, India, the Netherlands, Sweden, the UK and the USA, as well as many online.

The week of action aims to raise awareness of the links between war, militarism, and climate injustice, such as the following:

The world’s wealthiest countries have repeatedly failed to provide $100bn in promised climate finance to help countries adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate breakdown. Meanwhile, in 2023 global military spending increased for the ninth year running to $2443bn.
Experts estimate that the world’s militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If the world’s militaries were a country, they would have the fourth largest carbon footprint: higher than that of Russia. But militaries are excluded from current climate agreements, so face no accountability for their pollution.

The week also aims to build bridges between peace and climate justice movements, and to build momentum behind the demand to ‘divest from war – invest in climate justice!’

In New York City, there will be events to coincide with the UN Summit of the Future. The Japan-based international NGO Peace Boat will carry out workshops and actions in Tokyo and in the Atlantic Ocean as part of its global voyage for peace. In Mexico, students will create a list of demands directed to the Mexican Congress, asking them to divest funds from the armed forces and reinvest them in environmental public policies. In the UK, vigils will be held in London, Taunton and Bath.

IPB Condemns Escalation and Calls for Immediate Ceasefire Following Targeted Killings in West Asia

31 July 2024, Germany

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) expresses deep concern over the recent targeted killings in West Asia, including the deaths of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah’s top military commander, Fuad Shukur, in Beirut. These actions are a violation of international law and pose a serious risk of escalating the conflict to a regional level. Such escalations not only endanger regional stability but also have global consequences, as they increase the risk of a wider conflict that could involve the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), leading to catastrophic outcomes worldwide.

These attacks have severely set back efforts towards achieving a ceasefire and a long-term resolution to the conflict, including the return of Israeli hostages. The timing and nature of these actions suggest a deliberate attempt to undermine diplomatic efforts, prolonging the suffering of civilians and obstructing peace processes.

Recent statements by Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and various international responses underscore the fragile state of affairs. IPB urges all stakeholders, including regional and global powers, to work towards a peaceful resolution and avoid actions that could lead to uncontrollable escalation.

IPB emphasizes the critical importance of using diplomatic channels to de-escalate the situation. Resorting to violence only exacerbates the suffering of innocent civilians and brings the region closer to widespread conflict. We call on all states and non-state actors, both within the region and those with direct or indirect involvement, to prioritize peace and stability, respecting international law principles.

We urgently call for a ceasefire and comprehensive negotiations that address the root causes of the longstanding conflict, cycle of violence, and oppression in Palestine and Israel, and throughout West Asia. Long-term peace can only be achieved through dialogue, mutual understanding, and trust-building, ensuring the common security and dignity of all people involved.

C7 Policy Recommendations: Peace, Common Security and Nuclear Disarmament

By: International Peace Bureau and Italian Network for Peace and Disarmament

CONTEXT: CHALLENGES TO ADDRESS

On May 19, 2023, following G7 leaders’ Hiroshima Vision on Nuclear Disarmament proclaimed a “commitment to achieving a world without nuclear weapons with undiminished security for all.” As anxieties over global crises continue to grow, the pursuit of undiminished common or collective security has never been so necessary.

IPB Statement on Recent Escalation in West Asia

18 April 2024, Germany

The International Peace Bureau (IPB) is deeply concerned over the continued escalation and open violation of international law in West Asia. Both the Israeli attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria and Iran’s launching of missiles and drones from its own soil toward Israel represent blatant attempts to exacerbate tensions and expand direct confrontation to a regional scale. We unequivocally condemn these actions and demand that all states involved, both directly and indirectly, reject any further military responses and make use of diplomatic channels for immediate de-escalation.

We reiterate the complex and prolonged nature of regional conflicts in West Asia and underline that any attempt to solve these disputes through military action risks throwing not only the region into direct and deadly conflict, but also states outside the region. Any such war would result in immeasurable death and suffering of innocent people and an acute risk of nuclear weapons use which would put the entire planet at risk. States in the region must recognize that they cannot choose their neighbors and must instead work toward a policy of common security for all in the region.

Long-term solutions for peace in the region are only possible in a climate of peace when the active violence of Israel’s assault on Gaza and ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people has stopped. We therefore reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations in Gaza that create the necessary space for discussions on long-term solutions that preserve the humanity and underline the need for common security of all Palestinians, Israelis, and peoples of the region.

C7 Statement to the G7 Foreign Ministers

14 April 2024. Ahead of the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Capri, 17-19 April 2024, we, the C7 (Civil7), issue a statement with our recommendations to call on the G7 Foreign Ministers to take concrete actions to promote human rights and the common interests of humanity and the planet for a more peaceful, just and secure future.

Please refer to the statement (PDF) from here.

War Costs Us The Earth · GDAMS Statement 2024

War Costs Us The Earth · GDAMS Statement 2024

Disarmament now to save people and planet

Humanity is at a crossroads where political decisions on defence budgets will determine the trajectory of the multiple crises in which we are immersed.

Wars and armed conflicts are devastating whole regions of the world. Global military spending has increased by 19 percent between 2013 and 2022 according to SIPRI figures, and has risen every year since 2015. Yet, from Gaza to Ukraine, the DRC, Sudan, Myanmar, or Manipur, this has done nothing to resolve persistent conflicts nor reduce global tensions. Instead, increased military expenditure and intensifying militarism have only increased the volatility of global peace and cooperation. Rising temperatures are modifying climatic patterns in a profound and extreme way. Millions of people are already experiencing the disastrous consequences of climate change and environmental degradation, amplified further by violent conflict. We must act now.These fluctuating weather and climatic patterns have direct repercussions on whether territories can remain habitable as well as on the future of decent and sustainable living conditions for all.

DECLARATION SUPPORTING THE CREATION OF MINISTRIES AND INFRASTRUCTURES OF PEACE

Through this Declaration, the International Peace Bureau (IPB), an international Non-Governmental Organization,

MANIFESTS its firm support for the creation and maintenance of Ministries of Peace and Peace Infrastructures that are organized and developed in the Latin American region and internationally with the objective of generating a peaceful, supportive and harmonious culture incorporated in sustainable and lasting way to the lives of people.

More specifically, convinced of the relevance and urgency of said government structure in the current Colombian reality and taking into account its long history of violence and armed conflict that has bled the country for more than 50 years, we adhere to the project to create the Ministry of Peace in Colombia, which will be presented by representatives of the Global Alliance for Ministries & Infrastructures for Peace -GAMIP -in Bogotá, on November 9, 2023 in the format of a Public Hearing at the Congress of the Republic.

The planification of a Ministry of Peace and the development of Peace Infrastructures in Colombia, in all the countries of the Latin American continent and the world, means an unprecedented political and strategic challenge, enabling two simultaneous processes of extraordinary importance and impact on the future of the history of the region.

Read the full Declaration here:

Carta-apoyando-al-MPC_in-English_IPB Download

2023 Seán MacBride Peace Prize for the Three Conscientious Objectors Organization: Our House, Movement of Conscientious Objectors and Ukrainian Pacifist Movement; and peace advocate Tore Nærland

The winners of the 2023 Seán MacBride Peace Prize are champions of the right to conscientious objection, represented by a joint prize for three remarkable movements, and an individual peace advocate. At the heart of this esteemed award are three remarkable movements that have not only made significant strides in advocating for the right to conscientious objection but have also symbolized the enduring spirit of peace in the face of adversity. These awardees include “Our House” from Belarus, the “Movement of Conscientious Objectors”from Russia, the “Ukrainian Pacifist Movement” from Ukraine, and Tore Nærland, a passionate advocate for peace through his initiative, “Bike for Peace.”

Ukraine and Russia have been entangled in a complex and protracted conflict that has left scars on the hearts and souls of countless individuals and communities. This conflict, marked by territorial disputes, political turmoil, and humanitarian crises, has exacted a heavy toll, with civilians often caught in the crossfire and subjected to unimaginable suffering. It is in this context that the 2023 Seán MacBride Peace Prize recognizes the exceptional efforts of those who have chosen the path of peace and conscientious objection.

The first award is a shared prize for Our House, the Movement of Conscientious Objectors in Russia, and the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement.

Our House (https://news.house/), a Belarusian civil society organization registered in Vilnius since 2014, is dedicated to defending human rights, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups, such as women and children. They also support Belarusian and Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania and other EU countries. Founded two decades ago as a small initiative, Our House is now active in 15 Lithuanian cities. Their current campaigns, “NO means NO” and “Non-Children Play,” aim to help Belarusian conscientious objectors, prevent children from being taken from their families for economic and political reasons, and respond to Belarusian army service issues.

In Russia, Movement of Conscientious Objectors (MCO) or Движение Сознательных Отказчиков, Russia (https://stoparmy.org/), a non-profit organization established in 2014, aids young individuals in legally avoiding conscription into the military. MCO offers guidance, resources, and collects conscription-related information. The right to conscientious objection to military service is a fundamental component of the freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, as enshrined in Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This right remains inviolable even during public emergencies, as stipulated in Article 4(2) of the ICCPR. Conscientious objection actively contributes to peace, making the protection and promotion of this human right more vital during wartime.

Despite being labeled as Foreign Agents and facing increased threats, the Russian Movement of Conscientious Objectors unwaveringly supports those opposing war and military mobilization, especially individuals subjected to persecution, torture, and imprisonment. Their commitment extends to all cases of forced and even violent recruitment into participating armies, as well as the persecution of conscientious objectors, deserters, and non-violent anti-war protesters.

The “Ukrainian Pacifist Movement” (http://pacifism.org.ua/) from Ukraine established in 2019 by activists involved in peaceful protests against conscription in Kyiv, is a non-governmental, non-profit, and nonpartisan organization. Its mission revolves around promoting the right to peace, disarmament, conscription abolition, nonviolent conflict resolution, and civilian oversight of military affairs. The organization primarily focuses on advocating for the legal right to conscientious objection in accordance with international human rights standards, supporting the right to refuse participation in war, ending the conflict in Ukraine, and striving for global peace. The Ukrainian Pacifist Movement is an active participant in various international networks, including the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection, World BEYOND War, War Resisters’ International, International Peace Bureau, and the Eastern European Network for Citizenship Education.

The second award is for Tore Nærland, an individual advocate for peace through his initiative “Bike for Peace,” embodies the transformative power of personal dedication to peace. Through his tireless efforts and determination, he has inspired countless individuals to embrace the idea that peace can be pursued actively, one pedal stroke at a time. His commitment to spreading a message of peace and understanding transcends national boundaries and resonates with people from all walks of life.

In honoring these remarkable recipients, the 2023 Seán MacBride Peace Prize acknowledges the enduring importance of the right to conscientious objection and individual efforts to promote peace in the times that peace is being challenged. Their collective work reminds us that peace is not merely the absence of war, but a deliberate and courageous choice that can shape a better future for us all.

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