IPB Statements

Official Documents – General Assembly 2022

From the 14th to the 16th of October 2022 in the city of Ghent (Belgium), the International Peace Bureau (IPB) held its General Assembly. In our triennial meeting, we gathered many of our Board and Council members to discuss the past, present, and future of the organization’s plans and actions. A new Board and Council were elected and we even had the opportunity to award Mr. Hiroshi “Taka” Takakusaki his Seán MacBride Prize (watch the ceremony here).

As the discussions held in our General Assembly and Council meetings are public, we now come to present the documents that were drafted and produced throughout the three days of the event. They represent IPB’s current character and serve to establish and present our organization’s focus and plans.

Continue reading “Official Documents – General Assembly 2022”

Missiles on Poland: Restraint is Vital

IPB supports the statement below, which was issued on 15 November 2022 from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is deeply concerned by reports of a missile explosion in Poland and is appalled that lives have been lost. These most recent developments demand clarity and restraint.  This latest tragic episode in the ongoing  catastrophic war in Ukraine should not, and must not, result in an escalated military response. This is especially important given the heightened nuclear threat. We call on the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to clarify the facts of what took place, and we reiterate our calls for an urgent and peaceful resolution to this conflict. 

Press release: 2022 MacBride Peace Prize recipients

About the Sean MacBride Peace Prize

Every year the International Peace Bureau (IPB) awards a special prize to a person or organization that has done outstanding work for peace, disarmament and/or human rights. These were the principal concerns of Séan MacBride, the distinguished Irish statesman who was Chairman of IPB from 1968-74 and President from 1974-1985. MacBride began his career as a fighter against British colonial rule, studied law and rose to high office in the independent Irish Republic. He was a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 1974.

The Prize is a non-monetary one.

This year the IPB Board has chosen the following three winners of the prize:

Alfredo Lubang (Non-Violence International Southeast Asia)

Asya Maruket & Yurii Sheliazhenko

Hiroshi Takakusaki

Alfredo ‘Fred’ Lubang – as part of Non-Violence International Southeast Asia (NISEA), a Philippines based non-governmental organization working towards peacebuilding, disarmament and non-violence as well as regional peace processes. He holds a Master degree in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies and served on various boards of global disarmament campaigns. As the Regional Representative of NISEA and National Coordinator of the Philippine Campaign to Ban Landmines (PCBL), Fred Lubang is a recognized expert on humanitarian disarmament, peace education and decolonialization of humanitarian engagement for almost three decades. His organization NISEA served on the board of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, the Control Arms Campaign, a member of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a member of the International Network on Explosive Weapons and Stop Killer Robots Campaign as well as a co-convener of the Stop Bombing campaign. Without Fred Lubang’s unflagging work and commitment – especially in the face of ongoing wars – the Philippines would not be the only country that has ratified nearly all humanitarian disarmament treaties today.

Asya Maruket & Yurii Sheliazhenko – two activists from Russia and Ukraine, whose common goal of a peaceful world seems more important today than ever before. Asya is an experienced psychologist and peace builder from Russia, who since 2011 has been active in the fields of human rights, democratic values, peace and non-violence communication aiming at a more peaceful country through cooperation and cultural exchange. She holds a Bachelor degree in Psychology and Philology and is presently working as Coordinator/Project Manager in several women’s empowerment projects. In line with her voluntary positions, Asya has been constantly working towards a safer country for women and other vulnerable society groups. Yurii Sheliazhenko is a male activist from Ukraine, who has worked towards peace, disarmament and human rights for many years and is currently serving as the Executive Secretary of the Ukrainian Pacifist Movement. He is a member of the Board of the European Bureau for Conscientious Objection as well as World BEYOND War and a lecturer and research associate at the Faculty of Law and KROK University in Kyiv. Beyond that, Yurii Sheliazhenko is a journalist and blogger persistently defending human rights. Both Asya Maruket and Yurii Sheliazhenko have raised their voices for peace – showing us what commitment and bravery looks like. 

Hiroshi Takakusaki – for his lifelong dedication to a just peace, the abolition of nuclear weapons and social justice. Hiroshi Takakusaki started his career by serving as a student and international youth movement leader and soon became involved in the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs (Gensuikyo). Working in several positions for Gensuikyo, he provided the vision, strategic thinking and dedication that fuelled Japan’s nationwide nuclear abolition movement, the international campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and Gensuikyo’s yearly World Conference. Regarding the latter, he played a leading role in bringing high-ranking United Nations officials, ambassadors and leading figures from the field of disarmament to participate in the conference. Apart from this, Hiroshi Takakusaki’s care and unstinting support for the Hibakusha as well as his ability to build unity within the social movement demonstrate his subtlety and leadership qualities. After four decades in service to the disarmament and social movements, he is presently the Representative Director of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs.

Please find the PDF version of the press release here.

IPB Statement of Solidarity with Demonstrators in Russia and the People of Ukraine & Russian Petition

The International Peace Bureau stands in solidarity with those who are actively speaking out against the actions of the Russian government in Ukraine and the victims of the aggression. We welcome the peace protests in Moscow and many other cities of Russia.

Continue reading “IPB Statement of Solidarity with Demonstrators in Russia and the People of Ukraine & Russian Petition”

IPB Statement on Ukraine, 24 February 2022

The IPB condemns Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.
The bombardments must be stopped immediately. What is needed is a comprehensive ceasefire, the withdrawal of all troops and a return to the negotiating table.

There is no military solution, only a political solution based on the principles of common security.

IPB Response to the Recent P-5 Statement Released by the White House

We welcome the reiteration of the Reagan-Gorbachev and Biden-Putin statements by the five leading nuclear weapons states that nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Some have expressed the belief that this may contribute to serious nuclear disarmament negotiations and agreements among five of the nine nuclear powers. Such initiatives and agreements would be welcome and contribute to international security and human survival.

At the same time, we note that these same leaders are spending billions to upgrade and in some cases expand  their genocidal nuclear arsenals. They are recklessly engaged in provocative military operations in which  accidents or miscalculations could trigger nuclear holocausts.

We concur with U.N. Secretary General Guterres’ statement that “the only way to eliminate all nuclear risks is to eliminate all nuclear weapons”.. For the sake of humanity’s future, we must do all that we can to eliminate the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons and the climate emergency.

  • We join with our partners in the Peace & Planet international network, in which the International Peace Bureau play a leading role which, following the P-5 statement called for: Immediate fulfillment of their Article VI obligations and past agreements to abolish nuclear weapons by the nuclear-armed states participating in the 2021 NPT Review Conference.
  • Commencement of negotiations between Russia and the U.S. for deep reductions in their nuclear arsenals, to be joined at the earliest possible date by the other nuclear-armed states to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons.
  • A halt in the development and deployment of all new nuclear weapons and delivery systems
  • Significant reduction in spending for nuclear weapons and related systems, including dual use “missile defenses” and hypersonic weapons, and increased spending to address the climate crisis and other urgent human needs through national and international just conversion plans and ambitions.
  • Support, signing and ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
  • An end to nuclear sharing.
  • Pursuit of settlement of conflicts through diplomacy and peaceful means based on the UN Charter and established international law and rules.
  • Negotiations to fulfill the promise of the creation of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction.
  • Common Security diplomacy to reduce military tensions and to create an environment more conducive to nuclear disarmament negotiations.

We recognize that few if any of these steps will be taken without committed action and advocacy by civil society. It is past time to educate, advocate, organize, protest, and survive.

The original P5 statement can be found here.

REPORT ON THE VOLTA REGION DESAG WEBINAR AT OLA GIRLS, HO ON 10TH NOVEMBER, 2021 ON THE TOPIC “THE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS AND ITS IMPACT ON GHANAIAN YOUTH”

VIRTUAL GATHERING AND PHYSICAL ARRIVAL

The event opened with a dance performance by OLA GIRLS cultural troupe depicting the consequences of gun violence on communities.

Opening statement by Juliet

She touched on a host of reasons why it became imperative for such an event to be held at such an opportune time. Among the many things she highlighted include the ever increasing rate of,

  • Spousal killings
  • Ritual murders
  • Chieftaincy Disputes
  • Ethnic and Tribal Clashes
  • Armed Robbery and the general State of insecurity in the country etc.

She ended with a clarion call on all and sundry to join in the fight against the illicit arms trade.

Introduction of IPB its work and growth in Africa by Reiner Braun

He described the role of IPB in advocacy efforts against small arms trade and gun violence around the world. IPB’s role in connecting the different national and sectorial African peace movements together as well as with other regional networks from around the globe has grown and is reflected by the collaborative effort that brought about the current event.

Continue reading “REPORT ON THE VOLTA REGION DESAG WEBINAR AT OLA GIRLS, HO ON 10TH NOVEMBER, 2021 ON THE TOPIC “THE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS AND ITS IMPACT ON GHANAIAN YOUTH””

IPB World Peace Congress: Presentation of the IPB Action Plan 2021-2023

During the last day of the Second IPB World Peace Congress, IPB Co-President, Philip Jennings, presented via Zoom the Action Plan 2021-2023 of the International Peace Bureau. The Action Plan includes a wide range of advocacy activities around several topics such as: Nuclear Weapons, Military expenditure, Common Security and Sustainable Peace.

Download the IPB Action Plan here.

Appeal From Barcelona To The World, To all Peace Movements and Shapers of The Future

Barcelona, 17th October 2021

The world stands at a historically unique crossroads – either the abyss of nuclear, ecological, and social disaster or a common, just, demilitarized and environmentally sustainable future.

14,000 nuclear weapons threaten humanities existence and with heightening tensions between big powers, the danger of their actual use is increasing, while $2 trillion in weapons spending kills each day. With their massive daily death toll, small arms are weapons of mass destruction.

Continue reading “Appeal From Barcelona To The World, To all Peace Movements and Shapers of The Future”