Statement: Disarmament for Sustainable Human Development

Federico Mayor Zaragoza31 August 2016 – Former Director-General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, now President of the Fundación Cultura de Paz, has launched an excellent new initiative Disarmament for sustainable human development:

It is morally unacceptable that every day over 20,000 people die of hunger while close to5 billion dollars are invested in military expenditures and armament. A judicious reduction of these enormous and disproportionate figures would be enough to quickly and substantially increase endogenous, sustainable and human development worldwide….. SIGN-ON STATEMENT

People’s Tribunal on nuclear weapons convicts leaders, builds on World Court Project legacy

In 1992 IPB organised the launch in Geneva of the World Court Project, a worldwide peace movement effort to bring the issue of the legal status of nuclear weapons to the International Court of Justice. The WCP itself built on the work of our former President Sean MacBride, who promoted the London Nuclear Warfare Tribunal (1985) and the Lawyers Appeal on the Illegality of Nuclear Weapons (1992). Following a General Assembly resolution, the initiative was successful and the Court delivered its verdict in July 1996, just over 20 years ago. Much has happened since then.

We are delighted to see the outcome of the International Peoples’ Tribunal on Nuclear Weapons and the Destruction of Human Civilisation, which develops further the work done by MacBride and our colleagues in IALANA and other organisations. We were sad to learn of the death of Prof. Peter King (photo) following the Tribunal hearings.

High level statements – Hiroshima and nagasaki 71st anniversary

71 years ago, nuclear bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing and injuring more than 100.000 persons. Nowadays, there are approximately 15:000 nuclear bombs worldwide. Survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Hibakusha, still stand up to ask for the end of the nuclear race and the creation of a safer world. For this 71st anniversary, Hiroshima and nagasaki mayors joined the worldwide anti-nuclear movement to appeal governments and the international community to react and fight the nuclear threat. Continue reading “High level statements – Hiroshima and nagasaki 71st anniversary”