On the 20th of March, The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a global organisation of most of the world’s parliaments, adopted a landmark resolution Toward a Nuclear Weapon Free World: The Contribution of Parliaments.
The resolution calls on parliaments to “work with their governments on eliminating the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines” and to “urge their governments to start negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention or package of agreements to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world”.
The Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND) Network, co-founded and coordinated by Alyn Ware (2009 RLA Recipient), was part of the preliminary consultations.
Alyn Ware welcomed the initiative by explaining: “This resolution demonstrates the growing understanding by parliamentarians that their responsibilities extend beyond those of their political parties and national positions to a shared obligation to the global common good and the security of future generations. Parliamentarians from non-nuclear countries, nuclear-armed countries and countries under extended nuclear deterrence doctrines came together to challenge governments to emerge from behind their complacency or cloaks of nuclear deterrence, and to act resolutely to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world”.
More information in the IPU press release.
