Please Support New Agenda Coalition at NPT Conference in UN

[John Hallam <nonukes at foesyd.org.au>]

John Hallam
Friends of the Earth Sydney,
17 Lord Street, Newtown, NSW, Australia, 2042
Fax (61)(2)9517-3902  ph (61)(2)9517-3903
nonukes at foesyd.org.au
http://homepages.tig.com.au/~foesyd

Dear All who recieve this email,

As you may be aware both from emails from me and from the media, the
Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is being discussed right now at
United Nations headquarters in New York.

The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) is a kind of 'bargain' or 'deal'
between the nuclear weapon states,  signed in 1968 and in force since 1970,
whereby the nuclear weapon states agreed to work to get rid of their
nuclear weapons 'at an early date' and everybody else agreed not to get any
of them.

Article VI of the NPT obliges the nuclear weapon states to negotiate to
eliminate their nuclear arsenals.

The 'New Agenda Coalition' is a group of countries (New Zealand, Ireland,
Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Egypt, South Africa), who have a commonsense
program aimed at pushing the nuclear weapons states to fulfil their legal
obligations under the NPT.

They ask the nuclear weapon states to:
--Make an unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the total elimination of
their nuclear arsenals and to engage in an acellerated process of
negotiation  taking steps to nuclear disarmament in the coming five years

--They ask the US and Russia to implement START-II and immediately commence
negotiation in START-III

--They want all five nuclear weapon states to be integrated into the
process of elimination of their nuclear arsenals.

Interim steps include taking nuclear weapons off hairtrigger alert, 'no
first use' guarantees,  reduction and elimination of tactical nuclear
weapons, and other commonsense measures.

All governments should support this program.

It is vital that governments over the next weeks (From April 24-May19th)
recieve as many faxes and letters as possible, asking them to support the
New Agenda Coalition's program during the NPT Review.

That could make the difference between whether our world moves toward more
and more nuclear weapons, or toward the elimination of these devices of
omnicide.

Felicity Hill of the Womens International League for Peace and Freedom has
published an appeal to the whole world to support the New Agenda
Coalition's efforts.  There's just a month to do this. (text at end, please
read it)

Do please write your foreign minister and if possible your UN mission at
the fax number below.

If your government is not part of the New Agenda Coalition, ask them to
join it, or to actively support its aims. If your government is a member of
the New Agenda Coalition, let them know (no matter what other faults that
government may have), that you support them.  Ask them to redouble their
efforts, and congratulate them on what they have already done.

If your government is a nuclear weapons state (US, Russia, france, China,
UK, India, Pak, Israel), ask them to do what the New Agenda Coalition want
them to do.

It really will make a difference as to whether we move to eliminate nuclear
weapons, or down the slippery slope to....

Do it now.

The original appeal sent by Felicity Hill of the Womens international
League for peace and freedom is after these fax numbers. I urge you to read
it and use its points.

BELOW IS HOW TO FAX, FAX NUMBERS.  NEXT THE ORIGINAL APPEAL.

FAX NUMBERS OF SOME FOREIGN MINISTERS

A URL where the fax numbers of every head of state and foreign minister in
the world is listed plus lots of information is this:
Http://www.abolition2000.org.

(Another URL that has the fax numbers of heads of state, foreign ministers
and UN missions and also has lots of information on the NPT Review is:
Http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org )

Some of the relevant fax numbers are listed below. If your country is not
on this list, you can find your foreign minister or head of state on one of
the two URLs above.
(The + in front stands for whatever your countrys ISD access code may be.
You only really need it if you are faxing some other country. I hope
however, that  people may like not only to fax their own foreign minister
but also those of Russia and the US.)

Some of these numbers may have changed. If any of them don't work, let me
know at <nonukes at foesyd.org.au>  and check the number on the URL or with
your own telephone system.

If you are in the US, President Clintons fax number is 1-202-456-2461
The US United Nations mission is on  Fax. + 1 212 415 4443

If you are in Russia, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's fax number is
+7-095-244-3276 or +7-095-244-2203. (You need to be persistent with these
numbers)
The general Kremlin fax number is +7-095-205-4330. (This is the slowest fax
in the universe)
Russia's UN mission is on 1-212-628-0252

If you are in France, your foreign ministers fax number is +33-1-45-51-60-12,
Jacques Chirac's fax number is +33-1-47-42-24-65.
France's UN mission is at: Fax. + 1 212 421 6889

If you are in the UK, Tony Blairs fax number is +44-171-925-0918.
The Foreign Minister, Robin Cook's fax number is:  +44-171-270-2144
The United Nations mission is on Fax. + 1 212 745 9316

If you are in Germany, the Chancellors fax number is: +49-228-56-2357,  or
+49-30-4000-2357
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischers number is any of these: 49-228-168-6662,
49-30-20186-252,
+49-228-1734-02, +49-30-201-8619-24
The German UN mission is on: Fax +1 212 940 0402

Here are the fax numbers of some foreign ministers and UN missions:
If you are in Canada, your foreign ministers fax number is: +1-613-996-3546.
Canada, UN Mission -Fax.+ 1 212 848 1195
If you are in Japan, you need to fax +81-3-3581-9675 UN Mission -  Fax. +1
212 751 1966
If you are in Italy please fax 39-6-628-6210, or 39-6-3222-850 or
39-6-3222-734
Italy UN Mission - Fax. +1 212 486 1036
If you are in Hungary, please fax your foreign minister on +36-1-356-3801
If you are in Korea, try  your minister of foreign affairs on
+82-2-724-8291, +82-2-739-5370
If you are in Brazil, your foreign ministers fax should be +55-61-226-1762
Brazil UN Mission - Fax.+ 1 212 371 5716 or + 1 212 758 9242
If you are in Mexico, try +52-6-782-4109
If you are in Greece try 30-1-645-0094 (or 0095)
If you are in Thailand, try +66-2-225-6155, or 66-2-226-1374

BELOW IS THE ORIGINAL APPEAL BY FELICITY HILL, DIRECTOR OF THE WILPF - UN
OFFICE.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ALL NETWORKS

Dear Colleagues,

One month is a long time in politics.

The nuclear disarmament movement has been given one month to support the
activities of the New Agenda Coalition at the Non Proliferation Treaty
Review Conference April 24 - May 19, 2000.

As you know, the New Agenda Coalition is a post Cold War grouping of states
that have proposed a practical, reasonable, achievable programme for
nuclear disarmament since 1998.  Building on the language contained in
treaties, legal opinions and consensus language developed over the 55 year
dialogue on nuclear weapons through the UN system, the New Agenda Coalition
have presented a brief four page programme of action to the NPT Review
Conference called WORKING DOCUMENT ON NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT.

Although this forward looking action plan does not go as far as many in the
NGO community may, when advocating abolition, the ideas contained in the
New Agenda Coalitions Working Document are something that we can all agree
are the obvious first steps to the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons.
Think of it as a platform of consensus rather than a compromise.

Pressure placed on governments NOW to support this realistic and doable
programme, WILL MAKE AN IMPACT on this four-week meeting of 187
governments.  You are urged to make a concerted effort at this critical
time of international political tension wherein treaty regimes are
weakening and a new arms race is brewing.

o  Please send letters and visit your elected representatives
o  Please send letters and visit your departments of Foreign Affairs and
Defence
o  Please send letters to the editor
o  Please create press releases and direct actions around this opportunity

Following you will find:
* Some points to use in your letters, lobbying and press work

Lobbying Points

o  The Working Document on Nuclear Disarmament was presented on Monday 24
by Mexican Foreign Minister Rosario Green at the United Nations.  Mexico is
speaking on behalf of the New Agenda Coalition at the nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty Review conference.

o  Taking place every five years, these Review Conferences bring together
187 governments to discuss the most widely supported disarmament treaty
ever, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT, which became international law
in 1970.

o  The five Nuclear Weapon States have signed the NPT and in doing so, they
committed to getting rid of their nuclear weapon under Article 6.  "Each of
the Parties to the Treaty undertakes to pursue negotiations in good faith
on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an
early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and
complete disarmament under strict and effective international control."

o  The New Agenda Coalition is made up of Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico,
New Zealand, South Africa and Sweden.  Their resolution at last years
General Assembly adopted on December 1, 1999 was co-sponsored by 60 states
and enjoyed the support of 111 countries.

o A precise understanding of the fact that nuclear disarmament is a
complicated process that will not happen overnight informs the forward
looking plan of action crated by New Agenda Coalition which is doable,
practical and reasonable and realistic.

o  If your government has any resistance to the following measures
identified by the NAC for the implementation of the NPT, ask them
specifically what points could possibly object to in the following:

1.   the five nuclear-weapon States make an unequivocal undertaking to
accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals, and engage in
an accelerated process of negotiation, taking steps leading to nuclear
disarmament in the coming five year period;

2.  the USA and the Russian Federation undertake to fully implement START
II and begin negotiations on START III;

3. all five nuclear weapon-states are integrated into the process leading
to the total elimination of their nuclear weapons.

Six interim steps were identified:

1.  an adaptation of policy and posture to preclude the use of nuclear
weapons;
2. de-alerting;
3. the reduction of tactical nuclear weapons towards their elimination;
4. a demonstration of greater transparency regarding arsenals and fissile
materials;
5. further development of the Trilateral Initiative; and
6. the application of the principle of irreversibility in all nuclear
disarmament, arms reduction and arms control measures.
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Felicity Hill, Director
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
United Nations Office
777 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA

Ph:  1 212 682 1265
Fax: 1 212 286 8211
email: flick at igc.apc.org
web: www.wilpf.int.ch  www.reachingcriticalwill.org

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