DISARMAMENT AND SECURITY ..

An article from Artistes pour la Paix

The 1st Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions is wrapping up in Dubrovnik, Croatia. For the most part, this meeting has been full of good news. Colombia ratified the Convention, Cuba issued a surprise announcement that it is working towards joining the treaty as well and a number of states announced that they have finished destroying their stockpiled cluster munitions. These successes show that the treaty is working and the norm against cluster munitions is growing.

Amidst all this success, Canada joined the United Kingdom and Australia in an attempt to weaken the norm against cluster munitions by objecting to the Dubrovnik Declaration‘s condemnation of all use of cluster munitions. For these three states, the idea that they would have to condemn all use of cluster munitions was not acceptable despite being states parties to a treaty banning cluster munitions. Mines Action Canada staff and campaigners from around the world in partnership with friendly governments lobbied hard for the declaration to stay strong. In the high level discussion state after state took the floor in support of a strong declaration condemning all use of cluster munitions.

Again and again states passionately defended the Declaration as it was and to reaffirm that any use of cluster munitions by any actor was unacceptable. In the end, the Declaration was adopted without amendment. We were thrilled to see our hard work pay off. The norm against use remains strong and so does the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

We were able to prevent Canada, the UK and Australia from weakening the declaration this time but we need your support to ensure that we will be ready next time someone threatens the norm against these inhumane weapons.

Mines Action Canada [info@minesactioncanada.org] would appreciate your support

Their site contains the following crucial information:

151 financial institutions worldwide invested US$27 billion [27 milliards de $!] in companies producing cluster munitions from 2011 to 2014, according to a report launched by Dutch peace organization PAX. The report, “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility,” details the scale of investment in companies producing this banned weapon by banks, pension funds and other financial institutions around the world. Two Canadian financial institutions were singled out for their investment in cluster munition production in the report’s Hall of Shame.

While Canada and the majority of states have banned cluster munitions due to the humanitarian risk to civilian populations, production of the weapon continues in a limited number of countries yet to join the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.

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Can cluster bombs be abolished?

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“Cluster munitions are currently killing civilians in Syria and eastern Ukraine and they continue to claim lives in Laos fifty years after they were used. Yet financial institutions have invested US$27 billion—more than twice the GDP of Laos—in producers of this inhumane weapon. Canada has banned cluster munitions and during the lengthy discussions about the legislation government officials and parliamentarians frequently stated that investment in cluster munition producers is in fact considered aiding in their production and is illegal,” said Paul Hannon, Executive Director.

The new report from PAX shows which financial institutions have invested in cluster munition producers between June 2011 and September 2014. The report’s “Hall of Shame” shows the majority of investments come from financial institutions in states that have not yet joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Yet financial institutions from countries like Canada that have joined the treaty are also still involved.

Royal Bank of Canada and Sun Life Financial appear on the “Hall of Shame” list for their investments in cluster munition producers. These investments are falling foul of the treaty’s prohibition on assistance in the production of the weapon and of the recently passed legislation implementing the Convention in Canada which criminalizes aiding and abetting cluster munition production.

“Cluster munitions are banned by international law; a majority of the countries in the world has recognised that this weapon is unacceptable. And yet cluster munition producers are still able to fund their activities. Financial institutions should introduce robust policies to ensure they are not supporting companies involved in the production of this banned weapon,” said Suzanne Oosterwijk, co-author of the PAX report.

While the number of financial institutions investing in companies producing cluster munitions remains high, the report shows an increase in financial institutions with policies to prohibit this practice. Seventy-six financial institutions are listed in the 2014 report as having cluster munition policies in place.

Recent use of cluster munitions in Syria and eastern Ukraine further demonstrates the urgent need to eradicate this weapon. Last month Cluster Munition Coalition member Human Rights Watch documented widespread use of cluster munitions in eastern Ukraine, in fighting between government forces and pro-Russian rebels. In Syria, civilians account for 97% of recorded deaths where cluster munitions have been used over the past two and a half years.

This report follows a similar report released by PAX on investment in nuclear weapons. The Don’t Bank on the Bomb report found that numerous Canadian financial institutions are investing in nuclear weapons production [La Financière Sun Life en tête]. Mines Action Canada calls on all Canadian financial institutions to adopt strong policies prohibiting investment in banned and indiscriminate weapons.

(Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article)

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

An article from the International Cities of Peace

International Day of Peace, September 21st of each year, was created by a United Nations Resolution in the 1980s and has grown to become a day of global celebration, education, and reflection on peace in local communities and throughout the world. During Peace Week, Sept. 15-21, families, friends, organizations, as well as cities, towns, and villages across the world gather and break bread together in a Global Feast for Peace.

ADD YOUR CITY TO THE MAP OF CITIES HAVING A FEAST FOR PEACE!

Sharing food together in celebration of friendship and common interest is a tradition as old as the human family. The Global Feast for Peace is part of the U.N. sponsored International Day of Peace, celebrated around the world on September 21st each year. Whether it’s a small family celebration or a large community gathering, the Feast for Peace is a simple and profound expression of peace that everyone, no matter how humble or blessed their circumstances, can connect with and enliven the global celebration. Feast for peace!

Who can participate?

• Families, neighborhoods, communities, and cities
• Organizations, including faith-based, interfaith and secular
• Businesses, both for-profit and not-for-profit
• Schools from nursery schools to higher education
• Anyone who wishes to express their wish for peace

What to do?

Join together during International Day of Peace or during Peace Week. The gathering can be a formal lunch or a group potluck where people bring a dish and share. Other events can be planned before, during, and/or after the Global Feast, including bell ringing, speakers, musical events, meditations and prayers, moments of silence and other activities that foster a culture of peace.

When to celebrate and plan?
Each year, there are thousands of celebrations around the world. Planning for the Global Feast should begin weeks or, better, several months ahead in order to involve as many people as possible.

Where to have the Feast?
The place for the Feast can be as small as a family dining room or as large as an amphitheater. One person can even Feast for Peace at home!

Why plan a Global Feast?
To come together as members of the human family; to honor those who have worked and who are working today for a more peaceful world; to encourage the next generation of peacebuilders. The Global Feast for Peace is a thanksgiving of the peace we have and to inspire actions to foster a culture of peace during the coming year.

To Register Your Event:
Send info to: story@internationalcitiesofpeace.org
Join our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Feast-for-Peace/490665730993992

Initiated by members of the Peace Cities Subcommittee of the IDP NGO for United Nations International Day of Peace.

How are you celebrating peace day?

See comments below

DISARMAMENT & SECURITY .

A declaration by the International Committee of the Red Cross

First Conference of the States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, Cancun, Mexico, 24-27 August 2015. Statement delivered by Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, as a video address at the Conference.

ICRC Video

I am honored to be addressing you today on this historic occasion of the First Conference of the States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a treaty that promises to reduce the tremendous human suffering caused by the widespread and poorly regulated availability of conventional weapons.

The ATT establishes a global norm for responsible arms transfers. By requiring States Parties to consider respect for international humanitarian law and human rights law in their arms transfer decisions and to take measures to prevent the diversion of weapons, this Treaty will help to ensure that arms do not end up in the hands of those who would use them to commit war crimes, serious violations of human rights and other serious crimes.

In adopting the ATT, States have recognized that arms and ammunition can no longer be regarded as just another form of commercial goods. They have recognized that arms transfers require particular caution because of the devastating and irreparable harm that is caused when weapons fall into the wrong hands. And they have explicitly recognized that cooperation, transparency and information sharing underpin the responsible arms trade, and are critical to building confidence among States and therefore to the Treaty’s effectiveness.

The ATT’s aim to increase responsibility and transparency in the international trade in conventional arms will depend not only on the implementation of the Treaty’s requirements by States Parties, but also on the openness and transparency of the forums set up under the Treaty to review its implementation and operation, notably of the Conference of the States Parties. A strong level of transparency, notably in the initial and annual reports required under the Treaty, and in the review of the operation of the Treaty by the Conference of the States Parties will facilitate cooperation and build the confidence necessary for the Treaty’s success. The ICRC urges States Parties to keep this in mind in the decisions that they will take this week, notably on the rules of procedure and on the reporting mechanism.

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(Click here for a version of this article in French or here for a version in Spanish.)

Do you think handguns should be banned?, Why or why not?

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The significance of the ATT, and the milestone that this First Conference of the States Parties represents, cannot be overstated. If we have reached this point today, it is thanks to all those who have worked tirelessly over the last decade and a half to make this Treaty a reality: the States that drove the process leading to the ATT’s adoption; the United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which each drew attention to the high human costs of poorly controlled arms transfers; and, of course, the non-governmental organizations which first called for an arms trade treaty some fifteen years ago. In this respect, the crucial role played by the “Control Arms” coalition of NGOs in bringing about the ATT, and the invaluable expertise and assistance that they are now providing to universalization and implementation efforts, must be recognized.

The concerted efforts of States, international organizations, NGOs and the ICRC must be sustained and hopefully increased in the Treaty’s implementation phase, of which this First Conference of the States Parties is the starting point. Our work has only just begun. Not only must we strive to achieve the broadest possible adherence to the Treaty, notably by States involved in the arms trade, but also crucially we must ensure that the Treaty’s core obligations are faithfully implemented, notably through the establishment of robust national control systems.

In this regard, I remain concerned about the gap that subsists between the duty to ensure respect for international humanitarian law in arms transfers, and the actual transfer practices of too many States. The ICRC is directly confronted with this gap, in many countries where we witness the appalling consequences for civilians of the widespread availability and misuse of weapons, which facilitate violations of international humanitarian law, endanger vital medical and humanitarian assistance, provoke displacement and prolong armed conflicts. As weapons continue to flow, either through overt or covert transfers or through diversion, to some of the most brutal armed conflicts such as those seen in parts of the Middle East and of Africa today, there is an urgent need to close the gap between law and practice.

The true measure of success of the ATT is the extent to which this gap will be filled and the Treaty changes people’s lives in the years to come. If States were to join the Treaty but continue to transfer arms to belligerents with a record of committing war crimes or serious violations of human rights, this would severely undermine the ATT’s humanitarian purpose and its credibility.