NZ civil society team heads to UN for nuclear weapons ban negotiations

10 May 2017

Four New Zealanders representing civil society will be at the United Nations in New York next month, to help negotiate a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Unlike chemical and biological weapons, nuclear weapons have not yet been outlawed internationally, despite being the most destructive, inhumane weapons of terror ever invented.

From 15 June to 7 July, delegates from over 130 nations aim to finalise a treaty that will stigmatise nuclear weapons, as a vital next step towards a comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, like the enforceable treaties to eliminate chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction. International expectations are high for the successful completion this year of a prohibition treaty.

The five recognised nuclear weapon states, led by the US, UK and France, and most of their allies including Australia found themselves in the unfamiliar position of protesting against a productive first week of negotiations in the UN General Assembly in March 2017.

The four New Zealanders - Dr Kate Dewes, Dr Lyndon Burford, Lucy Stewart and Commander Robert Green, Royal Navy (Ret'd) - feel that their presence at the nuclear ban negotiations is a fitting way to mark the 30th anniversary, on 8 June 2017, of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act. The New Zealand government has maintained a high profile internationally on nuclear disarmament issues, and helped build the political will for the negotiations. UN member states participating in the negotiations acknowledged this by electing New Zealand’s Disarmament Ambassador Dell Higgie as a Vice-President of the negotiating conference.

Unusually, states involved in the negotiations have invited civil society delegates to participate directly. This reflects the strong role that civil society has played over many decades in pushing for nuclear disarmament. The previous most effective legal challenge to nuclear weapons - the 1996 Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice condemning the threat, let alone use, of nuclear weapons - grew out of a citizen-led campaign started in Christchurch: the World Court Project.

The civil society team attending the nuclear ban negotiations:

Dr Kate Dewes ONZM is an internationally-renowned expert who has served on the disarmament advisory boards of two UN Secretaries General, and was the New Zealand government's representative on the UN study on disarmament and nonproliferation education. She has been active in the anti-nuclear movement for over 40 years. Dr Dewes says: "I feel deeply honoured to be heading this team of New Zealand civil society delegates in the most exciting breakthrough towards a nuclear weapon free world since the 1996 World Court judgment."

Dr Lyndon Burford recently completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Auckland, on the relationship between New Zealand national identity and its nuclear disarmament policies. He says, “Becoming nuclear free helped to redefine New Zealand's national identity in a fundamental way. I am passionate about New Zealand disarmament policy because our country does great work in this area. Participating in the negotiations to ban nuclear weapons is a wonderful opportunity to help advance an essential disarmament cause.”

Lucy Stewart is the Youth Programmes Coordinator for the Peace Foundation Aotearoa/New Zealand and runs peace and disarmament programmes and events throughout New Zealand. This year, these programmes are celebrating and promoting the 30th Anniversary of New Zealand’s nuclear free law and the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty negotiations, especially during the Peace Foundation’s annual Schools Peace Week (7-11 August). Lucy says, “There are many important and pressing causes competing for our attention, but I think it is crucial that young people are aware of the dangers of nuclear weapons, and should be involved in promoting nuclear disarmament. It is incredibly exciting to be representing them in these negotiations to outlaw the most horrific weapons of mass destruction."

Robert Green, a former operator of British nuclear weapons and veteran of the 1982 Falklands War, spoke out against nuclear weapons before the first Gulf War in 1991. He became chair of the UK affiliate of the World Court Project, before he and Kate Dewes teamed up as Co-Directors of the Disarmament & Security Centre. He is author of the 2010 book Security Without Nuclear Deterrence. Cmdr Green comments: "The boycott of these negotiations by the nuclear weapon states shows how much they fear a prohibition treaty, not least because of the impact it will have on military operators of nuclear weapons."

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