Parliamentarians from across Europe and civic leaders throughout Scotland set to discuss future of nuclear weapons

This evening, Friday 13th November 2009, will see over 50 parliamentarians, civic leaders and other interested parties from across Europe attend a meeting to discuss the issue of  nuclear weapons within NATO.

The event which has been organised by Bill Kidd MSP, will take place in the Scottish Parliament at the same time as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s 55th Annual Session, which is to be hosted by the UK Government in Edinburgh.

The event in the Scottish Parliament aims to bring together interested parties from throughout NATO and Europe in order to promote nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and to discuss NATO's relationship with  nuclear weapons in its military strategy.

The event has attracted unprecedented support from delegates attending the NATO assembly with speakers to include Senator Kox, for the Social Party in the Dutch Senate and Birgitta Jónsdóttir, organiser of Poets against the War, Artists against the War and various other creative demonstrations before and after the war against Iraq, who is currently a member of the Icelandic parliament for a movement created in 2009 from various grassroots movements formed around the Icelandic financial meltdown and which aims to act as a bridge for ordinary people to parliament.

Speaking and chairing the event, Mr Kidd intends to provide a Scottish perspective on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation and to reaffirm the Scottish Parliament’s continued commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

Commenting Mr Kidd said: "I have been overwhelmed by the response we've had to our invitation and heartened that so many others believe in the same ideals of a world free from nuclear weapons. To be able to host this event in the Scottish Parliament is a real honour and one which I think sends out the right message of what Scotland stands for, a nation that is ready to speak out for what it believes to be right"

"The huge interest in this event also shows the high regard that Scotland is held in by other nations across Europe and how much it has to offer the international community"

“I also believe that this counterpoint meeting will provide a perfect forum for parliamentarians and representatives of civic society, from the world over, to critically discuss the nuclear policies of NATO.

“It is my intention to reiterate the commitment of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Government and the Scottish National Party to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.

“Under the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to which the UK is a signatory, the UK is required to take steps towards achieving nuclear disarmament."

“Under the current Labour Government, we have seen nothing to suggest that this will happen. Since the 60s the UK’s nuclear arsenal has been under the assignment of NATO, as indeed any replacement for Trident would be. For nuclear disarmament in Scotland to be discussed practicably, so must the role of nuclear weaponry in NATO’s nuclear strategy.

Commenting, Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator for Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament PNND, said: “This month is the 20th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Yet there remains a wall of nuclear missiles threatening our survival and preventing the international trust and collaboration required to meet the security issues of today climate change, poverty, terrorism and global economic crises.

“NATO countries continue to resist the growing momentum to tear down this nuclear wall. Doctrine and practice – including the deployment of nuclear weapons and support for extended nuclear deterrence – should change so that Europe can help build a nuclear-weapons-free world.

Notes:

1. For more information, please see here.

2. NATO’s nuclear policies conflict with the legal obligations of the NPT signatories. Although Articles 1 and 2 of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) forbid the transfer of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear weapon states, NATO's nuclear weapons in Europe are located in non-nuclear weapons states. Most of the US nuclear weapons in Europe would also be flown to their targets by the host countries’ own air forces. Maintaining nuclear weapons means that all NATO states (except France) are involved in preparation for their use in peacetime.

The UK is required, under the terms of the NPT, to take steps to achieve nuclear disarmament. Instead, the UK’s nuclear weapons system has been assigned to NATO since the 1960s; a replacement for Trident is also likely to be NATO assigned.

Ultimately, this means that the UK’s nuclear weapons could be used against a country attacking (or threatening to attack) one of the NATO member states since an attack on one NATO member state is seen as being an attack on all member states. Potentially, since the 1999 rewrite of NATO’s mission, they could also be used outside the NATO area in a first strike capacity.

3. PNND is an international network which assists parliamentarians in engaging in nuclear-non proliferation and disarmament initiatives.

4. Speakers include:

Senator Kox,
Senator for the Socialist Party in the First Chamber of the Dutch States-General

Alyn Ware,
Global Co-ordinator of Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament

Isobel Lindsay,
Convenor of Scotland’s for Peace

Sean Morris,
Secretariat of Nuclear-Free Local Authorities and spokesperson for Mayors for Peace

Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Althingi MP and Chair of the Civic Movement Parliamentary Group

5. A list of attendees is as follows:

• Bill Kidd MSP, PNND Council Member
• Mr. Milorad Zivkovic, Head, MP, HoR BH PA, Bosnia-Herzegovina Delegation
• Mr. Halid Genjac, Member, MP, HOR BH PA, Bosnia-Herzegovina Delegation
• Mr. Ivo Miro Jovic, Member, MP, HOR BH PA, Bosnia-Herzegovina Delegation
• Mrs. Slobodanka Zivkovic, Accredited Person, Bosnia-Herzegovina Delegation
• Mr. Zeljko Grubesic, Secretary Bosnia-Herzegovina Delegation
• Fr Chris Boles SJ, Catholic Church
• Rev Ewan Aitken, Church of Scotland
• Birgitta Jónsdóttir, MP, Citizens Movement (Iceland)
• Bill Ramsay, Executive Member, CND
• Mr Antonin Seda, Member, Czech Delegation
• Mr Vaclav Klucka Member, Czech Delegation
• Paul Schäfer, Member of the Bundestag, Die Linke
• Janet Fenton, Edinburgh Peace & Justice Centre
• Dr. Rainer Stinner, Member of the Bundestag, FDP (Germany)
• Colonel Thomas Hambach, Branch Head, NATO Issues, German Federal Armed Forces
• Pete Roche, Greenpeace
• Dr Arthur Chapman, Iona Community
• Gavin Wilshaw, Jubilee Scotland
• Sean Morris, NFLA Secretariat, Mayors for Peace/Nuclear Free Local Authorities
• Dr Duncan MacIntyre, MEDACT
• Dr Lesley Morrison, MEDACT
• Mr Djordjije Pinjatic, Member. Montenegro Delegation
• Mr Vasilije Lalosevic, Member, Montenegro Delegation
• Alyn Ware, Global Co-ordinator, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (PNND)
• Martjin van Dam, MP, PvdA (Netherlands)
• Isobel Lindsay, Convenor, Scotland's for Peace
• Alistair Cameron, Scottish Churches Housing Action
• John Ainslie, Coordinator, Scottish CND
• Rev David Mumford, Scottish Episcopal Church
• Cllr Martha Wardrop, Scottish Green Party
• Jean Pierre Boucheron, MP, Socialist Party (France)
• Tiny Kox, Senate Member, Socialist Party (Netherlands)
• Ursula Mogg
• Professor Lynn Jamieson
• Mr. Johannes Koskinen, Head, Finnish Delegation
• Mrs Zeljka Antunovic, Croatian Delegation
• Mr Vedran Rozic, Croatian Delegation
• Mr Marin Jurjevic, Croatian Delegation
• Mr Boris Klemenic, Croatian Delegation
• Cllr. Audrey Doig, Vice-Chair NFLANFLA
• Arthur West, Kilmarnock and Loudon Trade Unions Council
• Stan Reeves,ALP Democracy Group
• John Player, ALP Democracy Group
• Ms.Gabriela MOSER, Austrian National Council
• Arjan Vliegenthart, Dutch socialist party Senator