| Past
Global Action Participation at the United Nations:
1.Restructuring of the Department for Disarmament Affairs February 2007
2. Commission on the Status of Women, February-March 2007. 2 side-events sponsored by the NGOWG on Women, Peace and Security:
Training on Resolution 1325
Wednesday, Feb. 28
Peacebuilding Commission Roundtable
Friday, March. 2
3. "Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: Resolution adopted in the First Committee "
October 2006
4. UN Press Conference on the United Nations Emergency Peace Service Initiative
June 2006
5. Review Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons
June 2006
6. Preparatory Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapons February 2006
7. 50th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, summary of GAPW workshop March 2006 |
Global Action to Prevent War Consulted on a Fourth Special Session on Disarmament
 On August 28, Global Action to Prevent War participated in a General Assembly Open-Ended Working Group consultation on a possible Fourth Special Session on Disarmament (SSOD IV).
Waverly de Bruijn, International Coordinator for Global Action to Prevent War, advised members on Global Action's positions vis a vis disarmament and international security and answered questions regarding the value of and NGO advocacy for an SSOD IV. Her remarks are below. Dear Mr. Chair, Distinguished panelists of the open-ended working group, and fellow NGO colleagues,
 I am pleased to be a part of discussions today as the representative for Global Action to Prevent War. Indeed, discussions on the merits and scope of a Fourth special session on disarmament are linked rather closely with our organizational objectives. Founded in 1998, we are an organization devoted to charting the course towards a global climate where inter-state war and internal armed conflict become increasingly rare and easily mitigated. Our broad and comprehensive Program Statement is divided into phases over the next 3-4 decades and deals with conflict prevention, strengthening the rule of law, nuclear and conventional disarmament, and building a culture of non-violence. The Program Statement is meant to enhance and mutually strengthen the work of governments and NGOs on particular areas of this larger program.
Specifically in the field of disarmament, I recognize that virtually all agenda items put forth by member states for a possible fourth special session on disarmament, from small arms and light weapons to outer space, are addressed in the Global Action Program as disarmament issues of vital importance. In particular, Global Action stresses the important link between nuclear disarmament and mutually negotiated reductions in national holdings of conventional weapons. The benefits of this link are clear: by reducing the acquisition and holdings of conventional weapons, states both free up significant sources of funding which could be redirected into domestic health or education, while building confidence in a global process of disarmament that includes nuclear weapons.
It is this linkage that, were it addressed substantively in a 4th special session on disarmament, would make a significant and valuable step forward in an area of great concern that has not seen as much attention in international disarmament machinery as it warrants.
A related area in which we feel a 4th SSOD could positively impact current initiatives includes the creation of an Arms Trade Treaty. The objective of establishing international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms has gained tremendous support from governments and civil society in the past years, indicating that it is an area where movement could significantly benefit all, from communities to the national and international spheres. All opportunities to discuss and determine common ground for steps towards such a treaty are valuable and should be pursued.
Furthermore, a 4th SSOD should take up discussion on a Nuclear Weapons Convention. Resources can be drawn from the 2007 revised draft Nuclear Weapons Convention in the publication “Securing Our Survival (SOS): The Case for a Nuclear Weapons Convention,” compiled by the International Association for Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and the International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation. If an SSOD IV is formed, it is imperative that movement towards nuclear non-proliferation is re-coupled with the obligations to nuclear disarmament.
There are of course many factors to consider in assessing the feasibility and timing of holding a 4th Special Session on Disarmament and it is by no means an easy task. However challenging, a 4th Special Session could offer a timely opportunity to move forward on a few critical and unresolved areas of disarmament while “re-energizing” processes in other disarmament machinery. Whatever the ultimate outcome, the valuable lessons gleaned from this open-ended working group should be conveyed formally and in as much detail as possible to the General Assembly for review and deliberation.
I thank you all for your willingness and desire to serve in this working group—Global Action to Prevent War will continue to support comprehensive measures towards “General and Complete Disarmament,” and is ready to assist you in your endeavor to make recommendations towards the establishment of a preparatory committee on a 4th Special Session on Disarmament.
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