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| Press Release |
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| On behalf of the Pugwash
Conferences on Science and World Affairs, I congratulate
and thank the Nobel Peace Prize Committee for selecting
the International Atomic Energy Agency and its dedicated
head, Dr Mohamed ElBaradei, for the 2005 Nobel Peace
Prize. 2005 marks the 60th anniversary of the use of
atom bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and it is appropriate
that the role of IAEA and Dr ElBaradei have been recognized
during this year to emphasise the crucial role of IAEA
in achieving a nuclear peril free world. We recall with
gratitude that in 1995, both Pugwash and the late Prof
Joseph Rotblot were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on
the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Hiroshima
– Nagasaki tragedy. As President of Pugwash, I
appeal to all present and potential Nuclear weapon states
to implement the following 6 point action plan which
I proposed at the Pugwash Conference held in Hiroshima
in July this year. |
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| 1. All nations with
nuclear weapons should adopt during 2005 a legally mandatory
policy of “no first use for nuclear weapons”,
as homage to the survivors of the nuclear tragedy of
1945 |
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| 2. Respect commitments
to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT), ratify
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), conclude a Fissile
Material Cut Off Treaty, and ban all research relating
to the development of new nuclear weapons. |
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| 3. Conclude a Nuclear
Weapons Convention outlining a road map for getting
to Zero by 2020. |
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| 4. Avoid prospects for
nuclear terrorism and adventurism by eliminating all
unsecured nuclear fissile material and by implementing
the concrete steps proposed by Pugwash for the elimination
of highly enriched uranium; otherwise there is risk
of nuclear power groups and individuals emerging, in
addition to nuclear power states. |
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| 5. Because of the multi-dimensional
threats posed to human security by climate change, and
the consequent need for reducing green house gas emissions,
interest and investment in nuclear power plants are
growing. The civilian uses of atomic energy are likely
to grow. Hence, the UN may convene an International
Conference on the Civilian Uses of Atomic Energy to
develop a Code of Conduct to ensure that the non-military
use of nuclear fuels does not get abused and to further
strengthen safeguards and the inspection role and monitoring
capacity of IAEA. |
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| 6. Democratic systems
of governance are fast spreading in the world, which
involve the holding of free and fair elections periodically.
It would be useful to develop a Hiroshima – Nagasaki
60th Anniversary Appeal which calls upon all political
parties in every country to include in their next election
manifesto, a firm commitment to work for speedy nuclear
disarmament with a view to rid the world of the nuclear-peril
as soon as technically feasible. Without global political
commitment, this goal cannot be achieved. At the same
time, it would be useful to introduce in all school
curricula information relating to the consequences of
the use of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
in August 1945, so as to bring home the immediate and
long term disastrous impact of a nuclear war. Without
public and political education, the climate for peace
and nuclear disarmament will not exist. |
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| Let not the important
message conveyed through two Nobel Peace Prizes go waste.
Let Hiroshima and Nagasaki remain the first and last
cities in the world which have been subjected to the
cruelty of nuclear weapons. Let all Member Nations of
the UN strengthen the hands of IAEA and Dr Mohamed Elbaradei
in achieving this goal. |
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| M S Swaminathan |
President,
Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs |
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