Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Meeting Addressed the Insecurity of Nuclear Deterrence

For the first time, an agreement was made by the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to challenge the false narrative of nuclear deterrence.  It holds that possession of nuclear weapons will prevent another nation with nuclear weapons from attacking.  The Treaty States identified deterrence theory as both a threat to human security and an obstacle to progress to nuclear disarmament.  The States Parties tasked the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), stakeholders and experts to challenge the security paradigm based on nuclear deterrence by “highlighting and promoting new scientific evidence about the humanitarian consequences and risks of nuclear weapons and juxtaposing this with the risks and assumptions that are inherent in nuclear deterrence.”  New scientific evidence about the cascading effects of nuclear war on food supplies, the financial system and energy supplies was presented to support the new task. https://www.icanw.org/un_nuclear_ban_treaty_countries_strongly_condemn_the_doctrine_of_nuclear_deterrence

Over 90 countries and over 700 civil society delegates participated in the week long Second Meeting of States Parties at the United Nations in New York from November 26^th through December 1^st.  Nearly half of the countries of the world have signed, ratified or acceded to the Treaty.  https://disarmament.unoda.org/wmd/nuclear/tpnw/

New Mexicans actively participated in the discussions and built stronger bonds with others impacted by nuclear weapons.  They shared their unique stories of living in a state where the entire nuclear cycle exists – from uranium mining and milling, nuclear weapons research, development and testing, to waste disposal, including at the only deep geologic repository in the world for plutonium contaminated waste from nuclear weapons fabrication.

On December 1^st, before the full plenary of the Second Meeting, Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe, on behalf of the Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Santa Fe and Seattle dioceses, delivered a statement in support of the Treaty.  They called upon world leaders to demonstrate progress toward nuclear disarmament by a deadline of August 2025, the 80^th anniversary of the atomic bombings during World War II.  https://archdiosf.org/documents/2023/11/231122_TPNW_Statement_ASF.pdf

In another action, people from communities around the world affected by the development, testing and use of nuclear weapons wrote a collective Affected Communities Statement about the harms they have experienced and continue to experience.  They acknowledged, “Nuclear colonization has disproportionately impacted Indigenous People and marginalized communities.  Indigenous Peoples lands were taken.  Bodies were used, people were bombed.” https://www.icanw.org/un_nuclear_ban_treaty_countries_strongly_condemn_the_doctrine_of_nuclear_deterrence

In March 2025, the Third Meeting of States Parties will meet at the United Nations in New York.

1. Your financial support makes a difference!  Please help CCNS with an end-of-the-year tax-deductible contribution or a monthly sustaining donation.  Mail your check to CCNS, P. O. Box 31147, Santa Fe, NM  87594-1147, or use our e-contribution form on the right side of our home page at http://nuclearactive.org/ Your contribution keeps you informed through our weekly Update broadcast and social media postings.  Stay informed with the CCNS Media Network!  Many thanks!

2. Friday, December 8th from noon to 1 pm MT ***  NEW LOCATION DUE TO RECONSTRUCTION OF GUADALUPE BRIDGE.  ***  Join the weekly peaceful protest for nuclear disarmament on the corners of Alameda and Sandoval in downtown Santa Fe with Veterans for Peace, CCNS, Nuclear Watch NM, Loretto Community, Pax Christi, Nonviolent Santa Fe, and others.

3. Saturday, December 9^th at 1:30 to 2:30 pm – Albuquerque OLD TOWN Plaza, near the gazebo – Join NM PeaceFest, Veterans for Peace, Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, the Raging Grannies and more, in demanding an end to the threat of nuclear annihilation. We’ll sing songs and share ideas on how to shut down the nuclear bomb factory.  Everyone is welcome. Bundle up and join us!

4. Wednesday, December 13^th from 2 to 4 pm Mountain Time, National WIPP Information Exchange – a hybrid public meeting to exchange information about the Legacy TRU Waste Disposal Plan as required by the new hazardous waste permit.  QR codes and registration:  https://wipp.energy.gov/wipp_news_20231201.asp

5. Wednesday, December 13^th at 6 pm MST – “Power to the People: How Grassroots Power Overcomes Big Nuclear” Webinar, presented by the Nuclear Information and Resource Service.  https://www.nirs.org/   Register at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_8FjN4qowRQCT8UWL1KR0Mg?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=d9ffec16-5667-42ab-96c3-af726cdc0836#/registration

6. Monday, January 8^th – NM Public Regulation Commission hearing about the proposed New Mexico Gas Company LNG plant in Bernalillo County – public comments needed. For more info:  https://www.newenergyeconomy.org/lng , https://calendar.google.com/calendar/event?eid=MHU2N3B1ZTY3NXJ1dmU3bmw3M3BqN3ZyM2ggbm1wcmMxQG0&ctz=America/Denver

7. NEW DATE: Holloman 5 Anti-Drone Trial rescheduled to Thursday, January 11^th in Otero County, NM.  https://www.veteransforpeace.org/our-work/working-groups/drones-robots-and-future-weapons-working-group    http://www.shutdowndronewarfare.org/    https://www.codepink.org/shutdowndrone

8. Wednesday, January 17, 2024 – Public Comments due about Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Power Capacity Upgrade Project Draft Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-2911) for construction and operation of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) power transmission line and upgrading LANL’s existing infrastructure. CCNS is working on sample public comments for you to use. The Draft EA is available in the NNSA NEPA Reading Room at: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-nepa-reading-room or directly at https://energy.gov/nepa/doeea-2199-los-alamos-national-laboratory-electrical-power-capacity-upgrade-project 

Tags: Affected Communities Statement, Archbishop John C. Wester, Hiroshima, ICAN, ICRC, International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, International Committee of the Red Cross, Nagasaki, New Mexicans, nuclear deterrence, Santa Fe, Seattle, Second Meeting of States Parties, Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Treaty States, United Nations