ODVV’s Statement on the Occasion of UN Disarmament Week (Oct 24-30)

Not only has the global nuclear arms race not slowed down, but it has escalated. Studies show that countries that have nuclear weapons concentrate their efforts on updating their nuclear arsenal and not destroying of these weapons(1). For example the budget allocated to the overhaul of the nuclear weapons in America, and production of new generation nuclear weapons during Obama’s term in office was a lot more than during George W. Bush’s presidency. Donald Trump’s administration has also announced that it will continue to expand the country’s nuclear weapons arsenal.
Under these circumstances the implementation of the accepted commitments by NPT signatory states in 1995, 2000, 2010 and 2015, and other international documents, is necessary more than before. According to the NPT all countries in possession of nuclear weapons have made commitments to destroy or dismantle all their nuclear weapons. Furthermore, from the legal terms, they are obliged to not only to refrain from producing nuclear weapons, but they must also refrain from installing these weapons in other countries and cooperation with other governments to build these weapons too. Following decades of no commitments to these specified legal commitments (in the form of final documents of NPT review conferences in 1995, 2000, 2010 and 2015), nuclear power countries must take more effective steps towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Although UN General Assembly’s First Committee’s new resolution (Friday, 28 October), is a new step in the resurfacing of international commitment for the realisation of disarmament, but the sad point is the opposition of countries such as the United States, Russia, Israel and some EU nuclear power countries to this resolution. On the excuse of preservation of peace and security, these countries have expanded their nuclear arsenal around the world; and by doing this the threat of the destruction of the planet has turned into a very serious threat more than any other time in human history.
As an NGO active in the field of human rights and fight against violence, the ODVV believes that international actions and efforts to eradicate the world from nuclear weapons are important steps towards the expansion of international peace. Nonetheless the ODVV believes that the realisation of the “world free of nuclear weapons” slogan depends on the serious participation of nuclear power countries. They must take necessary action to speed up the implementation of their commitments towards the total eradication of their nuclear arsenal based on transparent principles, binding, and international monitoring; because international security will not be strengthened for as long as nuclear and other WMD exist.
The ODVV believes that in a Middle East which is free of nuclear weapons, Israel’s refusal to join the NPT is a great threat against the region’s stability.
To this aim, on the occasion of the Disarmament Week and the belief that the only way to save the world from the threat of nuclear war is interaction between nations, governments and international organizations, the ODVV calls for the implementation of the commitments of nuclear power countries towards nuclear disarmament and in the framework of the NPT.
We believe that it is we nations that choose a discourse full of violence and threat, or an approach which makes our world free of any form of threats.

(1).https://www.sipri.org/yearbook