Antinuclear

Australian govt ‘sees no value’ in humanitarian pledge on nuclear disarmament

“Support for the humanitarian consequences pledge is making Australia’s position more difficult; it is galvanising public and political opinion, and Australia finds itself running against the domestic and international tide.” 

Australia defends opposition to global push for nuclear weapons ban, Guardian, Ben Doherty, 18 Sept 15  Foreign affairs department ‘sees no value’ in a pledge, endorsed by 116 countries to eliminate nuclear weapons worldwide. Australia has defended its position on nuclear disarmament, saying a push for a global treaty banning nuclear weapons “will not lead to their elimination”.

The pledge, now endorsed by 116 countries, is seen as a precursor to a new global treaty outlawing all nuclear weapons.

But a spokeswoman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) told Guardian Australia it “sees no value” in the Austrian pledge because it ignores the realpolitik of the global nuclear landscape.

None of the five “declared” nuclear nations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty – the US, Britain, France, China and Russia – have endorsed the Austrian pledge.

Nor have any of the countries which have nuclear weapons outside the NPT…………..

The FOI request that revealed the government correspondence was made by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a coalition of NGOs from more than 95 countries, whose aim is a global ban on nuclear weapons.

Its Asia-Pacific director, Tim Wright, told Guardian Australia the humanitarian pledge had developed an international momentum, and he was confident it would lead to new global negotiations towards outlawing nuclear weapons.

The Australian government’s argument that it required the protection of a foreign power’s nuclear weapons was “a long-held belief that has gone unchallenged”.

“Nuclear weapons undermine safety, they do not enhance it,” Wright said. A global ban treaty on nuclear weapons would help create a new international norm that the weapons should not be used in any situation.

Professor Ramesh Thakur, director of the centre for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament at the Australian National University, said Australian diplomats had underestimated support for the humanitarian pledge.

“What is really clear from these cables, but not explicitly stated, is that Australian officials have been very surprised, they have been taken aback, by the strength of support for the humanitarian consequences pledge, and they are scrambling to explain that.

“Support for the humanitarian consequences pledge is making Australia’s position more difficult; it is galvanising public and political opinion, and Australia finds itself running against the domestic and international tide.” http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/18/australia-defends-its-opposition-to-global-nuclear-weapon-ban

September 18, 2015 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | General News