Coun. Tim Lavery deserves applause for his initiative in suggesting city council add its voice to the Mayors for Peace call for the abolition of nuclear weapons (Observer, Jan. 21).
Few are aware that there are still 16,400 nuclear weapons globally, 15,310 in the arsenals of the United States and Russia, the remainder held by France, China, the UK, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. Some 2,000 nuclear weapons are kept on high alert, ready to be launched at 15 minutes’ notice, greatly increasing the risk of nuclear weapons use by accident, miscalculation or madness.
While progress has been made in reducing the numbers of nuclear weapons globally, no negotiations are taking place on a nuclear weapons abolition treaty. Some countries are pushing for a breakthrough by focusing on the anti-humanitarian nature of nuclear weapons and the moral hazards associated with their use, or threat of use. In December, 158 countries, plus NGOs, participated in the third international conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons.
Mayors for Peace, an international organization with 6,490 member cities, including Salmon Arm, is promoting a treaty for the abolition of nuclear weapons to be concluded by 2020. Here are some steps the Canadian government could take toward that goal:
• Join the majority of states that are stressing the humanitarian imperative for nuclear disarmament and endorse future statements on this theme;
• Advocate for the de-alerting of those U.S. and Russian nuclear arms maintained on high alert;
• Work with like-minded allies to wean NATO off its formal attachment to nuclear deterrence.
A consistent global effort is needed to translate the vision of a world without nuclear weapons into reality. Canada should be part of that effort.
Anne Morris
