The Window of opportunity is now! Act to promote The Middle East without Weapons of Mass Destruction! Sign today!
http://www.change.org/petitions/act-to-promote-the-middle-east-without-weapons-of-mass-destruction
As members of international civil society and as non-governmental organisations, think-tanks and networks working for peace, justice and disarmament we welcome the agreement at the NPT Review Conference in 2010 that the "Secretary- General of the United Nations and the co-sponsors of the 1995 Resolution, in consultation with the States of the region, will convene a conference in 2012, to be attended by all states of the Middle East, on the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, on the basis of arrangements freely arrived at by the States of the region, and with the full support and engagement of the Nuclear Weapon States" and the annual consensus resolution at the UNGA on the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East Region (A/RES/67/28).
The Conference and a process to establish a zone free of nuclear and weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East would have a tremendous benefit for the security of the people of the region, and the peace processe. The existence of weapons of mass destruction in the region makes the Conference vitally important and there is a urgency for this process to begin. Through our work with these issues we believe that the decision to 'readjust the timing' - in other words the postponement - of the Conference is a serious threat to peace in the Middle East.
The Conference would be of historical significance for the future of the region and for global peace and stability and must, therefore, take place as soon as possible. We believe that the window of opportunity is now!
We believe that the dialogue necessary to create such a zone will help to prevent conflict, and in order to be successful cannot be entered into coercively or under threat of war or attack.
- We urge a date for the conference to be set without delay and announced publicly, even if not every state has declared their intent to participate. Setting a date and sending out invitations increases positive pressure for all States to attend.
- We urge that global support for the Conference be reaffirmed as soon as possible in 2013 through a resolution at the UN General Assembly, thereby bringing it fully under the auspices of the UN.
- We call on all conveners to aid the process of arbitration by refraining from any action that would isolate any particular country in the dialogue and process towards securing peace and a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction .
NAME OF ORGANISATION AND COUNTRY
Mail To Peace Union of Finland: peace.union@rauhanliitto.fi or sign it: http://www.change.org/petitions/act-to-promote-the-middle-east-without-weapons-of-mass-destruction
Please sign this BEFORE 20th APRIL , As The Second Preparatory Committee for the Review Conference of the NPT starts 22 April
For more background see
Archive of documents to support a Middle East Zone Free from Nuclear Weapons and other Weapons of Mass Destruction