The foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and China (the P5 Permanent members of the UN Security Council) are scheduled to meet in Paris from 29 to 30 June 2011 to discuss nuclear security. Together they possess more than 20,000 nuclear weapons, capable of destroying all life on Earth many times over.
In May last year at a meeting of the States Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, they agreed that stopping the proliferation of nuclear weapons to additional countries would be impossible if they continued to hold onto nuclear weapons themselves forever. They thus committed to a number of initial steps to reduce their nuclear stockpiles, lower the role of nuclear weapons in their security doctrines and to work with non-nuclear weapon States to build the framework for a nuclear-weapons-free world.
This will be their first meeting to start implementing these commitments. However, like smokers addicted to cigarettes, they will not give up their nuclear weapons easily. We must be assertive in helping them stick to their commitments.
Join us in sending a loud and clear message to them—It’s time to stop threatening the world with these weapons of terror, and start negotiating a treaty to outlaw and eliminate all nuclear weapons globally.
Take Action
Send an email to the leaders of the P5 countries:
- President Barack Obama (United States)
- President Dmitry Medvedev (Russia)
- Prime Minister David Cameron (United Kingdom)
- President Nicolas Sarkozy (France)
- President Hu Jintao (China)
Join an action on Nuclear Abolition Day – June 25
Sample letter—Please change this letter a bit so that all the letters they receive don’t look exactly alike. Personal letters have more influence. Add why you think it is important to abolish nuclear weapons.
Dear President/Prime Minister,
I welcome the fact that for the first time ever the five Nuclear Weapons States parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are meeting at ministerial level to discuss nuclear disarmament - and in particular to fulfill the promise made at the 2010 NPT Review Conference “to achieve the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”
I encourage you to use this opportunity to commit to further reductions in numbers of nuclear weapons in your stockpiles, reinforce the practice and norm against any use of nuclear weapons, and announce a start to multilateral negotiations on a global treaty banning nuclear weapons worldwide under international verification and control.
The abolition of nuclear weapons will provide security for your nation and for all nations. It is a duty you owe to present generations, and to future generations. It is a step that will enhance peace, cooperation, stability and prosperity. I urge you to do everything in your power to take this fundamental step to protect our nations, our environment and our future.
Yours sincerely,
[Your first & last name, and at least your country]
For more information see:
Abolition 2000 Global Network for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons www.abolition2000.org
Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament www.pnnd.org
Nuclear Abolition Day www.nuclearabolition.org
