Nuclear-free anniversary and new national campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons

Yesterday was the twenty-fourth anniversary of the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, enacted in 1987 to "establish in New Zealand a Nuclear Free Zone, to promote and encourage an active and effective contribution by New Zealand to the essential process of disarmament and international arms control", and to implement five disarmament treaties [1].

But as we all know, while this country has remained free of nuclear weapons since 1987, there has been very limited progress towards a nuclear weapons free world - the SIPRI 2011 Yearbook released earlier this week confirmed 20,530 nuclear warheads remain in the arsenals of eight nuclear weapons states.

Today's anniversary is therefore an appropriate time to let you know about the imminent launch of a new national grassroots campaign - ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand - to work for the abolition of nuclear weapons as part of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Below is information about ICAN, about ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand, and what you can do at this pre-launch stage to support the campaign. This message is available online at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/icanzpre.htm

* About ICAN

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a global grassroots campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons through a legally binding international treaty - a Nuclear Weapons Convention to outlaw the production, testing, possession and use of nuclear weapons, and establish the mechanisms needed to eliminate nuclear weapons within an agreed timeframe.

ICAN was initiated by the Medical Association for Prevention of War in Australia, and launched globally in September 2007 by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW). Since its inception, ICAN has developed strategies and strengthened networking between national and international campaigners, broadening the nuclear weapons abolition movement and building understanding of why a Nuclear Weapons Convention is the most realistic path to eliminate nuclear weapons. There are now more than 200 organisations in 60 countries involved in ICAN, and ten national ICAN campaigns in different parts of the world. ICAN complements the work of Abolition 2000 and other international nuclear abolition initiatives. More information about ICAN is available at http://www.icanw.org

* About ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand

Discussion about setting up ICAN Aotearoa New Zealand (ICAN-ANZ) began in 2009 following the closure of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (NZ). Representatives of interested NGOs had an all-day meeting in November 2010, and agreed to proceed with establishing ICAN-ANZ and to launch the national campaign in 2011.

We are now pleased to let you know that ICAN-ANZ will be launched on the Nuclear Abolition Global Day of Action, 25 June, in the afternoon at the Friends Meeting House in Auckland - the flyer for the launch event will be available on the ICAN-ANZ website http://www.icanw.org.nz by the end of the week, and circulated by email.

ICAN-ANZ is coordinated by Peace Movement Aotearoa, and the initial supporting organisations are A2000 Auckland, Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace, Disarmament and Security Centre, IPPNW (New Zealand), Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand, Peace Foundation, Quaker Peace and Service Aotearoa New Zealand, United Nations Association of New Zealand and WILPF Aotearoa. Your organisation is welcome to add its name to the list of supporting organisations, as outlined in the section below.

* How you can support ICAN-ANZ

At this interim stage, there are three ways you can support ICAN-ANZ.

Add your organisation to the list of supporting groups: we invite all local and national non-governmental organisations ~ peace, disarmament, human rights, social justice, health, development, education, in schools and universities, faith groups, churches, or whatever the focus of your group is ~ to join the call for a Nuclear Weapons Convention to be negotiated without delay, and for the New Zealand government to take a leading role in achieving this. If you would like your organisation added to the list of supporting organisations before the launch on 25 June (or at any time), please send the name of the organisation and the contact person to email icanz@xtra.co.nz - please also let us know the url for your website if you have one, so the link can be included on the ICAN-ANZ site.

Let us know your priorities for action by the New Zealand government: as part of the process of finalising the initial ICAN-ANZ campaign resources, we are interested in hearing what steps you think the New Zealand government should be taking to progress the abolition of nuclear weapons - please send your ideas and thoughts on this to email icanz@xtra.co.nz

Help publicise the campaign: please forward this message through your networks, thank you.

[1] Preamble: "An Act to establish in New Zealand a Nuclear Free Zone, to promote and encourage an active and effective contribution by New Zealand to the essential process of disarmament and international arms control, and to implement in New Zealand the following treaties: (a) The South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty of 6 August 1985 (the text of which is set out in Schedule 1 to this Act): (b) The Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests in the Atmosphere, in Outer Space and Under Water of 5 August 1963 (the text of which is set out in Schedule 2 to this Act): (c) The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 1 July 1968 (the text of which is set out in Schedule 3 to this Act): (d) The Treaty on the Prohibition of the Emplacement of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction on the Sea-bed and the Ocean floor and in the Subsoil Thereof of 11 February 1971 (the text of which is set out in Schedule 4 to this Act): and (e) The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction of 10 April 1972 (the text of which is set out in Schedule 5 to this Act)." The New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act received assent on 8 June 1987, and the legislation is available at http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1987/0086/latest/096be8ed8009ca69.pdf

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