STATEMENT FROM MOUVEMENT DE LA PAIX (FRANCE) AND THE CAMPAIGN FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT (UK) TO THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY PREPARATORY COMMITTEE IN NEW YORK 8TH TO 19TH APRIL 2002

Mouvement de la Paix and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament welcomed the positive outcome of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference in April 2000 which ended with the Nuclear States reiterating their commitment to global nuclear disarmament by giving an "unequivocal undertaking to accomplish the elimination of their nuclear arsenals". We welcomed also the 'Programme of Action' with the 13 practical steps towards disarmament agreed at that conference. This is rendered all the more crucial by the current international tensions and dangers of regional conflagration

We deplore, however, the lack of progress on any of the agreed steps by our governments and look forward with interest to reading the reports from our respective governments on their progress towards implementing Article VI of the NPT as called for in step 12 of the 13 steps.

We call on our governments:

1. in view of their responsibility as nuclear weapons states, to take the initiative in relaunching the nuclear disarmament process.

2. to take the initiative in the following practical steps as confidence building measures immediately, while working towards the goal of complete nuclear disarmament:

* De-alert and remove warheads from delivery systems, to be placed in storage on home territory.
* Reverse their 'first use' policy.
* Put pressure on all governments to sign and ratify the CTBT and to uphold all arms control treaties, including the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.
* Establish a nuclear weapons register to include all nuclear weapons whether in service or not.
* Work to establish a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in Central Europe.

We demand that the UK and French governments give their assurances that they will neither seek to extend the lives of their current Nuclear Weapons systems nor seek to replace them in future years nor to develop a new range of nuclear weapon. This would be contrary to the undertaking they have given in signing the NPT over thirty years ago and reiterated in 2000.

Carol Naughton - Chair, CND, Britain Daniel Durand - Secretary, Mouvement de la Paix, France