Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Ask your MPs & MSPs to sign this Pledge in support of the UN Ban Treaty

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Published on Wednesday, 09 August 2017 10:37

When you write your MP or MSP, here is an easy ask. Ahead of the negotiations for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) enlisted support from 856 parliamentarians in 42 countries.

Now ICAN is seeking parliamentarians' support the new Parliamentary Pledge – a commitment to work for the signature and ratification of the treaty.

This is an ideal tool for us in Scotland to exert pressure on the UK government - who failed to participate in the negotiations - and to highlight the wall-to-wall opposition to nuclear weapons in Scotland.

Parliamentarians at Westminster or Holyrood can add their names to the Pledge by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or using the form on the link below. ICAN's website will let the world see what Scottish Parliamentarians think.

The form is here:

http://www.icanw.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Parliamentary-Pledge.pdf?mc_cid=3b0ad99bfc&mc_eid=3b378b7aa3

It's just over a month until the treaty opens for signature. Let's work hard to have a large number of parliamentarians on board by then.

Hiroshima Events 2017

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Published on Monday, 31 July 2017 14:53

Aberdeen
Aug 6th, 12 noon -2 pm - Union Terrace Gardens 
Yu Auki who lives in Aberdeen and comes from Hiroshima will be one of the speakers at the event.

Ayrshire
Aug 5th, 11 am – 12 noon - Street stall, Bridgegate, Irvine
Aug 6th, 1.30 pm - 2.30 pm - door to door leafleting session, meeting at the The Cross, Prestwick
Aug 9th, 12 noon - 12.30 pm - gathering at the Wallace Tower, Ayr. There will be short speeches, readings and an opportunity to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear weapons attacks.

Global Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons

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Published on Monday, 10 July 2017 09:51

Scottish CND is delighted that on Friday 7th  July 2017 a global treaty banning nuclear weapons was passed at the United Nations in New York.
The treaty was supported by 122 countries at the United Nations Headquarters after months of talks in the face of opposition from nuclear armed states.Disgracefully the UK government did not take part in the talks.

The treaty is 10 pages long and will be open for nations to sign at the United Nations General Assembly in September.The treaty also puts nuclear weapons on the same footing as landmines, biological and chemical weapons which were banned a number of years ago.

It is really disappointing that the UK Government did not take part in these historic talks.However there is evidence to suggest that UN treaties can be effective even when some nations fail to sign up to them.The US did not sign up to the landmines treaty but has now changed its landmines policy to comply with the treaty.
Scottish CND believes that the treaty will have an impact on the behaviour of nuclear weapons states.

What about North Korea?

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Published on Friday, 07 July 2017 13:47

This is a frequent response to opening a discussion about global nuclear disarmament with people outside the peace movement. Especially in the light of recent events some people are subscribing to the idea that we ‘need’ nuclear weapons to keep us ‘safe’. A recent press release from Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA) an organisation to which SCND is affiliated and which we strongly support, tackles this question head on. It explains why at a time like this a nuclear weapons ban treaty, even if everyone doesn’t immediately sign up to it, matters more than ever. The press release argues that the test firing of an ‘intercontinental ballistic missile’ by North Korea is proof positive of the need for a nuclear weapons ban treat. A summary of their viewpoint is presented below. The full press release , with contacts and  references can be found here 

The Ban is coming...on Friday

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Published on Thursday, 06 July 2017 10:17

Friday is the big news day.

The United Nations is convening negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”. This new international agreement will place nuclear weapons on the same legal footing as other weapons of mass destruction, which have long been outlawed, despite the absence of nuclear armed states, over 130 member states are supportive of the treaty being negotiated.

Keith Bovey RIP

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Published on Friday, 23 June 2017 15:01

Brief update from New York

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Published on Sunday, 18 June 2017 13:02

As you all know, one of our co- organisers, Flavia, is in New York taking part in the negotiations for the Global Ban Treaty at the UN as part of the civil society contingent. Flavia and her colleagues in the five- strong Scottish delegation report that the discussions are awesome, detailed and intense.

Daily updates from them are available on www.nuclearban.scot 

More general Daily updates from the negotiations are available from Reaching Critical Will 

Scottish CND response to recent Terror attacks

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Published on Wednesday, 07 June 2017 11:06

The thoughts of Scottish CND are with the families and friends of those who were victims of the recent terrorist attacks in Manchester and London.

Help support the Global Ban Treaty Negotiations

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Published on Thursday, 01 June 2017 13:16

Talks begin at the United Nations on June 15 to negotiate a Global Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty.

Most countries in the world support this treaty , which will put an international legal prohibition on nuclear weapons.It will not get rid of nuclear weapons overnight but it will spur long overdue process towards disarmament.

Coverage of this important treaty is almost non-existent in the traditional media.

Scottish CND are asking our members and supporters to use tools like radio phone ins and letters to the press to help publicise this important treaty.

It may also be possible to raise questions with  election candidates at hustings meetings or in letters or e mails to candidates.

You  can get background information which will help in compiling questions for election candidates and the media by checking the International Campaign to abolish nuclear weapons at www.icanw.org