Scottish CND notes that NATO in its communiqué of 12/07/23 makes the genocide and ecocide of
nuclear weapons ever more integral to the Alliance. It repeats the nuclear threat it made in the
2022 Strategic Concept:
The Alliance has the capabilities and resolve to impose costs on an adversary that would be
unacceptable and far outweigh the benefits that any adversary could hope to achieve. (Para 43)
It condemns Russia’s transfer of nuclear weapons to Belarus:
We condemn Russia’s announced intention to deploy nuclear weapons and nuclear-capable
systems on Belarusian territory, which further demonstrates how Russia’s repeated actions
undermine strategic stability and overall security in the Euro-Atlantic area. (1Para 16)
But it cloaks its own external transfers of nuclear weapons and threats with eye-watering
hypocrisy:
The Alliance reaffirms the imperative to ensure the broadest possible participation by Allies
concerned in NATO’s nuclear burden-sharing arrangements to demonstrate Alliance unity and
resolve. (Para 45), and NATO’s nuclear burden-sharing arrangements have always been fully
consistent with the NPT. (Para 53)
It is now crystal clear any current state aspiring to join NATO will be up against increased pressure,
(including the traditional bribery and dirty tricks) to compromise their resistance to weapons of
mass destruction. This is a crucial issue for Scotland given that our aspiration is to be nuclear-free
following independence. However, the existence of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear
Weapons (TPNW) gives the backing of international law and worldwide support well beyond the
Euro-Atlantic zone. So the message for leaders and politicians must be -”Show your genuine anti-
nuclear credentials by publicly and repeatedly voicing your support for and commitment to the
TPNW.”
Shamefully, in this communiqué NATO also goes out of its way to disparage the TPNW:
We reiterate that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) stands in opposition to
and is inconsistent and incompatible with the Alliance’s nuclear deterrence policy, is at odds with
the existing non-proliferation and disarmament architecture, risks undermining the NPT, and does
not take into account the current security environment.
and
We do not accept any argument that the TPNW reflects or in any way contributes to the
development of customary international law. (Para 4)
These words displays outright chicanery, misinformation, and complete lack of regard for the
security priorities of the whole planet. The Preamble of the TPNW amply demonstrates that it is
founded on existing humanitarian law regarding the conduct of war. Moreover, the TPNW was
explicitly carefully crafted to complement the NPT and, in particular, the NPT treaty’s Article V1.
However, the fact that NATO has found it necessary to aggressively campaign against the TPNW
makes it very clear that they fear the TPNW, the significance of which is growing apace in the
public mind and in international diplomacy.