Arctic Nuclear Weapon Free Zone A step towards

Arctic Nuclear Weapon Free Zone A step towards a Nuclear Weapons Convention TOWARDS AN ARCTIC NUCLEAR WEAPON FREE ZONE Eric Fawcett Forum 2010 (by Canadian Pugwash and Science for Peace) November 13, 14, 2010 Canadian Forces College Toronto, Canada _____________ Presented by Adele Buckley Arctic Security Committee, Canadian Pugwash 1

What is a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone? Principles that the United Nations* has set for NWFZs n Non-possession n Non-deployment n Non-manufacture, including delivery systems n Non-use of Nuclear Weapons n NWFZ treaty - verifiable and of unlimited duration n The decision to create a NWFZ should be initiated within the region and arrived at freely by the states that make up the region n NWFZ treaty - Nuclear weapon states have to be involved so they will (subsequently) ratify protocols that recognize the treaty and offer negative security assurances * UNGA 1975 2

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Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty Dat e Ratification Protocols by Nuclear Weapon States (from UN 1 st Committee Oct/Nov 2010) Antarctica 1959 1961 ALL Tlatelolco Treaty Latin America & the Caribbean 1967 1969 ALL. Consolidation resolution adopted in 2010 Treaty of Rarotonga South Pacific 1985 1986 U. S. to pursue ratification Bangkok Treaty Southeast Asia 1995 1997 U. S. to conduct consultations in an effort to sign and ratify Pelindaba Treaty Africa 1996 2009 Ratified by UK, France. U. S. to pursue ratification. Egypt refrains. India conveys unambiguous assurance that it will respect the treaty Semipalatinsk Treaty Central Asia 2006 2009 U. S. UK, France decline since NW treaty oblig’n would not be affected by the NWFZ zone 2000 Affirming resolution , 2010 Mongolia Number of Countries 116 4

Benefits to the broader goals of Arms Control and Disarmament n n Planning and negotiating for a NWFZ is a confidence building measure. It complements the efforts of governments and civil society groups who are working on other facets of arms control and disarmament. A nuclear free zone is a step toward a nuclear weapons convention 5

The United Nations: a very important actor in NWFZ creation n Article VII of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and numerous UN resolutions affirm the right of states to establish NWFZ’s in their territories The 2010 NPT Review Conference received the Declaration and recommendations for the Second Conference of States Parties and Signatories of Treaties that Establish NWFZs and Mongolia (April 30, 2010). This included the recommendations of the Civil Society Forum, United Nations April 29, 2010. The above declaration is annexed as information pertaining to this presentation 6

[APPENDIX] NWFZM/CONF. 2010/1 Second Conference of States Parties and Signatories of Treaties that Establish Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia 5 May 2010 Original: English 10 -34972 (E) 070510 *1034972* New York, 30 April 2010 Outcome Document Second Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia New York, 30 April 2010 On the occasion of the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons we, the States parties and signatories to the Treaties of Tlatelolco (1967), Rarotonga (1985), Bangkok (1995), Pelindaba (1996) and Central Asia (2006) which have established nuclear-weapon-free zones, as well as Mongolia — a nuclear-weapon-free State — have met for the purpose of strengthening the nuclear-weapon-free zones regimes and contributing to the nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation process, and in particular to analyse ways of cooperating that can promote the achievement of the universal goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world. Bearing this in mind: 1. We reaffirm ……………… 7

NWFZs are becoming more prominent as part of overall Arms Control n n UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, in his 5 Point Proposal on Nuclear Disarmament, and at the NPT Review, 2010, has endorsed the NWFZ as a confidence building measure Ban Ki-Moon supports a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC) 8

NWFZ – a contribution to a Nuclear Weapons Convention, not a distraction n n Builds confidence; builds a global norm Builds a culture of peace There is a “thinning out” of nuclear weapons along the border of a region Sharpens the focus of regional collaboration against nuclear weapons; enables participation in international efforts against nuclear weapons; 9

United Nations First Committee meeting Oct 11 – Nov 2, 2010 A full range of nuclear disarmament topics was considered. On Nuclear Weapon Free Zones, the final report (www. reachingcriticalwill. org/) summarizes: “The 2010 meetings…. continued to highlight NWFZs as an essential element of the nuclear disarmament regime. The momentum behind establishing NWFZs ……was palpable in the First Committee. ” 10

Important regions for new NWFZs n n Northeast Asia Middle East q –the 2010 NPT Review Conference agreed to meet to consider a Middle East NWFZ in 2012; per the resolution of the 1995 NPT Review Conference n Central Europe n The Arctic n IAEA official (Oct 18, UN 1 st Committee) offers the assistance of the agency in creating new NWFZ, when requested 11

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The Arctic Overlap of the two great security threats of the 21 st century – CLIMATE CHANGE & NUCLEAR WEAPONS 13

TODAY’S SITUATION IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC Mackenzie River, NWT Iqualuit, Nunavut

Climate Change <<->> Polar Ice Melts & Arctic climate affects the global climate n n n A major adaptation is needed in the way of life for Arctic indigenous peoples There will be environmental refugees from coastal regions; requiring adaptation from a culture of the sea to a culture of the land Traditional knowledge, gained over 100 s/1000 s of years about land, water, snow, marine conditions, wildlife must be valued and utilized Youth must be educated to full participation in the new frontier; must be capable of employment in senior technical and management positions Strategies and policies of adaptation must be jointly developed by Arctic peoples and their governments. Sustainability and environmental protection must be paramount Increased military presence is certain, and in some instances could overlap with territorial jurisdiction of indigenous peoples 15

International law (UNCLOS) will resolve sovereignty claims on continental shelves www. dur. ac. uk/ibru/resources/arctic 16

Circumpolar nations add new military hardware Clockwise: Russia – submarine; Russia – surface warship; Norway – armed Arctic patrol vessel; Norway – 4 ice capable vessels of this class ; Norway – armed Arctic patrol vessel [Rob Huebert, Univ. of Calgary – Arctic Security Challenges & Issues- Ottawa, 01/28/10] 17

Ice capable conflict and surveillance vessels Clockwise: Sweden/Finland- Arctic exercise 2009; Canada-Northern exercises; Canada – Arctic Offshore patrol vessel; Denmark –armed, ice capable inspection vessel [Rob Huebert] 18

Avoid militarization for support of territorial claims – instead, collaborate Needed – multilateral collaboration- for example: n Search and rescue n Environmental problems, e. g. oil spill n Suppression of particulate matter [exacerbates absorption of sunlight, and increased warming] n n Surveillance of shipping lanes Fisheries regulation ____________________________ Check our report“Ridding the Arctic of Nuclear Weapons A Task Long Overdue” 19

Northern Strategy for Canada n Canadian government officials say: “The current and foreseeable threats or challenges are not military; the objective is thus to evolve a rules-based, regulated environment in order to best serve the development needs and interests of the people of the Arctic. There is movement toward a regulated environment that will meet the commercial and environmental challenges (and opportunities) that are growing, and in the process honour the interests and well-being of the North’s permanent residents. ………………. The governance development in the Arctic is not militarization but regulation – and the implementation of the latter depends on logistics support from the Canadian Forces ” Notes from Ernie Regehr on remarks by Brigadier-General John Collin, Nov. 9, 2010, forum "True North Strong and Free: Canada's Role in the Arctic" , CIGI, Waterloo, ON 20

International Collaboration TOOLS for GOVERNANCE n n n Arctic Council: Its mandate must enlarge, including security, & still retaining decision making only for circumpolar nations and peoples A Scientific Committee on Arctic Research (as in the Antarctic) UNCLOS 1 rules on ocean area sovereignty, based data about the seabed Economic resources: sufficient funding must be allocated by governments; multinationals that benefit from Arctic resources or transpolar shipping must contribute Agreements: regional, national, pan-Arctic, bilateral, multilateral, international. The idea of Arctic NWFZ to be introduced conceptually 1 UNCLOS United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea 21

The Arctic Council today n The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental circumpolar forum to collaborate on q q n n Arctic issues generally Environmental protection and sustainable development Circumpolar nations are the members and indigenous peoples are permanent participants Other participants q q Observers: several countries NGOs: an extensive list 22

ARCTIC GOVERNANCE PLAN n International collaboration q n n n Avoid militarization of the Arctic International treaties covering many issues relevant to the Arctic: negotiation in the near term Settle sovereignty claims Support adaptation Expand science research Develop new technology for this new frontier Develop new means of governance q Set a global example for innovations in governance 23

SETTING OUT ON THE PATH TO AN ARCTIC NUCLEAR-WEAPON-FREE-ZONE

THE MAIN CHALLENGES Many circumpolar nations are part of NATO, a nuclear alliance. n Arctic nations U. S. and Russia are nuclear weapon states n Security policy: planning of the Arctic circumpolar states does not, to date, include an Arctic NWFZ BUT n The current level of military threat is low n 25

MEET THE CHALLENGES start the Arctic NWFZ treaty negotiations § Nations must proceed with urgency; there is need for comprehensive assistance to the Arctic peoples – indigenous and non-indigenous – for preservation of the environment, security from conflict, and adaptation to climate change. Arctic peoples must be at the negotiating table NWFZ is in the background, for now. § Arctic peoples must be at the negotiating table n Flexibility in negotiation is the key, since each nuclear weaponfree zone is specific to the geography and politics of the participating sovereign states For example: rules for transit of nuclear weapons vary from zone to zone. n The US and Russia might find that the challenges posed in the Arctic would be the catalyst to extend the already-agreed arms cuts in the New START treaty and to build co-operative security mechanisms that serve to replace nuclear deterrence and facilitate a global nuclear weapons free regime. 26

Benefits to the broader goals of Arms Control and Disarmament n n Planning and negotiating for a NWFZ is a confidence building measure. It complements the efforts of governments and civil society groups who are working on other facets of arms control and disarmament. NWFZ helps to build co-operative security mechanisms that facilitate a global nuclearweapon-free regime “Only in a world verifiably free of nuclear weapons will there be no proliferation” – Jayantha Dhanapala at 2010 World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, Hiroshima. 12 -14 November, 2010 27

Unique Benefits of an Arctic NWFZ to goals of Arms Control and Disarmament n n An Arctic NWFZ treaty would create the controls that would greatly diminish or eliminate the possibility of terrorists transporting nuclear material or nuclear bombs by Arctic sea lanes. An ANWFZ supports the Global Security Initiative for control of nuclear material, and nuclear waste, especially in the lands of the Russian Arctic 28

Alternate pathways leading towards an Arctic Nuclear Weapon Free Zone n n n UN General Assembly resolution supported by Arctic non-nuclear weapon states Nordic NWFZ Nordic and Canadian NWFZ q q n Entire countries, or just north of Arctic Circle? Land first, then sea, then air OR sea first, then land, then air U. S. and Russia might find reductions in the Arctic would be a useful way to continue the agreed arms cuts in the New START treaty 29

What is the likely path for Canadians and the Government of Canada? Civil society groups, educators, and individual citizens press for ANWFZ, part of support [at last] for a “northern vision” n Canadian government could assume an international leadership role for an Arctic NWFZ, as concrete evidence of its stated policy of support for nuclear disarmament n OF NOTE: (1) NNWS in the Arctic, including Canada, have already fulfilled important criteria AND (2) Membership in NATO need not be a hindrance to formation; other NWFZ nations are also in nuclear alliances n 30

Canadian Pugwash Campaign Goal Keep the ANWFZ proposal at the forefront in interaction with all nuclear and Arctic nonnuclear governments until such time as these governments are committed to carrying the process forward Establishment of an Arctic Nuclear Weapon. Free Zone is a confidence building step toward a world free of nuclear weapons n 31

The Canadian Pugwash Statement: Protect the Arctic with an Arctic Nuclear Weapon Free Zone n Preamble – the situation Main challenges Meeting the challenges Policy/ action for the Arctic Nuclear Weapons States (NWS) Policy/action for Arctic NNWS n Action for Civil Society n n Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden 32

Support for an Arctic NWFZ n Leaders in international Pugwash q q Circumpolar Pugwash groups: - Canada, Denmark, Norway, Sweden Amb. Jayantha Dhanapala: - President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs n Senator Roméo Dallaire: Parliament of Canada Several members of the Parliament of Denmark Interaction Council (former Prime Ministers and world leaders) – meeting of April 2010 Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation (Canada) World Future Council (United Kingdom) Physicians for Global Survival (Canada) Nordic Council –Nordic NWFZ proposal submitted n Soon - PNND, Canada – motion in House of Commons n n n 33

Start of a “TO-DO” List n Civil society groups and individuals can and should visit their MPs and write to the Government of Canada in support of Arctic NWFZ [as recommended by Donald Sinclair, DG, and Yves Brodeur, ADM, International Security Branch, DFAIT - personal communication to A. Buckley] [from Senator Hugh Segal’s motion in the Senate, passed on June 2, 2010] n “…encourage the Government of Canada q q n to engage in negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention to deploy a major world-wide Canadian diplomatic initiative in support of preventing nuclear proliferation and increasing the rate of nuclear disarmament” Arctic circumpolar nations should present a resolution to the United Nations General Assembly , 2011, in support of a NWFZ for the Arctic [recommendation of Jayantha Dhanapala, President, Pugwash Conferences] 34

The last word n “Canada must take this issue very seriously. Creating an Arctic nuclear-weapon-free zone will be a long process. Now is the time to launch this initiative, while the Arctic is being shaped, because this opportunity will not exist for long. ” Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire, Senate of Canada 35

Contact information Canadian Pugwash Arctic Security WG n Adele Buckley adele-buckley@rogers. com n Michael Wallace michael. wallace@ubc. ca n Steven Staples sstaples@rideauinstitute. ca n Erika Simpson simpson@uwo. ca www. arcticnwfz. ca www. pugwashgroup. ca Subscribe to: Arctic NWFZ (arctic-nuclear-free@googlegroups. ca) Arctic Security Group (arctic-security@googlegroups. com ) Report: Ridding the Arctic of Nuclear Weapons, A Task Long Overdue (M. Wallace & S. Staples) 36

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