Green Party Calls for Global Nuclear Disarmament

OTTAWA--The Green Party of Canada is urging NATO to amend its ‘Strategic Concept’ at its up coming 60th Anniversary Summit this week in France and Germany.  The Green Party’s long standing policy calling for global nuclear disarmament was echoed by a recent Project Ploughshares issued statement in advance of the NATO Summit.

"This is an historic opportunity for NATO," said Ellen Michelson, Peace and Security Critic for the Green Party of Canada. "World leaders must seek peaceful resolutions to conflict, and strive to end the fear of nuclear holocaust.”

The Green Party of Canada joins Project Ploughshares in urging NATO:

• Embrace the vision of a world without nuclear weapons;
• Confirm that nuclear disarmament is essential to preserving peace;
• Affirm the importance of acting on the priority disarmament messages agreed to at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review and Extension Conference almost fifteen years ago, in 1995;
• Take the practical steps for systematic and progressive efforts to implement the agreement reached at the NPT Review Conference in 2000; and
• Agree to remove all nuclear weapons from the territories of NATO states that are non-nuclear weapon state parties to the NPT.

South Africa and Ukraine rid themselves of nuclear weapons almost two decades ago.  In contrast, the number of countries with the capability of producing nuclear weapons is on the rise.

"Only by mutual nuclear disarmament do we set the stage for true international cooperation," said Green Party International Affairs Critic, Eric Walton.  "It is vital to international peace and stability that NATO also immediately adopt a 'No First Strike' nuclear weapons use strategic position and immediately suspend plans to deploy anti-missile defense systems near Russia's borders."

The Green Party of Canada is committed to sustainable peace and prosperity.  Global nuclear disarmament is essential to achieving these goals.

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Contact:
Michael Bernard
Communications Officer
Green Party of Canada
613-562-4916 ext. 244
(c) 613-614-4916
michael.bernard@greenparty.ca