CIVIL SOCIETY TO THE STATES PARTIES OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY

" As the world mobilises in response to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot afford to lose sight of the other global challenges that threaten all of us, including the worsening planetary climate emergency and the ongoing threat of catastrophic nuclear war."

More than 80 civil society organizations, concerned with nuclear disarmament, issued a joint statement to the States Parties of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) on May 11th, 2020. The Statement urges the government members of the NPT, especially the nuclear-armed states and their allies, to take serious steps to fulfill their obligations to nuclear disarmament under article VI of the NPT and join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), also known as the Nuclear Ban Treaty.

IFOR supports this initiative and is one of the endorsers of the Joint NGO Statement, which will be emailed to all Member States of the NPT, in view of the fact that the 2020 NPT Review Conference -previously scheduled at the UN in New York from April 27th to May 22nd 2020- was postponed to next spring due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As reported by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, there are currently more than 14,000 nuclear weapons around the world, 9 nuclear armed states and about 32 nuclear weapons endorsing states.

ATTACHMENTS:
1. Original text of the NGOs JOINT STATEMENT
2. More info on the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty are available at https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/
3. More info on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons Treaty http://disarmament.un.org/treaties/t/tpnw/text

IFOR ADDRESSES CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTION TO MILITARY SERVICE AT THE 43rd U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL AND REPORTS OF DISPROPORTIONATE VIOLENCE AGAINST UNARMED PROTESTERS WORLDWIDE

In the opening week of the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, which started on February 24th, IFOR addressed the plenary during the general debate which followed the oral update by the High Commissioner for human rights Ms. Michelle Bachelet, and referred to the many ongoing conflict situations worldwide, violence against unarmed protesters and conscientious objection issues such as the irregular recruitment of Colombian objector Brayan Blanco, as also denounced by War Resisters' International through its regular alert. Download the statement here.

You can watch it here at {00:15:06}  http://webtv.un.org/…/item2-general-debate-…/6136894268001/…  

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"Madam High Commissioner,

The number of situations of concern which you listed this morning is chilling.

The ongoing conflict in Syria is a dire humanitarian and human rights disaster. In Iraq, as you reported, more than 450 peaceful protesters have in recent months been killed by the security forces. Likewise, in Chile unarmed protesters have been seriously injured.  You did not mention France, where the police reaction to the gilets jaunes protests has been disproportionately violent.

IFOR has serious concerns about the situation in Cameroon, supports your call for prompt investigation, leading to prosecution of the perpetrators of incidents like the massacre in the North-West of the country two weeks ago.  Meanwhile we welcome the positive news from your discussions with the government last autumn, and hope that the pledges made will bear fruit. 

We strongly support the reconciliation process in South Sudan to end violence, stabilize the country and enhance human rights.

Our concerns about the situation in Eritrea were voiced in the interactive dialogue last Wednesday. We also have an ongoing concern about military service in both parts of the island of Cyprus, which, although today peaceful, houses perhaps the densest population of military personnel (belonging to six separate armies!) of anywhere in the world.  Three conscientious objectors to military service in the Turkish-occupied north of the island have now filed cases with the European Court of Human Rights.

In Colombia, despite the legal recognition  of conscientious objection to military service, irregular recruitment practices still persist. Last September, Brayan Gonzales Blanco voluntarily presented himself at the military recruitment office in Bogota to inquire about the process for registration as a conscientious objector. His identity documents were impounded and he found himself transported to immediate incorporation in Battalion 13 in the municipality of Ubaia.  On leave, he contacted IFOR’s partner organisation Asociation Colectiva de Objetores yObjetoras de Conciencia-ACOOC about the process of registration as a conscientious objector. They recommended that he should not simply abscond but should return to his unit and follow the correct procedures.  This he did, but as soon as he returned to the Battalion at the beginning of this month he encountered harassment from superiors and peers so severe as to put his psychological well-being at risk. His application for release is still under review.

The “batidas” under which young men were hoovered from the streets into military vehicles, are now a thing of the past in the major cities.  But Colombia is a vast country.  One fears that in the remote rural areas forced recruitment is still the norm, and that few if any of the victims know even of the  possibility of claiming conscientious objector status.

We call on your Office in Bogota to continue to monitor reports of irregular recruitment practices from all parts of the country.

Thank you"

IFOR SPEAKS OUT AT THE U.N. ON REFUGEES EMERGENCY AT THE TURKEY-EU BORDER

On March 6th International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR delivered an oral statement at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva concerning the situation at the Turkey-EU border, expressing deep concern for the violence registered against people on the move and for the suspension of asylum procedures which is against international law, as highlighted by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Unfortunately, there is a severe retrogression of human rights in Greece, including the issue of the right to conscientious objection to military service.
IFOR referred to the Right to Life and, additionally, urged all member states to ratify the UN Treaty to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, adopted in 2017. 

IFOR is a member of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and its branches engage to support the #nuclearban.

IFOR newsletter 2019, read through to download this years newsletter!

Dear IFOR community and friends,

It is with great joy that we present to you IFOR's newsletter September 2019. This is an issue comprised of news and updates sent in from different BGA's and UN representatives. This is a joint effort to better communicate and show the good work that is being done by different Branches, Affiliates, Groups and UN representatives around the world.

We are thankful to all the cooperated and sent in their news and updates.

We enclose the newsletter as PDF's in English, You can download it by clicking here.

You can also join the newsletter subscription by filing in your information here.

In Peace and all that is good,

The secretariat, IFOR

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Estimada comunidad y amigos de IFOR,

Con gran alegría les presentamos el boletín de IFOR de septiembre de 2019. Este es un tema compuesto por noticias y actualizaciones enviados por diferentes representantes de BGAs y de la ONU. Este es un esfuerzo conjunto para tratar de comunicarnos mejor y demostrar el buen trabajo que están haciendo las diferentes ramas, afiliados, grupos y representantes de la ONU al rededor de todo el mundo.

Agradecemos a todos los que cooperaron y enviaron sus noticias y actualizaciones.

Adjuntamos el boletín como PDF, puede descargarlo haciendo clic aquí.

También puede unirse a la suscripción al boletín informativo aquí.

En paz y todo lo bueno,

La secretaria, IFOR

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Chère communauté et amis d'IFOR,

C'est avec une grande joie que nous vous présentons la lettre d'information d'IFOR de septembre 2019. Il s'agit d'un numéro composé d'actualités et de mises à jour envoyées par différents représentants de BGA et de l'ONU. Il s’agit d’un effort commun visant à améliorer la communication et à montrer le bon travail accompli par différentes branches, filiales, groupes et représentants des Nations Unies à travers le monde.

Nous sommes reconnaissants à tous ceux qui ont coopéré et qui ont envoyé leurs nouvelles et mises à jour.

Nous joignons la lettre d’information au format PDF en français. Vous pouvez la télécharger en cliquant ici.

Vous pouvez également vous inscrire à la newsletter en remplissant vos informations ici.

En paix et tout ce qui est bon,

Le secretariat, IFOR

IFOR addresses UN Human Rights Council outlining the urgent need to take action to implement the Right to Life

On September 16th, International Fellowship of Reconciliation - IFOR addressed the UN Human Rights Council, outlining the urgent need to take action to implement the Right to Life which is “the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted”.
If the right to life is violated, no other rights can be exercised!
Right to Life should include as well the right to refuse to kill!
IFOR called upon States to ratify the UN Treaty on the abolition of nuclear weapons and referred to the 2nd World March for Peace and Nonviolence which will start in Madrid on October 2nd 2019.

You can read the whole statement here.

You can watch it here at 01:05:34 at http://webtv.un.org/…/item3-general-debate-…/6086710348001/…

IFOR and PSPD address the meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the NPT at the UN HQ

At the 3rd Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2020 Review Conference of the NPT at the UN HQ, the civil society was given an opportunity to address the meeting. On May 1, 2019, 16 speeches were delivered to the delegates by the civil society groups.

One of them was a joint statement on Korea from the PSPD (People's Solidarity for Partipatory Democracy), a prominent NGO in South Korea, and IFOR. Here is the statement, which has been endorsed by 40 civil society groups in the world, including the U.S., Canada, Japan, Germany, U.K., Bangladesh, etc

IFOR submits report on Lithuania to the Human Rights Committee (123rd Session)

Lithuania reintroduced conscription to military service in 2015 for males 19 years of age and older. Although the government provides alternative to service, IFOR submits a report to the Human Rights Committee expressing concern about the ways these alternatives are militaristic in nature. These alternatives illustrate the way government institutions often circumvent the international right to conscientious objection.    

Read the full report