Civil society played a key role in the success of the UN deliberations on nuclear disarmament in Geneva from May 2-13. There is now strong momentum for the start in 2017 of multi-lateral negotiations for nuclear disarmament – something which has been blocked for nearly 20 years. UNFOLD ZERO representatives
The May 2-13 sessions of the United Nations Open Ended Working Group on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations (OEWG) ended today with indications that a group of non-nuclear countries is ready to start negotiations in 2017 on a treaty to outlaw nuclear weapons. The proposal was put forward by
Governments and NGOs met in Geneva this week for the first three days of the May sessions of the Open Ended Working Group on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations (OEWG). For two weeks, they are discussing the why, what and how to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world: Why – risks
UNFOLD ZERO congratulates the winners of the United Nations Poster for Peace contest, announced on 19 April; First place: Ivan Ciro Palomino Huamani from Peru for Spinning Peace. Second-place: Michelle Li from the United States for Peace in Our Hands. Third place: Anjali Chandrashekar for Cutting Barriers through Peace. Honorable
In April 2009, President Obama speaking in the historic Hradcany Square in Prague, announced a vision and commitment to achieve ‘the peace and security of a nuclear-weapon-free world.’ Nearly seven years later and we appear no closer to achieving that goal. There remain over 15,000 nuclear weapons in the active
From Feb 22-25, governments and civil society met at the Palais des Nations (United Nations) in Geneva for the first sessions of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations. The deliberations, chaired by Ambassador Thani Thongphakdi of Thailand, opened up a refreshing and productive dialogue between
Leaders of the major religious faiths and interfaith networks, joined forces with parliamentarians and mayors from around the world to call for nuclear abolition and to support the work of the UN Open Ended Working Group on Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations (OEWG), a new UN disarmament body that started its
Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, kicked off the UN Open Ended Working Group on Taking Forward Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament Negotiations (OEWG) yesterday (Monday Feb 22) with a speech of encouragement and optimism. He lamented that nations, until now, have not focused sufficiently on nuclear disarmament. Annan recalled
As government and civil society delegations rolled into Conference Room XIX of the Palais de Nations (Geneva) today for the first session of the UN Open Ended Working Group, they were welcomed with gifts of origami cranes from UNFOLD ZERO. The OEWG was established by the United Nations General Assembly
The very first resolution of the United Nations, adopted by consensus in 1946, established a commission whose task was to make recommendations on the elimination at atomic weapons from national arsenals. 70 years later the world appears no closer to achieving this aspiration. Does this indicate a failure of the