Press Release: International Call on Governments to back sustainable energy and security policies at Vienna meeting on nuclear non-proliferation

Stockholm, Sweden, 30 April 2007

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Representatives of organisations from Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, France, Denmark, Russia, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Netherlands, Canada, and the United States, who met at an international meeting on nuclear issues in Stockholm over the weekend (27-29 April), have issued the following open letter to national delegations and international agencies represented at the preparatory committee for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) review being held in Vienna for the next two weeks.

Dear Delegations:

As the current generation of nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons are coming to the end of their planned lifetimes, we believe it is an opportune moment in history for the commitment to nuclear technology, for both civilian and military purposes, to be phased out and replaced by sustainable energy and real security policies.

It is the time to establish a new International Sustainable Energy Agency (ISEA) alongside the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which for its part should have its promotional role backing nuclear power development worldwide removed, and should concentrate instead on applying fully international safeguards and security oversight.

We recognise that the development of so-called Fourth Generation of nuclear reactors, will inevitably lead to the increase in the commercial trade and transport of fissile materials, most notably plutonium, as a nuclear fuel, which will become an increasing target for terrorists.

We insist that therefore the important benefits to World Security of a fissile materials ban (fissban) would only be possible if, as part of an agreed ban, all separation of plutonium through reprocessing is halted.

We insist that the use of depleted uranium (DU) from commercial reprocessing for making DU munitions is not a peaceful end use of uranium, and furthermore, believe such military use is a crime against humanity under the Geneva Conventions.

We very strongly believe that the Non Nuclear Weapons States participating in the Vienna conference should make clear to the Nuclear Weapons State participants their demand that the nuclear armed powers should live up to their NPT Treaty commitments under Article 6 to negotiate away their nuclear arsenals, and should also forego any new developments of nuclear weapons and their associated technologies; and if they refuse, the non nuclear states should withdraw from the Treaty

Contacts:
Ulla Klötzer, Women for Peace, Finland: ullaklotzer@yahoo.com
Eia Liljegren-Palmaer, FMKK, Sweden: eie_liljegren@swipnet.se
Dr David Lowry, Energy and Security consultant, UK: drdavidlowry@hotmail.com
+44 774-050 3518
Website: www.nuwinfo.se/waste2007stockholm