Statement from Faith Communities to Nuclear Weapons Conference

Statue of St Agnes from ruins of Nagasaki Catholic Cathedral after the bomb - now on display in UN Headquarters. Photo: Marcelo Schneider/WCC

Source: FCCNW

The tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is currently taking place in New York.

On 5 August the Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons, a group of faith-based organisations and individuals committed to a nuclear-weapon-free world, issued a joint interfaith statement to the conference.

Amongst 104 signatories were Pax Christi, Justice and Peace Scotland, Catholic Religious Australia, Missionary Society of St Columban (International), Sisters of Charity and Dominican Sisters.

The statement follows below:

As people of faith committed to building a peaceful and just world, we come together to unite our voices on this occasion of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which coincides with the solemn anniversaries of the days atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. We are honoured that survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki continue to guide our activism. Today, as we find ourselves faced with deep concerns about a potential escalation of nuclear war, we renew our determination to carry on their legacy and do our part as faith communities to keep working toward a future without nuclear weapons.

The NPT is a landmark international treaty on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, and its wide adherence is a testament to the Treaty's significance. We believe the NPT's objectives are more relevant in today's security environment than ever.

However, as the 2020 joint civil society statement to the States Parties of the NPT indicates, the Treaty is only as strong as its implementation. The escalating tensions and uncertain global security environment are the very reasons we need decisive and timely action for nuclear disarmament, not increased investment in and modernisation of such catastrophic weapons. It is urgent that we take such concrete action toward full implementation now because our survival depends on it.

As people of faith, we are here to remind you, delegates of the NPT Review Conference, of our shared humanity. Despite national interests and objectives that seemingly contradict each other at times, we share the fundamental goal of preserving our planet, our countries, communities and families, without which we cannot pursue our prosperity, well-being or happiness. We know that nuclear weapons, whether used by design or accident, will destroy the world as we know it and cause tremendous suffering of many people, as testified by the hibakusha and those from affected communities. Nuclear weapons are incompatible with our fundamental values of respect for human dignity; their continued role in so-called national security should not be tolerated.

All of us, as leaders, delegates, civil society, and faith communities, share the moral and ethical responsibility of realising a world without nuclear weapons, knowing that the possibility lies in our hands. It is up to each of us to enact this mission, and history will surely show that we took the right course. We say this, as we are encouraged by the commitment and leadership demonstrated by the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), as seen in their bold commitments produced at the first Meeting of States Parties.

As we embark on the negotiations at the Review Conference, based on the shared recognition that the horrors of nuclear weapons must never be visited upon any country, or any persons, we urge each delegation to the NPT to consider the following:

1. Heed the voices of hibakusha and those of affected communities, and recognise nuclear weapons for what they are - weapons of mass destruction capable of killing millions of people with long-lasting, devastating humanitarian consequences;

2. Affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought, and commit to concrete actions to prevent any possibility of escalation toward a nuclear war;

3. Fulfill commitments and obligations for nuclear disarmament under Article VI of the NPT, and also support other international instruments that complement such obligations, including the TPNW and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

Our diverse faith traditions remind us that we are not prisoners of our current reality. Each of us are creative, resilient, and capable of creating a world we desire. We trust that you will act in accordance with your moral conscience, and we pray for a fruitful Review Conference, one which future generations will take inspiration from.

Endorsing Organisations:

All Africa Conference of Churches
Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
Baltimore Nonviolence Center
Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America (BPFNA)
Beati i costruttori di pace (Blessed Are The Peacemakers)
Buddhist Council of New York
Buddhist Council of NSW
Catholic Religious Australia
CCFD-Terre Solidaire
Centro de Estudios Ecuménicos, A.C.
Christian Alliance For Peace
Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Christian Conference of Asia (CCA)
Christians for Peace Newcastle Australia
Church and Peace - European Ecumenical Peace Network
Church Council of Greater Seattle
Community of Christ - British Isles
Community Pope John XXIII- APG23
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul USA
Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids
Dominican Sisters of Houston
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, DC
Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Gandhi Development Trust in association with Phoenix Settlement Trust
GREEN HOPE FOUNDATION
Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart
Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York
Hindus for Human Rights
Iglesia Anabautista menonita
Interfaith Council of Sonoma County
Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada
International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR)
International Peace Research Association
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Justice and Peace of Spain
Justice and Peace Scotland
Justice For All
Kairos Foundation of Nigeria
Loretto at the UN
Martha Justice Ministry,
Sisters of St. Martha, Antigonish, Canada
Medical Mission Sisters - Justice Office
Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church Inc.
MI Gesu Detroit Peace and Justice Team
Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (Australia) Justice and Peace Centre
Missionary Society of St Columban (International)
National Council of Churches USA
Newman Hall NonViolent Peacemaking Group
Norfolk Catholic Worker
North Carolina Council of Churches
Office of Peace, Justice, and Ecological Integrity/Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth
Ohne Ruestung Leben
One Billion Youth for Peace
Pax Christi Aotearoa New Zealand
Pax Christi Australia
Pax Christi Beverly, MA
Pax Christi England and Wales
Pax Christi France
Pax Christi Germany
Pax Christi Illinois
Pax Christi International
Pax Christi Lansing
Pax Christi MA
Pax Christi Michigan
Pax Christi New York State
Pax Christi Scotland
Pax Christi USA
Pax Christi Victoria, Australia
Pax Christi Vlaanderen
Pax Christi Western Massachusetts
PeaceHost.net
Pittsburgh Area Pax Christi
Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church of the Roses
Quakers in Britain
Religieuses Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Coeur
Religions for Peace Australia
Saint Junia United Methodist Church
Shepparton Interfaith Network
Sisters of Charity Federation
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati
Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Office of Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Congregational Leadership
Sisters of Charity of Nazareth Western Province Leadership
Sisters of Charity of New York
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team
Sisters of St Joseph of Baden, PA
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, LA
Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Province of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand
Soka Gakkai International
SS. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker
St. Susanna Pax Christi
The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus
The Swedish Society of Friends
The United Church of Canada
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ, Justice and Local Church Ministries
Uniting Church in Australia Assembly
Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, of URI
Wellspring Community INC.
WHEATON FRANCISCANS JPIC Office
Won Buddhism UN/Interfaith
World Council of Churches
World Yoga Community