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Millennium Summit fails to check nuclear threat; little gains on the environment
14 September 2005
"A day out from the largest ever gathering of world leaders and still
there is no agreement on a text that tackles the issues of nuclear
proliferation and disarmament," said Greenpeace International
Disarmament spokesperson Nicky Davies, in New York for the Summit.
"Worse still, while earlier versions of the text paid lip service to the threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology, today’s text drops reference to them altogether.
"There were hopes that this Summit would reinvigorate disarmament but Governments have passed up an historic opportunity to do so. The failure to strengthen the NPT at this Summit and to also put in place a moratorium on all nuclear re-processing means that disputes such as those in Iran are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The world is now a far more dangerous place," concluded Davies.
The summit is also failing to address the severity and urgency of crucial environmental issues.
"It is incredible that governments can’t even reaffirm previous commitments on sustainable development," said Greenpeace International’s Political Director Jean-Luc Roux. "There were hopes that world leaders would adopt and expand on the climate commitments made by the G8 in Gleneagles this year.
"Climate change is a clear and present danger to the global community, yet governments are paralysed and unwilling to look beyond their own narrow short term economic self-interest to take the kind of action that the UN was set up for – to protect the global commons."
Greenpeace welcomes that governments appear committed to working towards a "more integrated structure" for environmental activities. "This is a small step – but have once again they have failed to make a bold leap forward on a time-bound process to create a United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO)," concluded Roux.
(New York)
Michael Kessler, Greenpeace International Media Officer +34 660 637 053
Nicky Davies, Greenpeace International Disarmament Spokesperson +31 646 197 330
(Environment)
Jean-Luc Roux, Greenpeace International Political Director+31 615 007 407
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
"Worse still, while earlier versions of the text paid lip service to the threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology, today’s text drops reference to them altogether.
"There were hopes that this Summit would reinvigorate disarmament but Governments have passed up an historic opportunity to do so. The failure to strengthen the NPT at this Summit and to also put in place a moratorium on all nuclear re-processing means that disputes such as those in Iran are likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. The world is now a far more dangerous place," concluded Davies.
The summit is also failing to address the severity and urgency of crucial environmental issues.
"It is incredible that governments can’t even reaffirm previous commitments on sustainable development," said Greenpeace International’s Political Director Jean-Luc Roux. "There were hopes that world leaders would adopt and expand on the climate commitments made by the G8 in Gleneagles this year.
"Climate change is a clear and present danger to the global community, yet governments are paralysed and unwilling to look beyond their own narrow short term economic self-interest to take the kind of action that the UN was set up for – to protect the global commons."
Greenpeace welcomes that governments appear committed to working towards a "more integrated structure" for environmental activities. "This is a small step – but have once again they have failed to make a bold leap forward on a time-bound process to create a United Nations Environment Organization (UNEO)," concluded Roux.
(New York)
Michael Kessler, Greenpeace International Media Officer +34 660 637 053
Nicky Davies, Greenpeace International Disarmament Spokesperson +31 646 197 330
(Environment)
Jean-Luc Roux, Greenpeace International Political Director+31 615 007 407
Greenpeace is an independent campaigning organisation that uses non-violent creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems to force solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.
