Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

WHEREAS as long as nuclear weapons exist, cities around the world will be vulnerable to instantaneous devastation on a scale exceeding even that experienced by Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945; AND WHEREAS nuclear war would devastate many cities, an accidental missile launch would devastate several cities, and use of a nuclear weapon by terrorists would devastate a city; AND WHEREAS any nuclear attack would obliterate City Hall and all emergency response mechanisms rendering any city planning for such a disaster utterly futile; AND WHEREAS the worlds foremost line of defence against nuclear dangers is the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty NPT, which is currently in its seventh review cycle, with all parties to the treaty scheduled to meet next May to ensure that the treaty is being fully implemented; AND WHEREAS all other weapons of mass destruction have been prohibited by international agreement and are being eliminated under international control, and the nuclear-weapon states party to the NPT have undertaken to pursue negotiations in good faith on nuclear disarmament; AND WHEREAS the International Court of Justice unanimously found in 1996 that all states were obliged to bring to a conclusion negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under strict and effective international control; AND WHEREAS the World Conference of Mayors for Peace has launched an international campaign calling on the 2005 NPT Review Conference to launch negotiations on the elimination of nuclear weapons, to be concluded by 2010 and fully implemented by 2020, also known as the 2020 vision; AND WHEREAS weapons of mass destruction have no place in a civilized world: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities support a decision by the 2005 NPT Review Conference to commence negotiations on the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons and nuclear-weapon related materials.