World Future Council Announces Nominations

 

Of 25 Innovative Disarmament Policies

 

International Award Celebrates Solutions for Sustainable Disarmament

HAMBURG/GENEVA/ NEW YORK, 6 June — The World Future Council has announced today the nominations of the Future Policy Award 2013.  In partnership with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), this year’s Award seeks to highlight disarmament policies that contribute to peace, sustainable development and human security.  In response to a worldwide call for nominations, the World Future Council has received 25 nominations of best policy practice from all continents.

In 2013, disarmament issues have featured regularly and prominently in the headlines, drawing public attention to concerns, such as the on-going threat posed by nuclear and chemical weapons, as well as the historic passing of a United Nations Resolution on a global Arms Trade Treaty.  Weapons of mass destruction continue to pose a threat to all life on Earth while the trafficking of small arms and light weapons fuels tensions, undermines peace and incites armed violence.

With global military spending currently exceeding $1.7 trillion annually, a billion people continue to suffer from hunger.  More still have no access to safe water, food, adequate health care or education.  By promoting the exchange of best practices, the Future Policy Award showcases a range of innovative policy approaches to advance disarmament and celebrate policies that create better living conditions for current and future generations.

The aim of the Award is to raise global awareness of these exemplary policies and speed up policy action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies.  It is the first award that celebrates policies rather than people on an international level.

Following a call for nominations sent to more than 120 international organizations, non-governmental organizations and noted experts in the field, a list of 25 eligible policies has been compiled.  The policies reflect a geo-political spread of approaches to disarmament and cover initiatives designed to tackle the problem of small arms and light weapons, as well as weapons of mass destruction.

An extensive research process is currently under way and involves interviews with nationally based policymakers, civil society organizations and academics.  A jury of notable experts will evaluate the nominated policies according to their positive impact on sustainable development and human security goals.  The winning policies will then be announced at a ceremony on 23 October at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, on the eve of United Nations Disarmament Week, 24–30 October.

The full list of nominated policies is available at www.worldfuturecouncil.org/fpa_2013.html (from 6 June) and below.

The World Future Council

The World Future Council brings the interests of future generations to the centre of policymaking.  It is composed of 50 eminent members from around the globe who have already successfully promoted change.  The Council addresses challenges to our common future and provides decision makers with effective policy solutions.  The World Future Council is registered as a charitable foundation in Hamburg, Germany.  For more information, please visit www.worldfuturecouncil.org.

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs

The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs provides substantive and organizational support for norm setting in the area of disarmament through the work of the General Assembly and its First Committee, the Disarmament Commission, the Conference on Disarmament and other bodies.  It fosters disarmament measures through dialogue, transparency and confidence-building on military matters, and encourages regional disarmament efforts.  It also provides objective, impartial and up-to-date information on multilateral disarmament issues and activities to Member States, States parties to multilateral agreements, intergovernmental organizations and institutions, departments and agencies of the United Nations system, research and educational institutions, civil society, especially non-governmental organizations, the media and the general public.

Inter-Parliamentary Union

As the global organization of national parliaments, the Inter-Parliamentary Union works to establish democracy, peace and cooperation among peoples by uniting members to drive positive change.  A commitment to peace dating back to IPU’s inception in 1889 forms the bedrock of the Organization.  Over the years, the IPU members have made a particular push to ensure global peace and security through various political resolutions on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament that commit them to pursuing a nuclear-free world.  These have been followed by working on practical measures that parliaments can take to advance the nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation agenda.

Future Policy Award

The Future Policy Award is designed to alert policymakers and the public to the importance of best practice in law-making and highlight outstanding examples of regulatory vision.  The Award draws attention to existing sustainable policies and demonstrates that when political will is asserted, positive change can happen.  Celebrating visionary policies raises public awareness, encourages rapid learning and speeds up policy action towards just, sustainable and peaceful societies.  For more information, please visit www.worldfuturecouncil.org/future_policy_award.html.

United Nations Disarmament Week

The annual observance of Disarmament Week, which begins on the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, 24 October, was called for in the final document of the General Assembly 1978 special session on disarmament (resolution S-10/2).  All Member States and civil society organizations are invited to highlight the danger of the arms race, propagate the need for its cessation and increase public understanding of the urgent tasks of disarmament.

Media Contacts

World Future Council Anne Reis Media & Communications Mexikoring 29 22297 Hamburg Phone:  +49 40 30 70 914 16 Fax:  +49 40 30 70 914 14 anne.reis@worldfuturecouncil.org

UNODA Ewen Buchanan Information and Outreach United Nations New York 10017 Phone:  +1 212 963 3022 Fax:  +1 917 367 0339 buchanane@un.org

IPU Jemini Pandya Communications 5, Chemin du Pommier 1218 Geneva Phone:  +41 22 919 4158 Fax:  +41 22 919 4160 jep@mail.ipu.org

Nominations of the Future Policy Award 2013

National Policies

1.         Albania — Action Plan for the Destruction of Surplus Munitions in the Albanian Armed Forces, 2008.

2.         Argentina — National Programme for the Voluntary Surrender of Firearms, 2006.

3.         Australia — National Agreement on Firearms, 1996.

4.         Austria — Austrian Federal Constitutional Law on Nuclear Free Austria, 1999.

5.         Austria — Federal Act on the Prohibition of Cluster Munitions, 2008.

6.         Belgium — Law on Anti-personnel Mines, 1995.

7.         Belgium — Law regulating Economic and Individual Activities with Weapons, 2006.

8.         Brazil — Statute of Disarmament, Law No. 10,826/03, 2003.

9.         Costa Rica — Abolition of the Army, Article 12 of the Constitution, 1949.

10.     Iceland — Plan of Action for the Implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325, 2008.

11.     Mongolia — Law of Mongolia on its Nuclear Weapon Free Status, 2000.

12.     Mozambique and South Africa —  Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Mozambique and the Government of the Republic of South Africa in Respect of Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in the field of Crime Combating, 1995.

13.     New Zealand — New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament, and Arms Control Act, 1987.

14.     Norway — Ethical Guidelines for the Norwegian Government Pension Fund, 2004.

15.     Norway — Act relating to the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Norwegian law, No. 28, 2008.

16.     Philippines — Nuclear Free Amendment to the Philippine Constitution (Article 2, Section 8), 1987.

17.     South Africa — National Policy on Non-Proliferation, Disarmament and Arms Control, 1993.

18.     United States of America — Assembled Chemical Weapons Assessment (ACWA) Program, 1996.

19.     United States of America — Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, 1991.

Regional Policies

20.     Africa — African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, Treaty of Pelindaba, 1996.

21.     Central Asia — Treaty on a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Central Asia, Treaty of Semipalatinsk, 2006.

22.     Latin America — Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, Treaty of Tlatelolco, 1967.

23.     South-East Asia — Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon Free Zone, Bangkok Treaty, 1995.

24.     South Pacific — South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, Treaty of Rarotonga, 1985.

25.     West Africa — ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their Ammunition and other related Materials, 2006.

Membership of the Jury

·   Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Japan, Chairman of the Middle Powers Initiative (MPI), former Mayor of Hiroshima and former President of Mayors for Peace.

·   Sergio de Queiroz Duarte, Brazil, Former United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.

·   Ambassador Nabil Fahmy, Egypt, founding Dean of the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Cairo, Chair of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies’ Middle East Project and Ambassador at Large at the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

·   Anda Cristina Filip, Romania, Director for Member Parliaments and External Relations at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

·   Dr. David Krieger, United States, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, World Future Councillor and Co-chair of the World Future Council Disarmament Commission.

·   Prof. Alexander Likhotal, Russian Federation, President of Green Cross International and World Future Councillor.

·   Prof. Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger, United Kingdom, Italy, Director, Center for International Sustainable Development Law, Head of Economic Growth and Trade for the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and World Future Councillor.

·   Jakob von Uexkull, Sweden, Germany, Founder, World Future Council and Right Livelihood Award.

·   Alyn Ware, New Zealand, Founder and International Coordinator of the Network Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), Member of the World Future Council Disarmament Commission and Founder of the Nuclear Abolition Forum.

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For information media • not an official record