“NO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT PEACE”

 Political Declaration of the Peace Caucus

We call upon the World Summit on Sustainable Development to address the global destruction of humanity and the environment caused by militarism, war and violence in all its forms.

We note with concern that previous international agreements on peace and demilitarization issues are conspicuously absent in the Johannesburg draft plan of implementation.

The WSSD in Johannesburg must make the link between violent conflict and the destruction of the Earth’s social and natural environments. Violent conflict continues to bring death, displacement and injury to millions of people. War causes direct ecological damage and destroys economic and social infrastructure. Efforts to reduce poverty in the world will fail while agricultural land is planted without landmines instead of food crops. The humanity of citizens is violated when their country is under military occupation. The health of planet Earth is harmed when the waste left over from production and use of arms.

There can be no sustainable development without an end to militarism and violent conflict. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation must commit governments, corporations and citizens of the world to:

*REDIRECT MILITARY SPENDING

Military expenditure and the arms trade are major impediments to sustainable development. The money saved by reducing military expenditure must be redirected to promoting socio-economic justice, sustainable development, eradicating poverty, under-development and inequality. Military resources and technology must be channeled towards human development. 

*ENFORCE NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT

Governments and citizens of the world must work to remove the threat of global destruction posed by nuclear weapons. We must promote and ensure implementation of article VI of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and work towards a nuclear abolishment treaty.

*ADOPT CONSTRUCTIVE CONFLICT RESOLUTION SYSTEMS

The World must reject the notion that waging war brings about security. We must renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation state and the use of force as means of settling international disputes. The military- the institution that is meant to ‘protect’ and ‘defend’ us – is the principal threat to our security. We must begin to rely on non-violent and constructive methods of conflict resolution. Real human security can only be attained by the establishment of conciliation, mediation and arbitration processes and structures to deal with intra-state, regional and international conflicts.

The United Nations Security Council must be transformed from being an instrument to wield power by the rich countries to an institution dedicated to peace-making and building justice and assuring sustainable development.

*CLEAN UP TOXIC LEGACY OF WAR

Governments and military corporations must take responsibility to clean up land-mines, unexploded ordinance, depleted uranium and radioactive materials, chemical and biological waste. The Johannesburg Plan of Implementation must agree on practical measures that will achieve peace, justice, human dignity, prosperity and protection of the environment.