Statements by RCW
WILPF statement on Section 3 of the second revised draft political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
The fourth consultations on a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) took place in Geneva, from 6–8 April. WILPF delivered the following statement on Section 3 of the declaration, on 7 April 2022. WILPF supports the comments on this revised text made by the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), of which WILPF is a steering committee member. As an organisation, WILPF has a few points to raise or amplify: 3.3 is the core commitment of the declaration and must set the strongest possible standard. It should also be moved up in the declaration, as other commitments flow from it. The goal should be to end the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. This could be enacted through a commitment to not use EWIPA. While WILPF welcomes a commitment related to addressing reverberating effects of the use of EWIPA, 3.4 seems to assume that attacks in populated areas are legitimate and will continue. This paragraph could be better...
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WILPF statement on Section 4 of the second revised draft political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
The fourth consultations on a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) took place in Geneva, from 6–8 April. WILPF delivered the following statement on Section 4 of the declaration, on 7 April 2022. WILPF supports the comments on this revised text made by the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), of which WILPF is a member. As an organisation, WILPF has a few points to raise or amplify: 4.1 should urge international cooperation and assistance among all relevant stakeholders to exchange information and experiences in enhancing the protection of civilians, ending the use of EWIPA, and preventing armed conflict. In 4.2: The reference to “where feasible and appropriate” should be removed in relation to collecting and sharing data. Data collection on civilian harm should be disaggregated by sex and gender, age, and disability. Data collection should also include recording of destruction and damage to civilian objects or...
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WILPF statement on Section 1 of the second revised draft political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
The fourth consultations on a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) took place in Geneva, from 6–8 April. WILPF delivered the following statement on Section 1 of the declaration, on 6 April 2022. Thank you to the mission of Ireland for hosting these consultations and inviting civil society to participate. WILPF welcomes the revised draft political declaration. It is imperative that the declaration promote a presumption against the use of EWIPA and seek to end this deadly and destructive practice. WILPF supports the detailed comments on this revised text made by the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), of which WILPF is a member. We have a few points to raise or amplify and have submitted these in writing: Paragraphs 1.2 and 1.3 should use the language that the use of EWIPA does have these impacts, rather than can have these impacts. 1.2 should add a reference to the gendered and other differentiated impacts...
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WILPF statement on Section 2 of the second revised draft political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas
The fourth consultations on a political declaration on the use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) took place in Geneva, from 6–8 April. WILPF delivered the following statement on Section 2 of the declaration, on 6 April 2022. WILPF supports the comments on this revised text made by the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), of which WILPF is a member. We also wanted to suggest the following: This section only recognises international human rights law (IHRL) briefly and focuses mostly on international humanitarian law (IHL). A new paragraph could be added that specifies that states continue to have obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil human rights in armed conflict, must exercise due diligence when using explosive weapons, and must assess their human rights impacts.
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War “over” Ukraine: Militarism is Killing Us All
Open Letter to the UN Security Council by WILPF Secretary General Madeleine Rees
28 January 2022
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It appears that the United States has decided to refer the deteriorating situation over Ukraine to the UN Security Council (UNSC) and this will be discussed on Monday, 31 January. We urge in the strongest possible terms that the debate is used to address the serious and underlying causes and not be abused by members of the UNSC to grandstand their militaristic rhetoric.
It is now obvious that the situation represents a massive and immediate threat to international peace and security. The Charter of the United Nations gives primary responsibility for the maintenance of that peace and security to the UNSC. Until now, the silence of the UN Secretary-General and from the UNSC has been incomprehensible. Ceding responsibility to resolve the situation to those who have proven themselves time and again to be absolutely irresponsible actors—governments that have invested billions into...
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International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament: Prioritise Lives, Not Weapons!
This statement is also available in Arabic, French, and Spanish. In the early 1980s, a group of pacifist feminists from across Europe united to protest the buildup of arms and nuclear weapons. Together, they established 24 May as International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament. On this day, the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) honours their legacy and that of women everywhere leading the struggle against militarism. As feminist peace activists from around the world, we continue to demand that governments take immediate action to end the daily threat and impact of weapons on people and communities everywhere. No one is immune from the effects of armed violence Every single day, more than 500 people around the world die from gun violence. An additional 2,000 are injured by gunshots. At least two million more are living with physical injuries from firearms. And an unquantifiable number are living with the long-term emotional trauma of armed...
75th Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemoration
Remarks by Ray Acheson, Director of Reaching Critical Will of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF); International Steering Group Representative of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) to the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons commemoration of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 6 August 2020.
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We’re meeting online today in the midst of a global pandemic to mark 75 years of another pandemic—that of nuclear weapons.
For seventy-five years, we have lived under the threat of radioactive blast and firestorm, the effects of which are immediately devastating and punishingly intergenerational.
For seventy-five years, nuclear weapon activities have contaminated land and water, disproportionately harming Indigenous communities.
For seventy-five years, corporations like Lockheed Martin and Boeing have reaped incredible profits from government contracts for bombs and bombers.
Last year, the nine...
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WILPF International Secretariat Statement on Systemic Racism and Police Brutality
4 June 2020 As WILPF is dedicated to building a peaceful, equal, just world, we cannot stay silent about the targeted killings of Black people, acts which are rooted in and emboldened by white supremacy and structural racism, especially as people are in the streets calling for those with a platform to speak up. Without justice, there can be no peace or freedom. The white supremacist patriarchy on which the US has been founded has for generations looted and murdered Black lives, Black communities, and Black futures, bolstered by leaders and institutions. The killings of #GeorgeFloyd, David McAtee, #BreonnaTaylor, #AhmaudArbery, and thousands of other Black people add to what Black people have been saying every single day: that our society has made little progress from its racist underpinnings, and Black people continue to be daily denied their basic human rights to living in freedom, safety, and with dignity. This system that dehumanises Black people is inextricable from the...
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WILPF Statement on gender and disarmament to the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security
The following statement was drafted by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom and endorsed by several NGOs (see below for list). It was delivered to the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security on 18 October 2019. Chairperson, delegates, The civil society organisations that have signed onto this joint statement welcome the growing interest in the topic of “gender and disarmament”. We are pleased that last year’s First Committee saw a considerable increase in the number of resolutions advocating for women’s equal participation or recognising gendered impacts of weapons. We also appreciate that the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty earlier this year focused on the Treaty’s gender provisions and adopted action points to carry forward the implementation of those provisions. These developments are very welcome and should be continued and enhanced in as many disarmament forums as possible. However, a more...
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WILPF Statement to the Vienna Conference on Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare
This statement was prepared for the Vienna Conference on Protecting Civilians in Urban Warfare hosted by the government of Austria from 1 to 2 October 2019. We meet here as civilians are dying around the world from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. This horrific and unacceptable practice has increased steadily. Yet while this issue is regularly highlighted as a top humanitarian concern by a growing chorus of voices, a strong and effective response to stop this humanitarian tragedy from repeatedly occurring has so far eluded us. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), a steering committee member of the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), thanks the government of Austria for convening this conference and giving this issue the focused and dedicated attention that it deserves. In the context of this panel discussion on direct civilian harm we want to illustrate that while the indiscriminate bombing of towns and cities may seem...
2019 International Day of Peace
The following is a presentation delivered by Reaching Critical Will’s Director, Ray Acheson, at an event to commemorate the International Day of Peace hosted by Black Rose Books on 21 September 2019 in Montreal, Canada. The International Day of Peace is a fitting moment to reflect on the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and the 74-year-long pursuit of nuclear abolition. In 1945 the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, incinerating hundreds of thousands of people and leaving many thousands more with radioactive poisoning; destroying homes, schools, hospitals, and all the people in them. Since then, people around the world have demanded nuclear disarmament. The arms race that unspooled from that moment, in which trillions of dollars have been spent to make nuclear weapons bigger, more destructive; to build up arsenals beyond all reason—to 70,000 or so during the height of the so-called Cold War—has led now to nine countries in...
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WILPF statement to the UN open-ended working group on ICTs
WILPF delivered the following statement to the September session of the Open-ended Working Group on developments in the field of information and telecommunications in the context of international security. It’s difficult to imagine another topic as ubiquitous as information and communications technologies, or ICTs. Their integration into nearly every facet of our lives makes their vulnerability—and relatedly, our vulnerability—to attack or misuse so great. Which is why the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is pleased to see the establishment of a new entity within the UN system that will take up this subject, and one that will conduct its work in an open manner and a method inclusive of the entire UN membership and other stakeholders. This is not a subject that can be held hostage by a few powerful states or actors. It affects us all in ways more immediate than even some of the other security and weapons discussions that are had here in this...
WILPF Statement to the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty on treaty implementation
WILPF delivered the following statement to the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty's consideration of issues related to gender and gender-based violence on 28 August 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. Next week, arms companies from around the world will be setting up shop in London for DSEI, one of the biggest arms fairs in the world. Government officials will meet with arms dealers to make the sales that fuel conflict, violence, and repression around the world. The weapons on display there today will be used in conflicts tomorrow. Activists will once again work to shut down the arms fair and will likely be arrested for trying to prevent future atrocities. Here in Geneva, delegates to this meeting of the only legally binding treaty regulating the international arms trade have an obligation to do whatever they can to show that they intendto put people over profits. Unfortunately, as in years past, several ATT states parties are sending the opposite signal to...
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WILPF Statement to the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty on gender-based violence
WILPF delivered the following statement to the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty's consideration of issues related to gender and gender-based violence on 26 August 2019 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) welcomes the decision to focus the Fifth Conference of States Parties on gender and gender-based violence. As an organisation that has long been at the forefront of feminist advocacy for disarmament, WILPF spearheaded the “Make it Binding” campaign that led to the inclusion of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Arms Trade Treaty. We believe this is an important opportunity to ensure that gendered considerations are at the heart of all disarmament and arms control efforts. It needs to be underscored that all conventional weapons can—and have been—used to inflict violence on people based on discriminating norms and practices relating to their specific sex or gender role in society. This is why...
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74th Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemoration
The following is a presentation delivered by Reaching Critical Will’s Director, Ray Acheson, at an event to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hosted by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Day Coalition on 6 August 2019 in Toronto, Canada. Thank you for the invitation to speak today in my hometown, on a day of great meaning and horror. We are here today on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. I believe this is important to remember as we mark the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 74 years ago. Because I think there are connections between the fact that we are on stolen Indigenous land here, and the bombings in Japan in 1945, and the racist violence that we are seeing today. Those connections include patriarchy, white supremacy, and the ideology of power through violence. The atomic bomb has always been about power. The...
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WILPF statement to the second preparatory meeting of the Fifth Conference of States Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
This statement was delivered at the second preparatory meetings for the Fifth Conference of States Parties (CSP5) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on 5 April 2019. WILPF would like to start by extending its appreciation to Ambassador Karklins for leadership on advancing this thematic focus within the context of the ATT. We know it isn’t easy, and that in this room, whether it is said or not, there are those who are not convinced of the importance, utility, or value of doing so, or don’t see any connection between “gender” and the international arms trade. Yet, the fact remains that one of the agreed purposes of this Treaty is to reduce human suffering. We know that women, men, boys, girls, and others each suffer differently from armed violence and conflict. We know that gender-based violence is the most prevalent form of violence in the world. Therefore, any effort to reduce human suffering done in a way that is gender blind, will inevitably fall short of that purpose. The fact also...
WILPF statement to the first informal preparatory committee for the Fifth Conference of States Parties (CSP5) to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) welcomes the decision to focus CSP5 on gender and arms-related gender-based violence. As an organization that has long been at the forefront of feminist advocacy for disarmament, WILPF spearheaded the “Make it Binding” campaign that led to the inclusion of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Arms Trade Treaty. We believe this is an important opportunity to ensure that gendered considerations are at the heart of arms control and disarmament efforts. We encourage states parties to approach this opportunity with ambition, but also with a view to action-oriented outcomes that will have a real impact on practice. An important first step in that direction is diversifying the inputs to our discussions. This means consulting with gender specialists, civil society experts, non-binary people, and crucially, those who have experienced arms-related GBV particularly in local contexts. Such people should be included on...
Presentation on gender, weapons, and power: the importance of feminism for disarmament
The following is a presentation delivered by Reaching Critical Will’s Director, Ray Acheson, at an event hosted by the London School of Economics' Centre for Women, Peace and Security on "Women and Weapons" on 13 December 2018. The audio of the full panel event is available on Soundcloud. Today, I want to talk about the concept of violence, and how weapons and violence, and the interrelation of these two things, are so highly gendered, and how this impedes disarmament. I want to talk beyond the participation of women in disarmament processes. I want to get into gender dynamics and gender norms, and how these can affect how we operate in disarmament processes—what we’re allowed to say, what seems credible, and what kind of policy decisions we can therefore take. Just a caveat: when I’m talking about gender, I’m not talking about all men this, or all women that. I’m talking about gender norms, about how we’re expected to behave as men and women, and how any kind of other...
Civil society statement on cyber and human security to the 2018 First Committee
The following statement was delivered by Allison Pytlak, Manager of the Reaching Critical Will programme of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, at the 2018 UNGA First Committee in New York on 18 October 2018. The word “cyber” has come to represent an ever-widening spectrum of activities and concerns. Many of these have the ability to negatively impact, disable, or destroy vital physical infrastructure or national or human security. Cyber operations have become an effective tool for states seeking to disrupt or exercise power, and a primary method for the conduct of espionage. This year at the First Committee, states will decide the mechanism through which they will work collectively to address many of these threats. It appears likely that agreement will be reached on creating a new Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on the issue. Over the course of the General Debate, we have heard strong calls of support for reviving either this, or another, entity, yet...
Civil society statement on gender to 2018 First Committee
The following statement was delivered by Gabriella Irsten of WILPF Sweden, at the 2018 UNGA First Committee in New York on 18 October 2018. The negative impacts of patriarchy on our society are on full display when it comes to weapons, war, and militarism. The dominant discourse on these subjects tends to reinforce the highly problematic gendered norm that men are violent and powerful and women are vulnerable and need to be protected. Challenging these norms is an important aspect of our work in First Committee, where we must promote the norm that disarmament is a process of strength, rationality, and justice. That peace and nonviolence are credible objectives. That we can work collectively to achieve security through disarmament and restrictions on the use of force and violence. Recently, some disarmament forums have taken up the task to highlight the importance of gender diversity and the inclusion of women in their processes. • The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of...
ICAN statement to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons
The following statement was delivered by Ray Acheson, Director of the Reaching Critical Will programme of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and representative on the International Steering Group of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), to the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons at the United Nations in New York on 26 September 2018. I’m speaking today on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. With 532 partner organisations in 103 countries, we are a truly global movement. We were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for our work with governments to bring to fruition the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We’re speaking here today as a voice of passion and persistence in the quest to make our world more secure, more just, and more equitable. For us, abolishing nuclear weapons is about preventing violence and promoting peace. Some say this is a dream, that we live in a time...
WILPF statement to the CCW Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonmous Weapon Systems
The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom has just concluded its 32nd International Congress in Accra, Ghana. While there, WILPF’s African Sections held a meeting on autonomous weapons. They recognised that while their countries may not be the ones to develop and use these technologies, their countries will become the battlegrounds for the testing and deployment of killer robots, the same as they have become for armed drones. These activists know that it will be the rich countries using these weapons against the poor—and the rich within countries using it against their own poor, through policing and internal oppression. Throughout WILPF’s 103-year history, we have seen that weapons symbolise power. Whether it is small arms or atomic bombs, weapons have been developed and used to dominate others. We also know that the production and proliferation of weapons means profits for corporations and their leaders. The potential development of autonomous weapon systems...
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Presentation on gender norms and gun violence
The following is a presentation delivered by Reaching Critical Will’s Director, Ray Acheson, at a side event hosted by the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) on 26 June 2018 on the margins of the Third Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. The event launched IANSA’s “Call to Action on Gender and Small Arms and Light Weapons,” to which WILPF contributed. A note about gender: when I refer to gender throughout this presentation, I am not talking about biological sex. I am not talking about male and female bodies. I am talking about the socially constructed expectations and norms about how we are supposed to perform as women and as men. Yesterday, at another side event, my colleague from WILPF Colombia said, “Weapons still symbolise power. In order to change legislation, we must first change this perception.” Changing this perception requires gender analysis, because more than anything else, the...
WILPF statement to the 2018 NPT PrepCom
The following statement was delivered by Allison Pytlak, Manager of the Reaching Critical Will programme of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, at the 2018 NPT Preparatory Committee in Geneva on 25 April 2018. Our statement today will cover two distinct yet equally important issues. The first is the expansion, development, or “modernisation” of nuclear arsenals. Such programmes are not just about increasing the safety and security of nuclear weapon systems, as is what is often claimed. In many cases, the “upgrades” provide entirely new capabilities to the weapon system. As one state party noted during the general debate, the confluence between new technologies and traditional deterrence approaches presents a potentially “disastrous mix”. Let’s consider a few examples, taken from the 2018 edition of Assuring destruction forever, published last week and available on our website.1 China’s modernisation programme is adding significant new capabilities to its...
WILPF statement to the UN Group of Governmental Experts on autonomous weapons
The following statement was delivered by Sylvie Ndongmo, Director of WILPF Cameroon, at the Group of Governmental Experts meeting on autonomous weapons in Geneva on 13 April 2018. The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom is a member of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. Many of you many know us by the name of our disarmament programme, Reaching Critical Will. As a campaign member, we are in solidarity the points raised by the Campaign in its statement. Independent from that however, we have over the last four and a half days, been listening closely to the statements made in the room including in order to provide monitoring and analysis, such as through our publication, the CCW Report. In the course of listening, it has become evident that that there is strong convergence and preference among states to move forward toward new international law, and to do so by the end of this year. In our view, that law should be a prohibition and ensure the principles of human...