CANADIAN NETWORK TO ABOLISH NUCLEAR WEAPONS
c/o 208 - 145 rue Spruce Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 6P1
Telephone: (613) 233-1982 FAX (613) 233-9028

April 27, 2005

The Right Honourable Paul Martin
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0A6

Dear Sir:

RE: May 2005 NPT Review Conference

May we begin by commending your government on your decision not to participate in the US ballistic missile defence program. We believe that this program will encourage the maintenance of, and possible increase in nuclear weapons arsenals in the world contrary to the legal obligation falling upon all states to eliminate their nuclear weapons. Your decision speaks out strongly in support of the rule of international law. We congratulate you and your Cabinet!

We now ask you to give a clear and strong mandate to the Canadian delegation to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (“NPT”) Review Conference in New York this May, and to encourage several specific initiatives.

This Conference comes at a time of crisis for the Treaty triggered not solely by concern about possible Iranian and North Korean acquisition of nuclear weapons but also due to several other extremely serious factors:

a) the deployment of 4000 American and Russian nuclear warheads on high alert status (capable of being launched in under 15 minutes) and at launch on warning;
b) the failure of all nuclear weapons states to engage in good faith in negotiations toward the elimination of nuclear weapons;
c) threats of first use of American nuclear weapons against certain named states, against non-nuclear attacks using chemical or biological weapons, or in the event of "surprising military developments" or "unexpected contingencies";
d) the failure of the US to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty;
e) the continued allocation of $40 billion annually by the U.S. Government for nuclear forces with work continuing on maintaining and upgrading all weapons types;
f) the adoption of policies of first use of nuclear weapons by Russia, Britain, France, Pakistan and India;
g) the development by Russia of maneuverable missiles to overcome threats of interception.

Clearly this situation is a grave one. In the Report of the UN Secretary General's High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change this warning is set out:
"We are approaching a point at which the erosion of the non-proliferation regime could become irreversible and result in a cascade of proliferation." (emphasis added)

To strengthen the NPT process and to avert this anticipated crisis , we encourage the Government of Canada to give full support to a public call and concerted action by the Canadian delegation for:

a) Urgent steps for reducing the operational readiness of nuclear weapons ("de-alerting", including an immediate end to launch-on-warning status)
b) creation of a special body to work on nuclear disarmament
c) rapid negotiations on a treaty banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons
d) no backtracking on agreements reached at the 1995 and 2000 Review Conferences.

We have been encouraged by Canada’s leadership on issues of transparency and accountability, including reporting by states party to the Treaty, NGO access to Treaty proceedings and strengthening the NPT’s institutional deficit. We will continue our partnership in this work.

There is no greater threat to the survival of humankind and the well-being of our environment than that posed by the continued existence of nuclear weapons. We therefore urge you to pay your most serious attention to the NPT Review Conference and to give Canada's Ambassador for Disarmament a clear mandate for strong Canadian action. Thank you in advance for your response to this urgent request.

Sincerely,
Bev Delong, Chairperson

The organizations listed below endorse this letter. Those marked with an * are members of the Canadian Network to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (CNANW).
Canada, Democracy and International Law
* Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility
* Canadian Peace Alliance/ l'Alliance canadienne pour la paix
* Centre de ressources sur la non-violence
First Unitarian Congregation of Ottawa
International Institute of Concern for Public Health, Toronto
* Lawyers for Social Responsibility
* Pacific Campaign for Disarmament & Security
* Physicians for Global Survival
Polaris Institute
Project Ploughshares Calgary
* Project Ploughshares
* Science for Peace
* World Federalist Movement - Canada / Mouvement fédéraliste mondial (Canada)
* World Conference on Religions for Peace (Canada)
* United Nations Association in Canada/Association canadienne pour les Nations Unies
* Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, National
Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, Ontario-Quebec Region