2023 PrepCom: International Youth Statement

Statement

Delivered by Ryan Rowe and Harris Agha, NAPF/RTT

We thank you for the opportunity to speak today on behalf of our fellow youth activists and advocates from around the world. Born into a post-Cold War global order, our generation was seemingly predestined to come of age in an era of decreased nuclear tensions in which such weapons would no longer seem necessary, but the haunting spectre of war and conflict has brought the ghosts of a darker past back to the fore. The Federation of American Scientists reports that nuclear arsenals are on the rise, missiles have been moved into Belarus, and a nuclear submarine has been stationed in South Korea for the first time since the Cold War. The safer, healthier world promised by international agreements such as the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has seemingly vanished; and thus we, as the next generation of disarmament activists, have now taken up the fight for our future.

Distinguished Delegates,

We urge all states to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and that all in attendance consider what legacy they desire to pass on to the youth already burdened with the critical threats of climate change, gender inequality, and increasing geopolitical tensions. We ask that you consider whether the continued existence of humanity- endangering weapons will ensure that the world left for future generations is a better one. These steps are not easy but are a necessity if we desire to continue on the long arc to peace and prosperity.

At the same time, we also bear witness to the scars of past crimes committed in the name of security. We emphasise and speak in unison with victims and affected communities in calling for nuclear weapon states to adhere to their Article VI obligations outlined in the NPT, and in advocating for reparations to those directly impacted in all steps of the development and deployment process. We hear their stories and urge those in attendance to do the same.

Distinguished delegates,

We do not stand here with malice toward the states who have not signed the TPNW. We imagine a world without nuclear weapons, a world where we need not be frightened of those few who are capable of annihilating millions of lives with weapons of mass destruction, leaving severe environmental degradation in their wake. But disappointingly, we reside in fear of a world whose society is left to ruin because geopolitical tensions and pride leads to nuclear war against the interests and safety of the global community.

To the honourable delegates of states who have signed onto both the NPT and the TPNW, we applaud you. But our work is not yet complete; the NPT is only a stepping stone on the path to a nuclear weapons-free future. The TPNW has only been ratified in sixty-eight states with twenty-seven signatories. This is not enough. We call upon the twenty-seven current signatories to ratify the treaty. To each state that has not signed onto the TPNW, we call upon you to follow the path of the sixty-eight states who have carved the way in ratifying the treaty and join us in ensuring a safer, more stable global order.

Nuclear deterrence has proven repeatedly to only be an excuse for the continued maintenance of these weapons in the name of “national security.” It is time we took the notion of nuclear disarmament seriously; there must be concrete actions by the nine states with nuclear weapons to dismantle these weapons of mass destruction. It is not enough to solely reduce stockpiles; states must decouple from the nuclear weapons complex and cease technological advancement to improve their nuclear capabilities, not in a few months or years, but immediately if we are to ensure a safer planet.

As youth striving for a world free of nuclear weapons, we request that the states parties take the following actions:

1. Fulfil the legal obligation of nuclear disarmament bound by Article 6 of the NPT, by taking concrete actions to reduce the current highest risk of nuclear weapons use;

2. Promote the discussion with regard to the complementarity between the NPT and TPNW in national governments to further the obligation of nuclear disarmament;

3. Recognize the humanitarian impacts and environmental harms caused by nuclear weapons;

4. Provide resources and tangible support for communities affected by nuclear weapons activities;

5. Foster an environment in which discussions about nuclear disarmament involve youth from all regions, reducing nuclear-weapon states’ ability to control the narrative, encouraging global participation in the total elimination of nuclear weapons;

6. Ensure the participation of youth in all the decision-making processes to reflect youth voices in nuclear policies of the states parties;

7. Reduce military spending on nuclear arms and development and reallocate the resources to other means like peacebuilding;

8. Relate with the UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) to strengthen the idea of peace and disarmament from the youth angle.

Distinguished Delegates,

The status quo is unacceptable; a world with nuclear weaponry is a world that will always be at risk of self-destruction. Each of us has a choice as we listen to a myriad of speeches: will we listen to survivors of nuclear catastrophes, the evidence laid in front of ustime and time again, will we act? Or, will we turn our back and allow the “security” of nine states to pose a threat to global stability? No matter where you’re from, what you do, or what you look like, the destruction nuclear bombs leave in their wake does not discriminate. It is imperative that we recommit ourselves to the lessons of past mistakes, listen to the voices of victims, and take compensatory steps to ease their pain. Lastly, it is critical that we rally together to utilise the NPT as a stepping stone to the TPNW, unless we desire to again play nuclear roulette with the safety of ourselves, our planet, and our future.

Thank you.

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Endorsements

Alka Kaur
ASEAN OBOR Research Academy
ASEAN Youth
ASEAN Youth Organization
ASEAN Youth Organization (AYO) Malaysia
Aydan Syah Nizar
Bagmati UNESCO Club
Best Diplomats
Canadian Voice of Women for Peace
CEHRDF
E medias
Fadhrullah Hakim Yusop
Federation of American Scientists
Forum on Disarmament & Development
Global Youth and Sustainability Organisation
Greenpeace International
Health Diplomacy Society Malaysia
HRC RIGHT TO INFORMATION TRUST (NGO)
International helping for the Young
International Model United Nations
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War's Medical Student Movement LinksMate Holdings
Maia Asy-Syikin binti Al Malik Faisal MALAYSIAN CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL OF ISLAMIC ORGANIZATION Malaysian Youth Diplomacy
My Diplomacy
Nation Building School National Defence University of Malaysia
National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM)
Noah-Benjamin Richter
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
Our turn to change
PEOPLES FEDERATION FOR NATIONAL PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT (PEFENAP) Pertubuhan Perdana Nasional (PPN)
PNND
Preevena Devi Jayabalan
Reverse the Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet
Reverse the Trend Canada
Sahabat Muar
Shaida Salwi
Sky High Consultancy
Soka Gakkai International
UNISC International
University of Reading Malaysia
Women Capacity and Advocacy Initiative
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Canada
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Your Big Year Youth for TPNW