WCC meets with weapons inspector Hans Blix

-17/06/06

Former top United Nations weapons


WCC meets with weapons inspector Hans Blix

-17/06/06

Former top United Nations weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix, now the chair of The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), has presented the WMDC’s report at the World Council of Churches (WCC) during a ceremony at the Ecumenical Centre on Thursday 15 June 2006.

An open discussion and exchange with an audience of governmental and non-governmental representatives based in Geneva followed the presentation.

Recent years have seen a slowdown and stalemate in the fields of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and Blix was invited to set up and chair The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC) in 2003.

The WMDC report – containing sixty concrete proposals on how the world could be freed of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons – was presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York on 1 June 2006.

Now, in an effort to mobilize governments and civil society, it is being presented to states, nongovernmental organizations and the general public around the world.

On 16 June, a related seminar on “Disarmament for development” was organized by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) with the World Council of Churches at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.

The seminar looked at such topics as military versus social spending, the effects of weapons on sustainable development, anti-personnel landmines and other explosive remnants of war, and the question of small arms.

On 15 June, within the framework of his tour of world political and religious capitals, Dr Blix attended an all-day event on ëStrengthening civil society engagement with the Conference on Disarmament: pro-active strategic involvement on nuclear issuesí, organized by the NGO Committee for Disarmament at the Palais des Nations.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, independent and indigenous churches, now numbering 348, in more than 120 countries, in all continents and from a wide spectrum of Christian traditions.

The WCC world closely with the Roman Catholic Church. Both have made strong statements against the stockpiling, deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.


WCC meets with weapons inspector Hans Blix

-17/06/06

Former top United Nations weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix, now the chair of The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), has presented the WMDC’s report at the World Council of Churches (WCC) during a ceremony at the Ecumenical Centre on Thursday 15 June 2006.

An open discussion and exchange with an audience of governmental and non-governmental representatives based in Geneva followed the presentation.

Recent years have seen a slowdown and stalemate in the fields of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and Blix was invited to set up and chair The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC) in 2003.

The WMDC report – containing sixty concrete proposals on how the world could be freed of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons – was presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York on 1 June 2006.

Now, in an effort to mobilize governments and civil society, it is being presented to states, nongovernmental organizations and the general public around the world.

On 16 June, a related seminar on “Disarmament for development” was organized by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) with the World Council of Churches at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva.

The seminar looked at such topics as military versus social spending, the effects of weapons on sustainable development, anti-personnel landmines and other explosive remnants of war, and the question of small arms.

On 15 June, within the framework of his tour of world political and religious capitals, Dr Blix attended an all-day event on ëStrengthening civil society engagement with the Conference on Disarmament: pro-active strategic involvement on nuclear issuesí, organized by the NGO Committee for Disarmament at the Palais des Nations.

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, independent and indigenous churches, now numbering 348, in more than 120 countries, in all continents and from a wide spectrum of Christian traditions.

The WCC world closely with the Roman Catholic Church. Both have made strong statements against the stockpiling, deployment and use of weapons of mass destruction as contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.