Conference
Background
The 62nd Annual Conference for Non-Governmental Organizations on the theme “For Peace and Development: Disarm Now” is a fitting tribute to a country and region that have demonstrated that nuclear-free zones are feasible, while contributing to mankind’s development and security. Mexico City the host capital of this year’s gathering of the global NGO community was indeed the place where the historic “Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America” commonly referred to as the “Treaty of Tlatelolco,” was signed on 14 February 1967. Tlatelolco is the Aztec name of the district in the Mexican Capital where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now located. The groundbreaking accord was steadfastly advocated by the late Alfonso Garcia Robles, a distinguished Mexican statesman, who was awarded the 1982 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
This is the second year that the DPI/NGO Conference will be held outside United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Last year, the 61st Annual Conference, dedicated to “Reaffirming Human Rights for All,” was suitably held in Paris, France, where the Universal Declaration for Human Rights was adopted six decades earlier.
Since its inception, the United Nations has staunchly stood behind the belief that peace and security for all peoples can only be possible through disarmament – both nuclear and conventional. The General Assembly held its first special session on Arms Regulation and Disarmament in 1978. The aim was to set a new course in international affairs, turn states away from a nuclear and conventional arms race, and obtain agreement on a global strategy for disarmament. This session was the largest, most representative meeting of nations ever convened to consider the question of disarmament. For the first time in history, the international community achieved a consensus on a comprehensive disarmament strategy. This first session reaffirmed the fundamental importance of disarmament to international peace and security and recognized the continued need for a single multilateral negotiating forum on disarmament.
Some 31 years later we must once again come together to recognize the undeniable fact that there can be no winners in war and in violence and that it is only through peaceful resolutions that we can truly build solutions to conflicts. As we prepare for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference next May NGOs hope to do their part to support global efforts to defend the interrelated causes of peace, development and disarmament, which form the tripartite foundation of this year’s DPI/NGO Annual Conference.
It is hoped that the three-day exchange of ideas will afford civil society the opportunity to influence the global discussions, and lay the groundwork for the all important 2010 NPT Review Conference.