Draft treaty on banning possession and use of nuclear weapons released by UN panel

UN panel releases draft treaty banning possession and use of nuclear weapons https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/23/un-panel-releases-draft-treaty-banning-possession-and-use-of-nuclear-weapons

States would have to destroy any nuclear weapons they have and would be forbidden from transferring them, Guardian, Ben Doherty , 23 May 17, A United Nations-backed panel has publicly released a draft treaty banning the possession and use of all nuclear weapons.

The draft treaty is the culmination of a sustained campaign, supported by more than 130 non-nuclear states frustrated with the sclerotic pace of disarmament, to prohibit nuclear weapons and persuade nuclear-armed states to disarm.

Nine countries are known or believed to possess nuclear weapons: the US, UK, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel. None has supported the draft plan.

The draft treaty obliges state parties to “never under any circumstances … develop, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices … use nuclear weapons … [or] carry out any nuclear weapon test”.

States would also be obliged to destroy any nuclear weapons they possess and would be forbidden from transferring nuclear weapons to any other recipient.

Costa Rica’s ambassador to the UN, Elayne Whyte Gómez, who chaired the treaty drafting conference, said she expected revisions and there was “a good level of convergence among the delegations, especially on the core prohibitions”.

Disarmament advocates say the draft treaty, supported by dozens of countries, is now on track to be discussed at a second session in New York in mid-June that could end with the document’s adoption as a UN treaty in July.

The US and other nuclear powers have argued states should strengthen and improve the 47-year-old nuclear non-proliferation treaty instead of adopting a total ban.

US officials have cited the threat posed by North Korea, which has conducted a series of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile tests this year, as reason why nuclear deterrence – and gradual nuclear disarmament – is still needed.

Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons (Ican), said the draft language was strong in categorically prohibiting nuclear weapons.

“We are particularly happy the text is rooted in humanitarian principles and that it builds on previous prohibitions of unacceptable weapons, such as biological and chemical weapons, landmines and cluster munitions.”

Fihn urged nuclear-armed and nuclear alliance states to join discussions over a ban treaty, as demonstration of their commitment to disarmament.

“Nuclear weapons are ethically unacceptable in the 21st century. Intended to indiscriminately kill civilians, this 1940s technology is putting countless of lives at risk every day. Their continued existence undermines the moral credibility of every country which relies on them. A treaty to ban them, as a first step towards their elimination, will have real and lasting impact.”

The efficacy of a ban treaty is a matter of fierce debate.

Support has been growing steadily over months of negotiations but it has no support from the nine known nuclear states, which include the veto-wielding permanent five members of the UN security council.

Critics argue that a treaty cannot succeed without the participation of the states that possess nuclear weapons, or the alliance states that enjoy their protection.

Australia, citing the deterrent effect of the US nuclear umbrella, has been the most outspoken of the non-nuclear states.

During months of negotiations, Australia has lobbied other countries, pressing the case for what it describes as a “building blocks” approach of engaging with nuclear powers to reduce the global stockpile of 15,000 weapons.

But proponents say a nuclear weapons ban will create moral suasion – in the vein of the cluster and landmine conventions – for nuclear weapons states to disarm, and establish an international norm prohibiting the development, possession and use of nuclear weapons.

Non-nuclear states have expressed increasing frustration with the current nuclear regime and the piecemeal progress towards disarmament.

With nuclear weapons states modernising and in some cases increasing their arsenals, instead of discarding them, more states are becoming disenchanted with the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and lending their support for an outright ban.

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American crazies

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/05/fbi-busts-atomwaffen-neo-nazi-in-florida-for-making-explosives-and-finds-radioactive-materials/
FBI busts ‘Atomwaffen’ Neo-Nazi in Florida for making explosives — and finds radiation materials

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1.This Month

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Human rights in Saudi Arabia – Wikipedia

Human rights in Saudi Arabia are intended to be based on the Hanbali Islamic religious laws under absolute rule of the Saudi royal family.^[1]

The strict regime ruling the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is consistently ranking among the “worst of the worst” in Freedom House‘s annual survey of political and civil rights.^[2]

Qorvis MSLGroup, a US subsidiary of Publicis Groupe, amid the execution of political protesters and opponents, has been working with Saudi Arabia for more than a decade to whitewash its record on human rights.^[3]^[4

Ensaf Haidar, wife of Raif Badawi, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for “insulting Islam”

Saudi Arabia is one of approximately thirty countries in the world with judicial corporal punishment. In Saudi Arabia’s case this includes amputations of hands and feet for robbery, and flogging for lesser crimes such as “sexual deviance” and drunkenness. In the 2000s, it was reported that women were sentenced to lashes for adultery; the women were actually victims of rape, but because they could not prove who the perpetrators were, they were deemed guilty of committing adultery.^[5] The number of lashes is not clearly prescribed by law and is varied according to the discretion of judges, and ranges from dozens of lashes to several hundreds, usually applied over a period of weeks or months. In 2004, the United Nations Committee Against Torture criticized Saudi Arabia over the amputations and floggingsit carries out under Sharia. The Saudi delegation responded defending “legal traditions” held since the inception of Islam 1,400 years ago and rejected interference in its legal system.

The courts continue to impose sentences of flogging as a principal or additional punishment for many offences. At least five defendants were sentenced to flogging of 1,000 to 2,500 lashes. Flogging was carried out in prisons

In 2009, Mazen Abdul-Jawad was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and five years in prison for bragging on a Saudi TV show about his sexual exploits.^[7]^[8]

In 2014, Saudi blogger Raif Badawi‘s sentence was increased to 1,000 lashes and ten years’ imprisonment after he was accused of apostasy in 2012. The lashes were due to take place over 20 weeks. The first round (50) were administered on January 9, 2015, but the second round has been postponed due to medical problems. The case was internationally condemned and put a considerable amount of pressure on the Saudi legal system.

In October 2015,UK pensioner and cancer victim Karl Andree, then 74, faced^[when?] 360 lashes for home brewing alcohol. His family feared the punishment could kill him. However, he was released and returned home in November that year.^[9]

In 2016, a Saudi man was sentenced to 2,000 lashes, ten years in prison and the fine of 20,000 riyals($5,300) for making tweets critical of Islam, and denying the existence of God.^[10]^[11]

Torture[edit]

While Saudi Arabia’s Criminal Procedure Code prohibits “torture” and “undignified treatment” (art. 2) in practice torture and using torture to extract forced confessions of guilt remains common.

According to Amnesty International, security forces continued to torture and ill- treat detainees to extract confessions to be used as evidence against them at trial. According to the organization, 32 defendants accused of spying for Iran were subjected to torture and forced to confess. Detainees were held incommunicado and denied access to their families.^[18]

Capital punishment; right to representation

Ali al-Nimr arrested at 17 for his participation in Arab Spring protests and sentenced to death by beheading at 18

Saudi Arabia engages in capital punishment, including public executions by beheading.^[19] The death penalty can be imposed for a wide range of offences^[20] including murder, rape, armed robbery, repeated drug use, apostasy,^[21] adultery,^[22] witchcraft and sorcery^[23] and can be carried out by beheading with a sword,^[21]stoning or firing squad,^[22] followed by crucifixion.^[23] In 2005 there were 191 executions, in 2006 there were 38, in 2007 there were 153, and in 2008 there were 102.^{[24]………}

Women’s rights Main article: Women’s rights in Saudi Arabia

Saudi women face discrimination in many aspects of their lives, such as the justice system. Although they make up 70% of those enrolled in universities, for social reasons, women make up 5% of the workforce in Saudi Arabia,^[33] the lowest proportion in the world. The treatment of women has been referred to as “sex segregation“^[34]^[35] and “gender apartheid“.^[36]^[37] Implementation of a government resolution supporting expanded employment opportunities for women met resistance from within the labor ministry,^[38] from the religious police,^[39] and from the male citizenry.^[40]

In many parts of Saudi Arabia, it is believed that a woman’s place is in the home caring for her husband and family, yet there are some women who do not adhere to this view and practice, and some run the house instead of the husband himself. Moreover, there is also some type of segregation at homes, such as different entrances for men and women.^[41]

Women’s rights are at the heart of calls for reform in Saudi Arabia – calls that are challenging the kingdom’s political status quo.^[41] Local and international women’s groups are also pushing governments to respond, taking advantage of the fact that some rulers are eager to project a more progressive image to the West…….more .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Saudi_Arabia

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