28 March 2007: for immediate release

UK Completes Abolition of Chemical Weapons Under International Treaty

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament today renewed its call for a diplomatic effort by all States to approve a Nuclear Weapons Convention banning all nuclear weapons. A draft Nuclear Weapons Convention is already lodged at the United Nations. (note 1)

A recent YouGov poll commissioned by CND found that 64% of the British public want the government to support a convention banning all nuclear weapons. (note 2)

CND’s latest call for multilateral nuclear disarmament initiatives comes as the Ministry of Defence announced yesterday that it had finished dismantling all remaining chemical weapons, as required under the Chemical Weapons Convention, signed by 182 nations.

Commenting on the abolition of Britain’s chemical weapons stockpile, a MoD spokesman said, ‘Britain now no longer has any chemical weapons, usable or not. What we’ve destroyed is a drop in the ocean, but symbolically it’s very important.’ (note 3)

Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said:

‘By completing its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention to destroy all remaining chemical weapons, Britain has demonstrated that it is possible for a Convention banning an indiscriminate weapon of mass destruction to have a serious impact in creating a safer world.’

‘Our government must immediately overturn the decision to replace Trident and take a leading role in advancing a Nuclear Weapons Convention which would ban all nuclear weapons.’

end

Notes to Editor:

1. The text of the draft Nuclear Weapons Convention is available online at http://www.middlepowers.org/mpi/docs/model_convention.pdf
2. For a full copy of the YouGov/CND poll, visit www.cnduk.org/pages/polljanuary07.pdf
3. Schneidmiller, Chris. “United Kingdom Destroys ‘Legacy’ Chemical Weapons Stock.” Global Security Newswire. 27 March 2007. http://www.nti.org/d_newswire/issues/2007_3_27.html#5D43E546
4. For further information and interviews please contact Rick Wayman, CND's Press & Communications Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
5. According to a July 2006 ICM poll, 59% of the British public opposes a replacement of Trident when presented with a cost of at least £25 billion. Click here for a full copy of the poll.
6.The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. www.cnduk.org