11 December 2014 - Consistent with its long-standing position on global nuclear disarmament, the Philippines actively participated in the third conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons on December 08 hosted by the Austrian Government.
At least 160 countries are participating in the two-day Vienna Conference held at the Hofburg Palace. The Conference aims to highlight the humanitarian consequences and risks associated with nuclear weapons.
Led by Ambassador Libran N. Cabactuan, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations in New York, the Philippines co-chaired the first session of the Conference which focused on the short and long-term consequences of nuclear weapons explosions, especially in the areas of health, environment, climate, food security, and infrastructure, and the potential interaction of these consequences.
“The discussions we are having under the humanitarian context are not a distraction from our efforts to achieve the objectives of the 2010 NPT Action Plan. In fact, our discourse will empower and energize everything that we are doing for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation,” Ambassador Cabactulan underscored in his remarks.
To recall, the Philippines presided over the successful 2010 Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The 2010 Review Conference adopted a 64-point action plan on the path towards total and compete nuclear disarmament.
The Philippines has always maintained that the humanitarian initiative complements the NPT.
The Conclusions and Recommendations for Follow-on Actions of the 2010 NPT Review Conference states the “deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and reaffirms the need for all States at all times to comply with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law.”
Experts in the first session also provided scenarios in the event of a nuclear explosion at a European military base, as well as overview of the history of nuclear testing.
Ambassador Cabactulan co-chaired the panel discussion with Ambassador Alexander Marschik, Austria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Political and Security Policy Committee of the European Union.
The Philippines also co-hosted a side event together with the Global Security Institute (GSI) which featured prominent religious leaders united in pursuing the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
Entitled “Nuclear Weapons and the Moral Compass”, leaders from the World Evangelical Alliance, the United Religions Initiative, and Religions for Peace cited the critical need for a moral compass as basis for the total and complete elimination of nuclear weapons. END