Abolition 2000 – Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons

Citizens Weapons Inspections Working Group

Mission Statement

The Citizens Inspection Working Group (CIWG) is a working group of Abolition 2000 – a global network calling for a treaty to eliminate nuclear weapons as required by Article VI of the NPT. The CIWG seeks to expose the hypocrisy and the use of double standards by some NPT member states who condemn countries for possessing or trying to develop weapons of mass destruction(WMD) while they develop new lethal WMD and do nothing to honor their treaty obligations for disarmament.

The CIWG aims to hold Governments accountable, to educate and alert citizens of the presence of nuclear weapons, and to support the goal of abolishing all weapons of mass destruction. The CIWG aims to support citizen groups who inspect sites and report their findings to the public, United Nations, national governments and other interested parties. Co-conveners are the Los Alamos Study Group (USA) www.lasg.org and For Mother Earth (Belgium) www.motherearth.org.


News & Events

Turi Vaccaro: Ploughshares activist in prison in the Netherlands
Breda, 27th October 2005 – 52 year old Ploughshare activist Turi Vaccaro was sentenced to six months in prison this morning by the police judge in Breda, Holland. He has also been ordered to pay 750,000 euro damages to the Ministry of Defence; and if he does not pay this amount it will be converted to another 360 days in prison. His lawyer, Meindert Stelling, is considering an appeal. (For Mother Earth, Oct. 27, 2005 )

Belgian House of Representatives Asks Withdrawal of U.S. Nuclear Weapons from Europe
The Belgian House of Representatives has adopted a resolution on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, calling for the withdrawal of the US nuclear weapons based in Europe. They also ask to exclude nuclear weapons from the common EU security policy. This is the second time that a parliamentary assembly in Europe demands the withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons. The Belgian Senate approved a similar resolution last April 21st 2005, just prior to the NPT Review Conference in New York which ended in failure.

Faslane G8 Blockade
Reports from the July 4 th protest at the home port for the British Trident nuclear armed submarines organized by the Scottish CND.

500 bombspotters Arrested During Massive Citizens Inspection of NATO Nuclear Weapons
Read the reports from citizens inspections of the NATO-HQ, SHAPE and Kleine Brogel airbase coordinated by Greenpeace activists from the six NATO countries currently hosting the 480 nuclear weapons based in Europe: Italy, Germany, Belgium, UK, Turkey and the Netherlands.

Take Action

Sign the Authorization for Citizens’ Inspections

Subscribe to the CIWG E-mail Listserv
Send an e-mail to: Abolition-CIWG-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Resources and Websites

Bombspotting
Citizens Weapons Inspection Handbook
Citizen Weapons Inspection Teams
For Mother Earth
Gewaltfreien Aktion Atomwaffen Abschaffen (GAAA)
Greenpeace International
Los Alamos Study Group

Contact Information
For more information on citizens inspections and how you can get involved, contact:

Greg Mello
Los Alamos Study Group
2901 Summit Place NE, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA
Phone: 505.265.1200
Fax: 505.265.1207
gmello@lasg.org
http://www.lasg.org

Pol D’Huyvetter
For Mother Earth – Voor Moeder Aarde vzw
K. Maria Hendrikaplein 5
9000 Gent – Belgium
Phone: +32-9-242 87 52 or 04
Fax: +32-9-242 87 51
pol@motherearth.org
http://www.motherearth.org/