Aufruf von Gesetzgeberinnen für menschliche Sicherheit, Gesundheitswesen, Frieden und nachhaltige Entwicklung

Die Regierungen müssen die Militärausgaben senken und ihren Fokus auf die menschliche Sicherheit und die globale Zusammenarbeit verstärken sowie die dazugehörigen Budgets erhöhen, um sich von der COVID-19-Pandemie zu erholen, den Klimawandel zu bekämpfen und eine nachhaltige Zukunft zu gewährleisten. Dies geht aus einem von Gesetzgeberinnen veröffentlichten internationalen Appell der Parlamentarier für nukleare Nichtverbreitung und Abrüstung (PNND), der Lobby der Gesetzgeberinnen (WiLL) und dem World Future Council hervor.

Der Appell „Menschliche Sicherheit für das Gesundheitswesen, Frieden und nachhaltige Entwicklung“ wird von mehr als 250 Gesetzgeberinnen, religiösen Führerinnen und Anführerinnen der Zivilgesellschaft aus 50 Ländern unterstützt.* Er wurde am 24. Mai anlässlich des Internationalen Frauentags für Frieden und Abrüstung veröffentlicht. Dabei unterstützt der Appell insbesondere die Initiativen der Vereinten Nationen für Frieden und Abrüstung, einschließlich der globalen Waffenstillstandsinitiative und der Abrüstungsagenda des UN-Generalsekretärs.

„Die Pandemie hat unbestreitbar gezeigt, dass Schlüsselfragen der menschlichen Sicherheit nicht mit militärischen Mitteln oder unabhängig von einzelnen Nationen gelöst werden können, sondern globale Zusammenarbeit, Diplomatie und Frieden benötigen. Die Vereinten Nationen und ihre Organisationen, wie die Weltgesundheitsorganisation und das Umweltprogramm der Vereinten Nationen, sind für den Aufbau einer solchen Zusammenarbeit und eines solchen Friedens von entscheidender Bedeutung. Sie müssen besser unterstützt werden “, sagt Alexandra Wandel, Geschäftsführende Direktorin des World Future Council.

„Unsere Prioritäten sind klar - es ist Zeit aufzuhören, die Taschen von Verteidigungsunternehmen zu füllen und wichtige Steuergelder für Atomwaffen auszugeben. Stattdessen müssen wir die Ressourcen nutzen, um die wirtschaftliche Erholung von der Pandemie zu unterstützen. Wir werden globale Zusammenarbeit brauchen, um unsere Nationen wiederaufzubauen. Gesetzgeberinnen, religiöse Führerinnen und Organisationen der Zivilgesellschaft setzen sich für die Forderung nach menschlicher Sicherheit ein “, erklärt Jennifer Blemur, Direktorin der Lobby der Gesetzgeberinnen.

„Die Produktion von Atomwaffen zerstört unseren Planeten, das universelle Glück nährt unsere Welt“, sagt eine der Befürworterin des Appells, Ela Gandhi, Vorsitzende des Gandhi Development Trust und Enkelin von Mahatma Gandhi.

„Deshalb müssen wir auch die UN-Initiative für einen globalen Waffenstillstand unterstützen“, erklärt Vanda Proskova, Koordinatorin für PNND Tschechische Republik und eine der Organisatorinnen des Appells. „Frauen auf der ganzen Welt wissen, dass bewaffnete Konflikte in ihren Gemeinden die Auswirkungen des COVID-19 auf die öffentliche Gesundheit und das menschliche Leid verstärken und die Bewältigung schwierig, wenn nicht unmöglich, machen. Waffenstillstände sollten in dauerhafte Friedensabkommen umgewandelt werden, bei denen Frauen uneingeschränkt an den Verhandlungen und der Umsetzung von Friedensabkommen beteiligt sind. Es hat sich gezeigt, dass Friedensprozesse unter Einbeziehung von Frauen eher stabilere Friedensabkommen erzielen und nachhaltiger sind. “

Der Aufruf erinnert auch an den 75. Jahrestag der Vereinten Nationen, die gegründet wurden, um „nachfolgende Generationen vor der Geißel des Krieges zu retten.“

„Die Vereinten Nationen verfügen über eine Reihe von Mechanismen, mit denen Nationen Konflikte lösen, Abrüstung aushandeln und humanitäre Probleme angehen und Sicherheit durch Diplomatie und nicht durch Krieg erreichen können", stimmen die Koordinatorinnen des Aufrufs zu. „Wir fordern alle Regierungen nachdrücklich auf, diese Mechanismen besser zu nutzen, einschließlich der Annahme der obligatorischen Zuständigkeit des Internationalen Gerichtshofs für Internationale Konflikte (74 Länder haben dies bereits getan) und die nukleare Abschreckung und das provokative Wettrüsten durch den Verlass auf ein System gemeinsamer Sicherheit zu ersetzen."

* Der Appell wird von Gesetzgeberinnen, religiösen Führerinnen und Anführerinnen der Zivilgesellschaft aus Afghanistan, Argentinien, Australien, Österreich, Belgien, Kamerun, Kanada, der Demokratischen Republik Kongo, Costa Rica, Kroatien, der Tschechischen Republik, Dänemark, Ecuador, Finnland und Frankreich unterstützt , Deutschland, Ghana, Ungarn, Island, Indien, Indonesien, Iran, Irland, Italien, Japan, Kasachstan, Kenia, Liechtenstein, Mexiko, Marokko, Niederlande, Neuseeland, Nicaragua, Norwegen, Palästina, Philippinen, Polen, Rumänien, Russland, Ruanda, Senegal, Südafrika, Südkorea, Spanien, Schweden, Schweiz, Togo, Vereinigte Arabische Emirate, Uruguay, Vereinigtes Königreich und die Vereinigten Staaten.

Der Appell ist in Arabisch, Englisch, Französisch, Deutsch, Russisch und Spanisch verfügbar.

Quotes from some of the Endorsers

Nuclear weapons production destroys our planet, universal happiness nurtures our world.”
Ela Gandhi (South Africa). Former Co-President of Religions for Peace. Grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi.
 
“Now is the time to create closer bonds to our brothers and sisters to be more at one with nature, to pull down walls of division and separation and to discard the them and us mentality which fuels the arms race. Poverty and pandemics cannot be eradicated with nuclear weapons and war. We all must cooperate to ensure we co-exist and survive as the human species at one with ourselves, nature and a new earth.”
Mairead Maguire (Northern Ireland). Nobel Peace Laureate (1976).
 

“This year we commemorate the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Today, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the  role of women in the prevention and conflict resolution, peace negotiations, peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian response and in post-conflict reconstruction is more important than ever. Women are not only victims of armed conflict and violence but they can and should be leading  the efforts in peace and security.”
Maria Fernanda Espinosa (Ecuador). President of the 73^rd UN General Assembly. Former Foreign Minister of Ecuador.

“In these moments, more than ever, it is essential to highlight the value of the care work and the value of people - the vast majority women - who carry out this work. Paying attention at the core of policies is essential for a people-centered recovery.”
Pilar Díaz Romero (Spain),  Mayor of Esplugues de Llobregat. Deputy Assistant President responsible for International Relations, Barcelona.

“We welcome Securing Our Common Future, the Disarmament Agenda launched by United Nations Secretary-General (UNSG) in 2018, and we call for warring parties around the world to agree to the UNSG´s appeal of March 2020 for a global ceasefire to help combat the Coronavirus pandemic. It should be accompanied with significant cuts in the production and trade of conventional weapons and small arms, with the goal of achieving sustainable world peace and reducing violence.”
Hon. Daisy Lilián Tourné Valdez (Uruguay), President, Parliamentary Forum Small Arms and Light Weapons

"The current pandemic has once again exposed the gross inequalities in our health infrastructure with women and girls, along with other vulnerable sections of civil society bearing the brunt of its impact. It's time that we stopped this profligate wastage of resources on WMDs, arms and ammunition under the mistaken pretext of security. Instead, we need policies that encourage access to education and healthcare, that boost disaster resilience and replace this fear psychosis with a desire for peace."
Kehkashan Basu (United Arab Emirates/Canada), World Future Council Youth Ambassador. Winner 2016 International Children’s Peace Prize. Named one of Canada’s most 25 influential women of 2018.

“Countries like Canada with a long tradition of multilateralism and UN engagement whilst also holding membership in NATO, a nuclear-armed alliance, have a special responsibility. It is long past time for a shift to sustainable peace and common security, as envisaged by the UN Charter, and Canada must help make that happen.”
Peggy Mason (Canada), President, L’Institut Rideau Institute. Former Canadian Ambassador for Disarmament to the UN.
 
'In this 75th anniversary year of the United Nations, and on International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament, it is my privilege to join other women parliamentarians, mayors and civil society leaders in reaffirming our collective commitment to the founding goals of the United Nations. We must continue to maintain world peace and strive to make the world a better place for people all over the world through cooperation and a shared commitment to the SDGs. And we must support women human rights champions, and those who are being persecuted for promoting peace and equality for all. It is only through our sustained collective action that we can help build a peaceful, secure, sustainable, and just world where all diversity is embraced and we include all citizens as equal human beings.’
Louisa Wall MP (Aotearoa-New Zealand), Deputy Chair of PNND New Zealand and Co-Chair Cross Party Women Parliamentarians. Women’s Rugby World Cup champion.

“Even to speak in terms of "waging war with a virus" reveals our romance with weapons and war frameworks. We are unprepared to meet a global health emergency because we chose to invest in guns and global destruction over genuine human security. The paradox inherent in this moment is that even as we grieve the losses resulting from this current pandemic, we can make better choices for our future.  We can answer the 75-year old call to eliminate weapons of mass destruction, investing our resources instead in our common future.  With our bold actions taken now, we can write a better letter to future generations and call forth a world built on peace, respect, sustainable development, and justice.”
Rev. Emma Jordan-Simpson (USA), Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation Brooklyn, USA.

“It is hard to believe that an incredible high amount of money is still being spent on nuclear armament. At a time, when money is urgently needed for health, education and science.  It is hard to believe that there are still armed conflicts when the only way to combat global threats such as pandemics and climate change is cooperation.”
Christine Muttonen (Austria), Former President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“Nuclear weapons are liabilities, not assets. They do nothing to keep us safe against the pandemic we now face, or the rising threat of climate change, or other threats to our national security. Today, we celebrate the opportunity at hand to redefine our future. This is our chance to redefine what human security truly means so that we can achieve a more peaceful, inclusive and just world.”
Elizabeth Warner (USA), Managing Director, Ploughshares Fund and the Women’s Initiative.
 
“UN SC resolution 1325 stresses the essential role of women in peace making and conflict resolution. COVID19 has exposed our vulnerabilities as nation states. Global security is not achievable by war and military might. It requires global cooperation and mutual trust. Women parliamentarians call for multilateralism to replace conflict and for spending on arms to be redirected to building strong responses to health and climate disasters. We are stronger together.”
Hon. Hedy Fry, P.C., MP. (Canada). Special Representative on Gender Issues for the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

“As the international community faces a resurgence of the threat posed by nuclear weapons, bold, creative, and cooperative diplomatic action to eliminate these dangerous and destabilizing weapons is imperative. As global citizens we must demand that leaders take concrete steps to end the arms race, eliminate the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines, and verifiably dismantle nuclear arsenals, because there is no place for nuclear weapons in a just and sustainable peace.”
Kelsey Davenport (USA), Director for Non-proliferation Policy, Arms Control Association.
 
“I appeal to all world leaders to immediately start working for ceasefires, demining, disarmament and peace processes. The global military budget of $1,700 billion ($100 billion alone on nuclear weapons!) is insane and must urgently be converted to support climate protection, public health, countries most in need and the Sustainable Development Goals!”
Margareta Kiener Nellen (Switzerland), Former Chair of OSCEPA-Committee on Democracy, human rights and humanitarian questions. Board Member of Peace Women Across the Globe (PWAG).

“I'm proud to count myself as an active member of the Women Legislators' Lobby. This is a group that understands just how important each issue is in relation to the next. COVID-19 has made us realize just how small and interconnected the world is. Nuclear armament did not stop this virus and it won't help us to eliminate it. We must reject the rule that tells us that only weapons make us strong. We can no longer ignore the responsibility we have to reimagine our diplomatic place on the international stage. I stand with the Women Legislators' Lobby today and every day as we work to redefine what power is and to simply make this world a better place to be.”
Rep. Carol Ammons (USA). Member, Illinois State Assembly and the Women Legislators’ Lobby.

“Women perspective and their role are crucial for tackling the local and global problems we face today. This current crisis has shown even more this need. We need public policies that brings to centre stage life, cares, peace and cooperation. Gender equality should be an integral part of the solution to address the major challenges of our time, as the Beijing Declaration states, adopted twenty-five years ago in the UN IVth World Women's Conference, which has the full backing of 189 countries. Today we should demand once again that we do not want and need more weapons and military budget but new approaches to resolve conflicts in a non-violent way. I am convinced that most women are on the right path and for this global paradigm shift. We are willing to take the leadership towards a safer, fairer, more peaceful and inclusive world. Only in that way we will be able to achieve a genuine sustainable development."
Alba Barnusell i Ortuño, (Spain) Deputy Mayor for Strategic planning and Governance of the Granollers City Council and Deputy Delegate for Gender Equality Policies of the Barcelona Provincial Council.