As the United Nations General Assembly starts its 72nd session in New York, Citizens of the World know that history asks us "We the peoples" to take up the task of building a harmonious world society of dignity and peace for all. The Association of World Citizens (www. worldcitizensunited.org) stresses that world peace depends on increasing cooperative action among all peoples. We need, with a renewal of will, to work together within a global framework of world law, justice and orderly social change.
The Association of World Citizens is highlighting four areas of action for the UN General Assembly on which we have been urging Member States to act:
1) Resolution of armed conflicts in the Wider Middle East: Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya.
2) Reduction of tensions among North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, and the United States of America. As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said in his opening statement "We must not sleepwalk our way into war."
3) The signature and rapid ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
4) Advancing the 2015-2030 Sustainable Development Goals with an emphasis on ecologically-sound development.
The Association of World Citizens, a non-governmental organizatiion in consultative status with ECOSOC and long active in disarmament and arms control, welcomes the many signatures by States of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on 20 September at the United Nations in New York. Signature is a first step towards the ratification by 50 Member States needed for the Treaty to come into force.
The Treaty will join the conventions prohibiting chemical and biological weapons, landmines and cluster munitions in strengthening the norm that weapons that cause unaceptable harm cannot remain legal.
The Association of World Citizens believes that the rapid ratification of the Treaty is an important aspect for the reduction of current regional tensions and a crucial step toward the creation of a peaceful and just world society
Your cooperation is most welcome.
Rene Wadlow, President, Association of World Citizens
