Speaker #1

Ambassador Duarte and states representatives to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty,

We speak to you as representatives of the generations of people, who will inherit the aftermath of the decisions made by you. We disregard the politics of war, religion and economic interests, and speak only of that which must happen to ensure our futures and a safe, clean environment for generations to come. Do not underestimate us. We are intelligent, articulate and strategic. We are organisers, rallying our peers, strengthening our power bases and analysing the structures, which define our lives. We have been taught to think critically, uphold our rights to free speech and free thought and protest. We are unflinching in our critique and evaluation of the societies we live in and we will be unflinching in our critique of the current state of the NPT.

Why? Because we ARE the future. We will inherit the legacy of your generation, and because you are discussing matters that may be more important to us than to you, we want to communicate our concern to you, the representatives of the States parties to the NPT. We want you to know our wishes and suggestions for the future, our future, the world of today's youth.

Whatever comes up during the following weeks, whatever fine points you may argue or agree about, please keep in mind the first goal stated in the preamble of the UN charter: your primary obligation is to save future generations from the scourge of war.

Speaker #2

In our world we face a myriad of crises. We are forced to discover over and over again that the moral values conveyed to us at school, at home, in books and in the media are not subscribed to by those walking the corridors of power. It seems that democratic values, taught to us as sacrosanct, are meaningless in the international community.

In our world, the primary organ for the regulation of international conflict and the creation of peace is dominated by men. Of the fifteen members of the UN Security Council, five are permanent and have the right of veto. These five are held by the declared Nuclear States. On this basis, it appears that the NPT will never be upheld — if the US, Russia, Britain, China and France continue to have the right to veto. We recommend that the Security Council be reinvented to reflect gender equality and maintain a democratic process and commitment to justice.

Here at the NPT Review Conference, nations gather to engage in negotiations, which have failed. Long-standing nuclear weapons States, such as the US, are adopting new doctrines which support proliferation and are planning new nuclear weapons, while more countries are pursuing the nuclear option. Nuclear arsenals around the world are being developed in defiance of the disarmament obligations enshrined in NPT. Recently, the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, warned that “ we are approaching a point at which the erosion of the nuclear regime could become irreversible and result in a cascade of proliferation”.

Speaker #3

We ask you: What do you intend to hand over to us, the next generation? Will you give us a world in which disarmament exists on paper while billions are spent to develop the ultimate in war technology and the means of mass murder? Will you give us nations who are quick to go to war with the concern of enemies harbouring nuclear weapons, while deploying and developing their own? Or will you give us a world united under a common constitution that limits military armaments and eliminates entirely the possibility of nuclear holocaust? Will you be able to answer this in good conscience to your children and grandchildren?

Can you explain to us how a tiny minority is able to completely block negotiations for a nuclear weapons convention? How can it be that this minority is made up of those who claim to champion democratic values?

We are taught in school that the foundation of a functioning community is the acceptance of the rule of law by every member. In reality, we see how the mighty and powerful arbitrarily break International Law in pursuit of their national interests. What would happen to a citizen who refused to obey valid laws or interpreted them only to suit their own interest? What would you say if contracts you signed were not taken seriously? This is the behaviour we see continually at the international level.

If you fail to take concrete steps toward a nuclear-weapon free world, how will you answer for burdening us with such a horrifying menace? How can we forgive you?

Speaker #4

We, the youth of this world, are willing to learn from the mistakes of the past. We want a future of strong nations bound by mutual respect and International Law. And International Law demands a nuclear-weapon free world! If you do not give us such a world, we may never have the chance to create it ourselves.

That is why we call on you here and now to tolerate no longer the most terrible and vicious human-made threat to the future of our world. You must do it now, before it is too late. You must begin the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Do it for us, for your children and for all following generations, as a vital step toward a more secure, and peaceful future.

We demand, in the name of all the children of our one world, the immediate, unqualified, total abolition of all nuclear weapons for the wellbeing of humankind and our common future.