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30th January 2001 Public Statement on Nuclear Weapons DisarmamentDear friends The world today faces a stark choice between continued proliferation of nuclear weapons, and real steps towards a Nuclear Weapons Convention and a nuclear weapons free world. We, the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the Bristol area join with all those who are concerned to give more publicity to the New Agenda Resolution. This was recently passed by 146 votes to 3 (with 8 abstentions) at the United Nations General Assembly. This resolution proposes incremental steps towards nuclear disarmament. It gives renewed impetus to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. We applaud the British delegation for helping to achieve this result. However, it must be followed by concrete action. We urge the British government to continue working towards worldwide nuclear disarmament and to reject further nuclear proliferation. This will be most readily achieved if our country removes nuclear warheads from our missiles, and refuses facilities for the proposed American National Missile Defence System ("Son of Star Wars"). Now is the time to make your voice heard. Please write to your MP, asking her/him to convey these views to Robin Cook at the Foreign Office. Ben Barman |