Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

Irish CND congratulates Michael D. Higgins on his election as the ninth President of Ireland, and welcomes the election as head of state of one of the country's most consistent campaigners for human rights and disarmament.

Irish CND Chairperson, Dr David Hutchinson Edgar, was one of the speakers at a symposium at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to mark UN International Peace Day on 21st September.

On Saturday, 6th August, over 40 people gathered in Dublin's Merrion Square, despite heavy rain, to mark the 66th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. Approximately 80,000 people were killed directly by the bomb blast, with the death toll rising to 140,000 within a year.

The commemoration was addressed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Cllr Andrew Montague, Patrick Comerford, President of the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and His Excellency Mr Chihiro Atsumi, the Japanese ambassador to Ireland.

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has marked the global day of action for the abolition of nuclear weapons with a call on nuclear weapons states to reduce the operational readiness of their nuclear weapons systems as a first step towards disarmament.

The global day of action on June 25th was called by the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, ahead of a two-day summit of the five permanent members of the UN security council in Paris to discuss nuclear security issues.

The Irish CND Executive Committee has unanimously endorsed a new initiative of the World Court Project, voicing the belief that the use of nuclear weapons use would violate international law. The Criminality of Nuclear Weapons (CON) project calls on organisations and individuals to sign an Affirmation voicing their belief that the use of nuclear weapons use would violate international law.

Following the dreadful events of the earthquake and tsunami which affected north-east Japan, Irish CND has written to the Japanese ambassador to Ireland to express our profound sadness at the devastating impact of this catastrophe. Many Irish CND members have visited Japan and feel a strong affinity with the Japanese people.

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has welcomed the ratification of the new START nuclear arms reduction treaty by both houses of the Russian parliament. The treaty was passed unanimously by the Federation Council today, 26 January, following approval by the Russian State Duma yesterday.

The Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament strongly welcomes today's passing of the new US-Russia nuclear arms reduction treaty by the US Senate, by a margin of 71 votes to 26, with the support of thirteen Republicans as well as President Obama's Democrats. Until recent weeks it had seemed likely that Republicans would try to block the passage of the treaty.

Marking the International Day of Action Against Depleted Uranium Weapons on Saturday 6th November, the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Afri are urging the Oireachtas to pass without further delay the Prohibition of Depleted Uranium Weapons Bill, introduced as a Private Members Bill last year in the Seanad, where it has been approved with all-party support.