London, England - Professor Bhupendra Jasani from the Department of War Studies in Kings College, London, spoke about the importance of independent verification in disarmament negotiations at an International Day of Peace observance at UPF's Peace Embassy in London. The September 21 gathering was in support of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s theme for the day, “We Must Disarm.”
He testified about the work of the European Satellite Centre for arms control, confidence monitoring, and crisis management. This organization successfully prodded the UK and the US to publicly acknowledge the importance of developing new techniques and new institutions.
“If there is to be real confidence in the disarmament process, it must start based on accurate information and understanding,” Jasani said. He demonstrated the techniques used to distinguish between a nuclear power station used for energy purposes and one used for enriching plutonium for a nuclear bomb.
Vijay Mehta, Chair of the World Disarmament Campaign and Action for UN Renewal, spoke on the potential for partnership between the United Nations and civil society to promote a world free of nuclear weapons. He explained the world was overspending on war and underspending on peace, and consequently education and health budgets were suffering throughout the world.
Moeen Yaseen, founder of Global Vision 2000, an international Islamic think tank, spoke on “The Military Influence on our Global Economy and the Need for a Paradigm Shift.”
For links to the presentations, click here.
To read UPF's Declaration on the International Day of Peace 2009, click here.