The G20 response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and fears of nuclear annihilation was that ‘today’s era must not be of war.’ As such, we require a new political and technical strategy for arms control and disarmament. 

Just as at the bleakest moment of the Second World War, Franklin Roosevelt set an objective of disarmament, so now we can do no less. With Russian president Vladimir Putin and foreign minister Sergey Lavrov having made a number of statements widely seen as threatening the use of nuclear weapons, an accelerating arms race taking place in the East, and global military spending reaching an estimated $2,000,000,000,000, never has there been a more pressing time for general and complete disarmament. Thus, SCRAP Weapons calls upon these states to support the activation of a Special Session on Disarmament at the United Nations General Assembly.

 SCRAP Weapons invites you to a hybrid conference on Friday 24th February 2023, 4pm at SOAS University of London to build a global constituency to support the convening of the next Special Session on Disarmament and take its agenda to the United Nations General Assembly, in order to uphold the United Nations’ sixteenth Sustainable Development Goal of ‘peace, justice and strong institutions.’ SCRAP Weapons’ Conference will explore how to make the G20’s call a reality, assisting peace in Ukraine and beyond. Join us to shape a road-map to a new era of peace and disarmament.

Speakers:

Representative of Brazil

Robert Harrap, General Director, Soka Gakkai International-UK

Henrietta Wilson, Researcher and Educator, Kings College London, SOAS University of London & University of Bristol

Martin Butcher, Policy Advisor on Arms, Conflict and International Humanitarian Law, OXFAM

Lucy Tiller, Founding Member, Youth4TPWN & Advisory Committee Member, SCRAP Weapons

Monalisa Hazarika, Leaders 4 Tomorrow, UNODA

Indrajeet Ramana Nand, Project Assistant, SCRAP Weapons

Gurpreet Kaur, Project Assistant and Expert in Feminist Approaches to Disarmament, SCRAP Weapons

James Luk, Project Assistant, SCRAP Weapons