All References to arcuk.org should be replaced with arcwebsite.org because arcuk.org was captured by someone else.

Our email has changed to arcwebsiteuk@gmail.com Note the uk after arcwebsite

In a sense The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) achieved some of its objectives with the coming into force of The Arms Trade Treaty
It entered into force on 24 December 2014. 104 states have ratified the treaty, and a further 32 states have signed but not ratified it.

See Wikipedia Arms Trade Treaty

Join the Arms Reduction Coalition to implement Article 26 by transferring resources from arms to programmes that help the earth and its inhabitants.

The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) is calling for the United Nations (UN) to agree a legally binding instrument requiring UN member States to reduce the amount of resources spent on arms by between 1 and 5 percent per year for a period of 10 to 25 years. This is based on Article 26 of the UN Charter which states "In order to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armaments of the world’s human and economic resources, the Security Council shall be responsible for formulating…, plans to be submitted to the Members of the United Nations for the establishment of a system for the regulation of Armaments".

ARC was formally launched at a meeting organised by Action for UN Renewal (www.action-for-un-renewal.org.uk ) on 7th May 2002 in London, UK. Our Patrons include Dennis Haliday, Bruce Kent, Lord Archer of Sandwell, Alice Mahon MP, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Linda Melvern.

Individuals and organisations are encouraged to join ARC by endorsing our Resolution or becoming a member.  Print our petition and get others to sign it Arms Reduction Coalition Petition. We encourage you to get involved and support Some ARC Supported Campaigns

New Reports

I will be grateful if you could discuss the following with colleagues.

My unasked question at LSE meeting entitled
" The oceans, the blue economy and implications for climate change" on 29th Nov 2023 was
"By highlighting and increasing interest in the blue or ocean economy while the default is NOT do not reap what you do not sow, is there a danger of increased activity by rapacious groups and interests thereby increasing the rate degradation of those environments and extinction of their inhabitants."

I think the current default of reaping whatever nature provides is unsustainable. It causes ills such as extinction, degradation and tragedy of the commons.

It is a categorical imperative for maintaining the environment and the survival of much life on planet Earth that the default is changed to do not reap what you do not sow.

Sure, it will be difficult to get a global agreement, but mechanisms such as quotas, concessions, licensing, and non conformance reporting can mitigate some objections and opposition. Other similar principles/ imperatives may be required for some areas, such as the extraction industry.

Question framed during the meeting: "Can DNA and spectroscopy technologies help traceability. "

Fact I found most interesting:
annual global arms spending (US) $2 trillion,
ocean research $30-40 billion,
Global Ocean Observing System $1 billion.
So arms spending 50 times greater than Ocean research. So much for adherance to article 26 of the United Nations Charter.
Karl Miller 30 November 2023

Some African Voices

Avoiding War in Niger

Karl Miller's letter to the UN Security council and African Union on Avoiding War in Niger. September 2023. "many of the news items I have seen and read recently has me thinking that War against Niger has a high probability. The consequences of such conflict fills me with trepidation and dread"

ARC Analysis of Artificial Trees

Comparison of the world's human and economic resources spent on the military and armaments with the Total cost of the Artificial trees required to remove the current global annual non-energy production CO2 emissions.

"Eastern DRC: What Should the International Community be doing?"
Karl Miller blows off steam after attending a disappointing meeting at the LSE in London 18 March 2009. The illustrious speakers were Clair Short, General Olusegun Obasanjo, James Putzer and David Leonard.
" The International community has the Responsibility to protect the women & children of the DRC according to 1840 and the general population according to international law." "I wish the Obama administration would appoint an envoy for women's and Children's security, that prosecutes 1840 in conflict areas; especially in the DRC." "I think sometimes armies forget their purpose in society and do not provide sufficient benefits for the resources they consume."

Please redistribute, translate, remix, build upon and share these works.

The ARC Resolution has been translated into several languages. Please help us by translating it into more languages and correcting some of our computer translations.
English - The Arms Reduction Coalition Resolution, Czech - Rezoluce Koalice za snízení zbrojení - Czech, French - La Coalition de la Réduction des Armes - français.  German - Der Waffen Verkleinerung Koalition Beschluß-deutsch, Italian - La Coalizione della Riduzione delle Armi: l'italiano  , Portuguese - A Armas Redução Coalizão Resolução - português , Spanish - La Armas Reducción Unión Resolución - español , Dutch - De Wapens Reductie Coalitieresolutie - Nederlands ,  Norweigian - ArmreduksjonskoalisjonsResolusjonen - Norsk,  PAPIAMENTU - e arms reduction coalition resolution - Papiamento, Esperanto - La Arnredudukta Koalico Rezolucio- Esperanto.

You will need the appropriate languages installed on your computer to display some of the translations.

These translations are graphics files because they did not display in my browser. Do tell us if you know how to display all languages in anyone's browser.
Russian text or Graphics Image - Greek  Text or Graphics Image - Arabic  Text or Graphics Image-
  
  
   
  
   
 

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See Network for peace events page www.networkforpeace.org.uk  for many more events.

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Books
Arms No More by Vijay Mehta - Arms no More" booklet is a comprehensive study of small arms, light weapons and weapons of mass destruction – nuclear, biological and chemical. It outlines global efforts to develop and implement effective projects to limit the use and spread of small arms, which stands as a critical challenge to human security. See the new website   VIJAY MEHTA CENTRE FOR PEACE http://www.vmpeace.org

The United Nations and Its Future in the 21st Century by Vijay Mehta. Published by SPOKESMAN for Action for UN Renewal. 2005 ISBN 0 85124 707 5. This collection of essays assesses aspects of the UN’s history, and what might lie ahead for it. The chapters in the book were originally given as lectures in honour of the UN’s free-thinker, critic and constructive analysts’, Erskine Childers. The contributors include: Margaret Anstee * Jayantha Dhanapala * Denis Halliday * Rosalyn Higgins * Razali Ismali *Richard Jolly * Caroline Lucas MEP * Patricia McKenna * Paul Rogers * Ramesh Thakur * Jenny Tonge

Read Introduction to the Book Launch of The United Nations and Its Future in the 21st Century Edited by Vijay Mehta

Lessons from Iraq - The UN must be Reformed by David Roberts - The UN has profound problems, but it can and must be reformed and saved. From Action For UN Renewal

ARC Music

CDs 2 for the price of 1 (limited offer buy Arc Peace Quotes or ARC: The UN and Africa and get the other free)

See ARC CDs Free Music to download and listen to some of the tracks.

Nurturing ARC Instrumentals by Djigui and Aray - Remixed versions of Nurturing ARC speeches music with additional instruments. Includes: Some ARC Voices - Original, Blood Run Done; Cease, Now Peace, ARC Introduction & Resolution, Quotes on the UN and Armaments, Help to Advance ARC, The UN is in Crisis over Africa, Some ARC Voices - Remix, The Spider and the Fly Dub2 (54 Minutes)

Here are some actions you can take to support ARC:

Visit our Reports and Newsletters pages

  Recent additions on our Reports Page:

"Eastern DRC: What Should the International Community be doing?"
Karl Miller blows off steam after attending a disappointing meeting at the LSE in London 18 March 2009. The illustrious speakers were Clair Short, General Olusegun Obasanjo, James Putzer and David Leonard.
" The International community has the Responsibility to protect the women & children of the DRC according to 1840 and the general population according to international law." "I wish the Obama administration would appoint an envoy for women's and Children's security, that prosecutes 1840 in conflict areas; especially in the DRC." "I think sometimes armies forget their purpose in society and do not provide sufficient benefits for the resources they consume."

World Security, Global Governance and the Role of UN For a just, peaceful and sustainable world
A talk given by Vijay Mehta at the conference of World Disarmament Campaign ‘Global Security: New challenges’ 29th October 2007 House of Lords, London
"We need governments and institutions which are transparent, democratic, accountable and can work together with NGOs and civil society. With all its weaknesses and need for reform, the UN is one of the best world institution which has the clout, legitimacy and caliber to solve problems effectively on a world stage. All of these are problems that no one country, however powerful, can solve on its own and which are the shared responsibility of humankind."

Climate Change: How it impacts us all
Vijay Mehta Reports on the 60th Annual DP/NGO Conference United Nations, New York, 5 -7 September 2007 "governments recognize that war is damaging to the climate"

Bursting at the Seams
Alison Williams' notes from Broadcast of  Reith Lecture 1 given by Jeffrey Sachs,   Royal Society, London – 11 April 2007 "Necessary to examine attitudes to peace – thinking it a utopian impossibility was "a dangerous, defeatist belief" , the view that war is inevitable – that we are gripped by uncontrollable forces – and that is not true. Our problems are manmade and can be solved by man. And man can be a big as he wants… Man’s reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly impossible – we should base our hopes on the gradual evolution of human institutions – this is not utopian – we need a series of concrete actions and effective arguments which are in the interests of all concerned – genuine peace must be the product of many countries: there is no single, simple key – it is dynamic, not static: peace is a process, a way of solving problems"

 Survival in the Anthropocene
Alison Williams' notes from Broadcast of  Reith Lecture 2 given by Jeffrey Sachs, Peking University Beijing – 18 April 2007 "the Anthropocene began 200 years ago – the period when human activity overtook parts of the vast natural cycles on the planet in ways that derange the cycles and threaten us in the years ahead"

 The Great Convergence
Alison Williams' notes from Broadcast of  Reith Lecture 3 given by Jeffrey Sachs,  Columbia University, New York – 25 April 2007.  "Jeffrey Sachs was on his home ground for this lecture, with politicians, academics, students and "ordinary New Yorkers" in the audience. The United States at the zenith of its economic power is facing colossal changes as the giants of Asia prepare to take their turn on the world’s stage. "

Obituary – Jim Addington
Vijay Mehta, Author and Vice Chair Action for UN Renewal pays tribute to  Action for UN Renewal's founder and Chair Jim Addington

Carne Ross at Portcullis House (Westminster) on 20^th February 2007
Jim Addington reports on Carne Ross's talk on ‘How the United Nations Security Council makes bad decisions’; subtitled ‘What it is like to be in the Security Council and affected by it’.

Praise Gun Control – And Go For The Ammunition
By Dr Richard Lawson.  "Therefore it is the contention of this short paper that the many agencies with an interest in preventing the suffering and death that follows the use of small arms should concentrate on controlling the ammunition, not the arms"

Nuclear Deterrence and Logic

Dr Richard Lawson examines the nuclear deterrence argument. "In principle, if the consequences of the failure of a system would be infinitely destructive to a civilisation, it is reasonable for that civilisation to use that system if and only if the probability of its failure are zero."

Governments show overwhelming support for Arms Treaty
Control Arms Media Release 26 June 2007 - "Campaigners around the world are celebrating a significant victory after more than 80 governments participated in the UN consultation process on an Arms Trade Treaty. " http://www.controlarms.org/

TALKING POINTS – END OF UN SG DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS ON AN Arms Trade Treaty

Key messages and talking points on the consultation process for the Arms Trade Treaty from www.iansa.org

World Environment Day 2007: A Call to World Public Opinion
From UBUNTU Forum Ad Hoc Secretariat. We encourage you to visit our web page and, if you agree the proposed statement, also to support it through our usual process: http://www.ubuntu.upc.edu/index.php

Farewell to Arms?
The Peace Museum, Bradford, UK has created a smallish permanent exhibition called Farewell to Arms? within the Royal Armouries in Leeds

UK WILPF Newsletter  January 2007

Arms Trade Treaty People’s Consultation Bulletin
From Control Arms campaign International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) www.iansa.org
"50 People’s Consultations are currently planned to take place around the world over the coming months. These will support the global effort to ensure that governments make strong and useful recommendations on the Arms Trade Treaty to the UN Secretary-General. The People’s Consultations will present the views of people who are affected by armed violence and others who are concerned about bringing the arms trade under control and ask their governments to take these into account"

Disarmament for Development: Interlinking the 3D’s – Disarmament, Development and Democracy
by Vijay Mehta. A discussion paper for 2006 World Disarmament Campaign Annual Conference 'Warfare or Welfare? Disarmament for development & global security in the 21st century' Wesley’s Chapel, London 18 November 2006

‘Trident Replacement? What do the Faith Communities of Great Britain say?’
by Vijay Mehta. A Hindu faith perspective. A talk given at the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, (CCND) meeting, 10.30 – 3.30 pm, Saturday, 17th February 2007 The Chapel, Methodist Central Hall,  Westminster, UK

NEW DIRECTIONS FOR THE UNITED NATIONS
A Personal Proposal by Rev. Malcolm Hill

Vancouver leads quest for peace
A report of the World Peace Forum, Vancouver, Canada, 23-28th of June, 2006 By Vijay Mehta
In one of the largest peace gatherings over three thousand international delegates from 97 countries attended the World Peace Forum in the beautiful, green and clean city of Vancouver.

THE DANGER OF ARMS TRADE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND BUILDING CIVIL SOCIETY
25 June 2006, World Peace Forum ,Vancouver, Canada. Henry Angus 210, University of British Columbia
"The workshop examines global threats posed by the spread of small arms, light weapons and weapons of mass destruction- nuclear, biological and chemical. We will discuss old and new dangers posed by arms trade and its effect on the global economy, and point out action plans for prevention of the dangers posed by the arms trade and thereby pave the way for a peaceful civil society" Vijay Mehta

UN Institutional Reform. How can we make the Security Council more representative and work towards abolishing the veto? A discussion paper for the panel on UN reforms World Peace Forum Vancouver, Canada.25 June 2006,  By Vijay Mehta
"The future of the UN lies in it as a major contributor of people and ideas. UN should mobilize international civil society and global public opinion to carry forward a vision for a just and fairer world. Its strength is evident from the fact that when the United Nations passes a resolution, it is seen as speaking for humanity as a whole, thus giving it unique legitimacy and support for an action to be taken by a country. 191 member states should embark on a reform agenda for security council which will make UN accountable, transparent and democratic decision making body, an organisation fit for facing challenges and threats of 21st Century successfully."

Ending War and Building a Just, Peaceful and Sustainable World. MAKING WAR HISTORY. Working for the Deligitimisation of War. World Peace Forum, Vancouver, Canada. 25 June 2006.
The workshop examines how we can develop the vision of a peaceful and just world based on international law and equality among nations. How the United Nations and civil society can interact to eliminate wars and promote a culture of peace and a tolerant society. What are the practical guidelines, non-violent strategies and steps to advance this goal? Vijay Mehta

Peace belongs to us all! Establishing peace through teaching peace: The Role of Education in Establishing Peace and Preparing for the Real Life Obstacles and Opportunities. Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) in association with World Disarmament Campaign (WDC) Public meeting. The House of Lords, London, Monday, 19th June 2006. By Vijay Mehta
"A culture of peace will be achieved when citizens of the world understand global problems; have the skills to resolve conflicts constructively; know and live by international standards of human rights, gender and racial equality; appreciate cultural diversity; and respect the integrity of the Earth. Such learning can not be achieved without intentional, sustained and systematic education for peace"

Global military spending and aid figures for 2005
 Email from Quaker Peace & Social Witness.
 "The figures show once again that it is not a shortage of resources preventing the richer nations from addressing climate change and poverty, which, apart from being problems deserving attention in their own right, are probably the greatest contributors to future insecurity and conflict"

Should Britain be building new nuclear weapons?
What are its implications and what is the peace movement’s strategy ? A discussion paper on replacement of Trident nuclear weapon system. Public meeting: 1 June 2006, 7.30pm UNA (United Nations Association) Streatham and Clapham United Reformed Church Hall, Streatham High Road, London SW16 6XH Speaker Vijay Mehta.
"Can you imagine what the government could spend £25 billion on? It can make our health and education system much better or help reverse worst effects of climate change or meet United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aid target of 0.7% of GNP every year for next 6 years."

I Fail to Understand and Seek to Understand
Two more poems by Seguya.

The Price of Peace- Bread or Bombs Reducing weapons for giving peace a chance,
A talk given by Vijay Mehta at Kings College Social Forum, Strand, London 5th of May, 2006
"The argument of Bread or Bombs is a perversion of resources and logic. Governments spend billions on war instead of spending on desperately needed housing, health, education, and jobs for the poorest people of the world. In economics, the bombs versus bread model is the classic example of the production possibility frontier. It models the relationship between a nation's investment in defence and civilian goods. A nation has to choose between two options when spending its finite resources. It can buy either bombs or bread, or a combination of both. This can be seen as an analogy for choices between military and civilian spending in more complex economies."

Armaments Resolution at the 2006 UNA-UK Conference.
This UNA Conference demands that after a century of delay the British Government puts the reduction of arms and the ending of the pernicious system of arms sales at the top of its agenda.

Towards the peaceful use of national resources in the 21st Century.
Alison Williams report on ARC meeting February 27th in the House of Lords.
"Richard Jolly, Co-Director, UN Intellectual History Project focused directly on Human Security, seeing it as "a frame for rethinking arms reduction and development." "

Revitalising Global Governance and Democracy.
For a just, peaceful and sustainable world. The conference of The New School of Athens Entitled: "Beyond the Millennium Declaration: Embracing Democracy and Good Governance" 9-11 March 2006, Global Governance Group, Athens, Greece. Discussion Paper Session 4: Are Present Global Institutions Still Relevant? By Vijay Mehta
"Global governance is about multilateralist solutions to today’s threats and challenges. It is about international cooperation and stability. It is about holistic approaches to interrelated world problems along with fusion of idealism and practicality. Creating effective global governance is a vision which society can cultivate by tolerance, liberty, justice, equity, and non-violence. The principles on which Global Governance must be based are: transparency, accountability, and respect for democratic values."

Developing policies to use the EU’s power to promote peace and disarmament. A suggested WDC/ARC CO-OPERATION Campaign. FRANK JACKSON. WDC Co-Chair March 2006
"The result is that the world is awash with more weapons of all kinds than ever in history, and of greater destructive power than ever in history, even without considering the doomsday scenario of nuclear holocaust. Part of the mindset noted above is the argument the "weapons do not make war, people do", which is used to oppose any practical moves towards disarmament."

Wars, Arms Reduction and Tackling Poverty. 
How can we reduce violence and build a just and peaceful world. by Vijay Mehta
A joint Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) & Oxfam workshop at the conference on Global campaigning in 2006: How do we follow ‘Make Poverty History’ ? Saturday, 21st January 2006 Birmingham Midland Institute Margaret Street, B3 3BS ,UK
"It should not be a surprise then, that poverty continues to breed conflict. Of the 13 million deaths due to arm conflict in the last ten years, 9 million occurred in sub-Sahara Africa, where the poorest of the poor live."

I am too poor to go to war…
A thought-provoking piece from a former UNESCO advisor to UNICEF. By David Inkey, the UN poet

Overwhelming majority of UN member states support the reallocation of military spending.
ARC NGO Liaison Officer Fidel Asante reflects on the 2005 UN First committee discussions on the Relationship between Disarmament and Development.
"Yet, cause for optimism can be found in projects coordinated through the UN High Level Steering Group on the RDD enabling UN agencies to work together on projects incoporating RDD, as well as the discussions around the funding a proposed Humanitarian Standing Fund, which would enable aid agencies to immediately draw specifically for humanitarian relief."

ARC Public Meeting asserts need for awareness of role of conflict in underdevelopment
ARC NGO Liaison Officer Fidel Asante reports on ARCs 2005 White Band Day 3 Meeting.
"Long time peace campaigner, Bruce Kent chaired the meeting and speakers invited were : Sheila Triggs and Katherine Ronderos of Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), James O'Nions of Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT), Explo Nani-Kofi of African Liberation Support Campaign, (ALISC), Oliver Cummings of Saferworld, Karl Miller of ARC and Laura Cheeseman of International Network on Small Arms (INSA). "

YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE   and If I had A Choice
Poems by Seguya Pius
"In loving another, man has only loved himself"

OTHERS FREEDOM; THE ONLY GUARANTEE TO YOUR FREEDOM
Poem by Seguya Pius
"Freedom goes beyond being free from foreign domination "

A report of the International Conference on "BERTHA SUTTNER IDEAS IN PRESENT TIME". Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Prague. 12-13 November 2005 by Vijay Mehta

Ending War and Building a Just, Peaceful and Sustainable World
The role of the United Nations and civil society in strengthening disarmament, international peace and security. A talk given at the International Conference on "BERTHA SUTTNER IDEAS IN PRESENT TIME". Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Prague. 12-13 November 2005 by Vijay Mehta

HIROSHIMA REMEMBERED. Saturday 6 August 2005. Tavistock Square, London, WC1. By Vijay Mehta
"Have we learnt any lessons from history -- it seems not."

United Nations: Searching a New Road Map for peace and security in the 21st Century
 Comments on the high-level panel report for UN reforms on international peace and security, and the achievements/failures of the global UN summit. A talk given at the CND Annual Conference Workshop on UN Reform  University of Westminster, 309 Regent Street, London, on Saturday, 15 October 2005

Some Link on UN Millennium Review Summit of World Leaders 14-16 September 2006
Links to latest draft, UN reports and declarations, statements by US and UK representatives; and a request for links to statements from other UN states.

Some Personal Comments on the US Proposals for UN Reform 22 June 2005
Karl Miller offloads some of his thoughts on  "a Statement by Ambassador Anne W. Patterson, Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations, On U.S. Proposals for UN Reform, In the General Assembly,". "Fine words America. Lets hope you negotiate in good faith and not for just national interests. One of my concerns is that the US always seems to do better than most others through these international institutions, or just ignores decisions it does not like or  like in the Conference on Disarmament's (CD) refuses to even agree an agenda (or play ball). This summit may give the world and the American peoples some hope. Peoples from all over the world most of whose ancestors crossed the waters to the brave new world that now has greatest military power that ever existed. The hope of the world lies with the actions of the American Peoples (as represented by its Government); a collection of all races from all corners of the globe. Lets hope that they will listen to, take on board and agree with many of the points raised by the representatives of states from all the other corners of the globe."

An Apology - It was 9.2 Million Dead in Africa in the Last 10 Years
Karl Miller apologises for underestimating the number of people killed due to conflicts over recent years.  "Out of the 13 million deaths in large-scale conflicts from 1994 to 2003, over 12 million were in sub-Saharan Africa, Western Asia and Southern Asia. Not surprisingly, these regions are also home to three quarters of the world's 37 million refugees and displaced persons and the areas where the number of hungry people is growing. In two of these regions - sub-Saharan Africa and Western Asia - poverty is also on the rise." He also reports on some of the major suppliers of arms to Africa."Weapons flows to Africa come from a variety of different sources - licit and illicit - and through a wide variety of different means."

Development in Africa – shaking the curse of poverty, hunger and disease
By Vijay Mehta. A discussion Paper on debt cancellation, more aid, fairer trade  and good governance. For Make Poverty History March, Edinburgh, Scotland, 2 July 2005. "In the words of Nelson Mandela: "Massive poverty and obscene inequality are such terrible scourges of our times, that they have to rank alongside slavery and apartheid as social evils.... Out of 13 million deaths in large-scale conflicts from 1994 to 2003, over 12 million were in sub-Sahara Africa, Western Asia and Southern Asia."

Reviving Nuclear Disarmament: A Vision or a Reality A Report on the 1st week of the Seventh Review Conference of the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty, 2-27 May, 2005 . By Vijay Mehta www.vmpeace.org "We should take heed of the words, Robert McNamara, former US Secretary of State, recently said in the article Apocalypse Soon (Foreign Policy) that he believes the United States must no longer rely on nuclear weapons as a foreign-policy tool. To do so is ‘immoral, illegal, and dreadfully dangerous."

Seminar on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty: A Treaty in trouble
Report of the NGO Committee for Disarmament and World Council of Churches, Geneva 11-12 April 2005 by Vijay Mehta.
"At the time of signing the Treaty, in the 1960s, many NNWS saw the advantages for the development of peaceful energy- the benefits of which have never materialised. However, now it is relatively easy for countries to acquire and apply the technology to make nuclear weapons. He also noted that compliance of the NPT and the implementation of the 13 Practical Steps, which were signed by all State Parties in the 2000 NPT Review Conference, are non-existent."

Understanding the military influence on science and technology
Research Project July 2003-June 2004. Contact: Chris Langley
Aim To carry out a broad assessment of how scientific research and development is influenced by military interests, and to recommend the changes needed so that this research and development better contributes to peace, social justice and environmental sustainability. The project will produce and disseminate a concise, accessible report on these issues, relevant to peace and disarmament workers, decision-makers, scientists and the public. It is expected that the report will be available in early autumn 2004. 

Quotes on the UN and Armaments
Updated to include many more quotations, such as:
 "Adequate guarantees given and taken that national armaments will be reduced to the lowest points consistent with domestic safety"
Point 4 of President Woodrow Wilson's 'Peace Programme', which he insisted, form the basis of the 1918 post-war Armistice.

"All states have the duty to promote the achievement of general and complete disarmament under effective international control and to utilise the resources released by effective disarmament measures for the economic and social development of countries, allocating a substantial portion of such resources as additional means for the development needs of developing countries"
Article 15 of of the Charter of the Economic Rights and Duties of States (UN Economic and Social Council Charter)

"You know, I hope that at the meetings in the UN there is going to be a sense of both distress and of coming together to say, Listen, guys, we know what to do; if we really believe still what we believed in 2000, we have got to readjust things.
We spend a thousand billion dollars a year on military expenditure--a thousand billion dollars a year on military expenditure--and we spend maybe $50 to $60 billion a year on development. Anything more nonsensical, you cannot imagine. And we spend $300 billion a year on protecting trade in one form or another, either by subsidies or tariffs, which inhibits the growth of developing countries.
Well, you have to be nuts to think that that's going to solve the problem. It's not that we lack resources, it's that we lack commitment. And it is my hope that before it's too late, people will understand that they have got to do something."
Foom Press Briefing With James D. Wolfensohn, Washington, D.C., April 14, 2005

Aray Interview on ARC CDs - 4 Oct 04
Read an interview with Aray about the three CDs (ARC Peace Quotes, ARC: The UN and Africa and Nurturing ARC Instrumentals) with new specifically composed World music (World Dialogue Sounds). These form part of the Nurturing ARC Series. A collection of some music, speeches and other writings concerning the ARC.

UK General Election Pack 2005
Ask your parliamentary candidate questions about where they stand on the following issues in the forthcoming election in May 2005.

Killing for Christ
The Destructive Power of Faith By WILLIAM A. COOK

Top Ten War Profiteers of 2004
Contractors: Above the law. By Center for Corporate Responsibility. You know it's bad when Halliburton is #7

Why we value Gandhi?
A Hindu Perspective by Vijay Mehta vijay@anglo-sphere.com of The Gandhi Foundation A talk given at the 2005 Annual Multi- Faith Service (Kingsley Hall, London). "Recall in the face of the poorest and most helpless person whom you may have seen and ask yourself if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him, will he gain anything by it? Will it restore him to control over his life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to swaraj, self-rule, for the hungry and also spiritually starved of our countrymen?"

Reforms of the UN
A discussion paper on ‘Report of the UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change , A talk given at Tower Hamlets CND, London - 3 February 2005  - Vijay Mehta  vijay@anglo-sphere.com "The report is perhaps the most far-reaching official review of the UN’s role, in particular in the fields of peace and security, since 1945 and the signing the UN Charter"

From Article 26 to an institutional link between disarmament and development
A look at ARCs' future prospects by ARC UN/NGO Liaison Officer Fidel Asante. "The crux of the problem was, and to a degree still is, how we might best promote the aims of disarmament whilst also emphasising the need for disarmament to lead and secure development.  Would we simply call for a treaty like many others settling for some written commitment to scale down arms spending? Or perhaps we should settle for a one-off reduction of say, 1-5% of global military spending, with the savings diverted to UN humanitarian programmes? Or we could be really ambitious and push for nothing short of a global arms amnesty!"

Which Way for Disarmament?
A holistic approach to peace. A talk given at the Socialist Party Headquarters (Clapham, London). Vijay Mehta vijay@anglo-sphere.com "A holistic approach towards peace and human security depend on a reallocation of the world's resources so that billions of people who never see more than $1 or $2 a day are not held hostage to unconscionable poverty. Peace and Human security depend on universal adherence to and respect for human rights, including economic, social, and cultural rights as well as civil and political.

Health: The basis for peace
Fidel Asante looks at the relationship between peace, health and unity. "Peace then, must result from the continual balancing of mutually antagonistic forces or factions whom having been reconciled can become a single force with a united aim. "

A Peace Message from Norway 

Arms Reduction: a prerequisite for fruitful relationships among people. Subtitle: Stop the Arms to Stop the War. Karl Miller asserts that arms reduction (and control) is a prerequisite for fruitful relationships among people and Stopping Wars. "Because of the large amount of resources being spent on arms; we will continue to have many wars and many deaths due to arms. .... I Think that the US will periodically go to war. The military have to justify their vast expenditure on arms. ... People wallowing in poverty and despair will take up the arms the rich have used essential resources to make; and engage in violent conflicts to try to alleviate their sufferings and meet their needs. ... The buggy makers mentality. I recall a story related to me by a lecturer. During the late 1800’s one of the wealthiest men in the world died. He and his family had made enormous wealth from the horse and cart trade. In his will he stated that none of the family’s wealth should be invested in the (then new) motor car but remain invested in horse based modes of transport. It was beyond his comprehension that the car could overtake the horse based modes of transport. It like those 200 years ago who could not conceive of the abolition of slavery, or those 100 years ago could not conceive of women having the vote,..."

  Report of the NGO Committee for Disarmament's demonstration, meetings with the Ambassadors of British and French missions, progress on Mayors of Peace Initiative, Geneva – 5 August 2004,
Vijay Mehta, Reports " civil society takes action against nuclear weapons. ... A resolution by the European Parliament on the European Union's role in the NPT review process expressed "its support for the international Mayors' campaign - initiated by the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - on nuclear disarmament." 

  African Union - Gender Equality in Africa
Join the campaign, sign the petition for ratification of AU Protocol on Women's rights in Africa now!

ARC Patrons Biographies
Our Patrons include Dennis Haliday, Bruce Kent, Lord Archer of Sandwell, Alice Mahon MP, Federico Mayor Zaragoza.

Mercenaries Letter
Karl Miller urges the UK government to urgently take effective actions to control the threats posed by mercenaries with regards to  Equatorial Guinea Mercenaries Coup affair involving UK people such as Sir Mark Thatcher and Simon Mann.

Blood Run Done; Cease Now Peace Poem
Errol Baptiste's dub poem supporting the call for a whole year cease fire.

  Arms Reduction and Tackling Terror Subtitle: The will of the many has been overcome by the might of the few.
Karl Miller,  looks at How will diverting resources from weapons to humanitarian and non-military purposes help to tackle terrorism.
ARC calls for a 'Blood Run Done; Cease now Peace' year.  "Terror is caused by lots of things. Perhaps we should have different words Terrorist = illegal, TerrorAst = all causers; TerrorUst = legal causes. ... So fight against terror is good; but sadly the phrase is just a euphemism for the US fight against certain Terrorists and is often used to quell any dissent or opposition. ... What's the sense in spending vast amount of resources to tackle one form of terror (and on a solution that has failed to provide peace or security); when the major forms of terror go unaddressed. The terror of the 4 million dead in Africa in the last 6 years; the terror of more Americans dying of gun violence in the USA than all US soldiers killed in all wars in the 20^th century; the terror of the half a million killed each year by small arms; the terror of a third of the world living in abject poverty. .... At the end of the day; I have no problem with the US building a fortress to protect itself against "new and existing threats,". However if they are using resources taken from the rest of the world, impoverishing the peoples of other lands, and prosecuting resource grabbing wars to feather their nest; I have to object (not too loudly mind you; because I want to live).". Text of speech extract of which delivered at Conway Hall 7 June 2004.

Letter to Religious Groups
Fidel Asante,  asks "So can legislation alone arouse in man that will to protect and provide the 'right to life’ as it is and might be? For some gradual shift in his awareness of himself and his relation to others cannot be forced upon him by letter of law alone. Those acts and sentiments that define and guide our common humanity cannot simply be embodied in institutional law to become active. We would have destroyed ourselves a long time ago if we relied on such a structure of order.  More likely it is that we know Life to be that unique value which is spoken in all languages and misunderstood in none."

  Amnesty's ARC
Karl Miller,  look at the role of Academia in arms research ("I think academia should consider debating how much of its resources are spent on thinking up and researching things to kill people, while teaching the next generation.") and suggests a role for Amnesty in ARC's campaign ("By setting the standards on how Governments should treat ARC's supporters; by monitoring and reporting Governments abuses of ARC's supporters both before and after the ARC treaty has been ratified."). Text of speech extract of which delivered to Sheffield University's Amnesty Group, 23 October 03. 

Persuading America
Persuading America is perhaps one of the greatest weaknesses in whole Arms Reduction campaign. "Like slaves to power and profit, who heedless of their own significance seek to waste the world's resources on weapons to destroy the earth and its peoples." The USA has most to gain but is one of hardest to persuade. Here are a few considerations from Karl Miller.

A Few Words of Faith
A few verses from the bible. Please suggest more from the bible and other religious texts.

Where Is The Justice?
Poem by Fidel Asante.

Network for Peace
Profile of NfP  an organisation based network.

Soldiers in the Laboratory
A groundbreaking new report by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), detailing the pervasive military presence within science and technology in the UK, was launched at Parliament on 19th January.

Life: The Resourceful Resource
Fidel Asante looks at life a resource.  "Life is eminently more resourceful than man and his ideas, and existed before his appearance and will exist long after his disappearance". "Life, to some, is dependent on sunlight, to others, upon darkness; and so the wise economy of nature adapts to each existing condition" 

NPT Dossier
Vijay Mehta compiles an extensive dossier for PrepCom Review Conference  2004 - 2005. Ban The Bomb or Risk Self – Destruction. Can United Nations and International Community Meet The Challenge?

The War Business - Everything About it is Appalling
Douglas Mattern,  president of the Association of World Citizens (AWC), looks at the arms trade and suggests "we pull down the curtain on the "architects of destruction" and put the war business permanently out-of-business".

Save The United Nations
Douglas Mattern looks at saving the UN from some US challenges. "The imperative change in the third generation UN must be the ability to resolve conflicts between nations and peoples through the framework of world law".

The UN is in Crisis over Africa
Karl Miller affirms that the UN is in crisis because of the 4 million people killed in Africa due to conflicts in the last 4 years. He pleads for effective actions to be taken and makes some suggestions to stop the slaughter. "4 millions dead in the last 4 years. That's like the whole of the population of black people in England, Jamaica and some of the Caribbean Islands dead in the last 4 years. That’s like the whole of South London, or Yorkshire, or Yokohama, or Los Angles, or Sydney, or Ireland, or Central African Republic or Uruguay dead in the last 4 years."
"His-story will focus on the recent Iraq war. But Human-story will remember the 4 million dead in Africa in the last 4 years. It will remember those who fate has put in positions of power and leadership, who instead of helping the African peoples have overseen and even facilitated the mass carnage. Some bury their heads in the sand, some dismiss it as not their problem, some spout near empty rhetoric, some throw their hands up in exasperation, some exploit the situation to amass wealth, some focus on other more politically advantageous issues. While the blood of the African Peoples run and run and the cries of their sufferings go unheeded by some impotent and or intransigent leaders. The UN is indeed in crisis over Africa. A crisis of leadership, morality and integrity."

ARC at the Respect Festival
Karl Miller reports on ARC at the Respect Festival  - Millennium Dome Greenwich 19 July 2003.

Why you should respect and support ARC
Long speech written by Karl Miller for but not delivered to the Respect Festival July 2003.

The Observation Of International Law Is Essential for Maintaining Peace In A Sustainable World
Fidel Asante looks at what can we do to ensure the Observation Of International Law.

Who will benefit from ARC?.
Karl Miller looks at some of those who will benefit from ARC.

How you can help to advance ARC
Karl Miller looks at some ways you can support ARC.

Example Calculations of Diverting Financial resources from Arms

More Quotes added to our Quotes on the UN and Armaments page

Finnish Conscientious Objectors
Email from David Heller For Mother Earth / Case Hermaja.

Arms unto the nations.
In its largest export market, Israel plays by very different rules than in any other sector. From Dave Rolstone.

The World is waging PEACE - an amazing speech
Report of lecture given by Dr. Robert Muller, former assistant secretary general of the United Nations.
Has anyone read many of his 4000 Ideas and Dreams For A Better World?

The ARC Resolution

The Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC):

Concerned by the obstacles, threats and difficulties that the large amounts of arms in circulation pose to the maintenance of peace and security and to Non-Governmental Organisations and UN departments in carrying out their work;

Concerned by the disproportionately large amount of the world’s human and economic resources being expended on arms;

Recalling that Article 26 of the United Nations (UN) Charter calls for "the least diversion for Armaments of the world’s human and economic resources";

Calls upon the United Nations General assembly, to agree, and for all signatory States of The United Nations to ratify, a legally binding instrument:

a) for reducing the diversion for Armaments of their State’s human and economic resources by between one and five percent per year;

b) to establish and maintain systems that enable annual independent verification and auditing of their States compliance;

c) to establish a United Nations mechanism to facilitate implementation; dealing with such matters as non-compliance, concessions, reporting and auditing standards, and the publication of targets and achievements annually;

d) that specifies how amounts diverted from Armaments are to be used on State and UN programmes such as poverty reduction, sustainable development, conflict prevention, peaceful resolution of conflict, protecting the vulnerable, maintaining the environment; and effective and efficient implementation of the legally binding Instrument;

e) that gives full opportunities to non-governmental organisations and other non state actors to make their contributions in implementation, compliance and allocation of resources;

f) that requires review and re-commitment by the States to the legally binding Instrument after a period of between 10 and 25 years.

Also refer to Some ARC resolutions. for various resolutions such as
People's Assembly resolution
Armaments Resolution at the 2006 UNA-UK Conference.
The Dresden Appeal
We the Peoples Millennium Forum Declaration and Agenda for Action.
The Hague Agenda for Peace and Justice for the 21st Century
UNA Policy 2001
Charter of the Economic Rights and Duties of States
Greenpeace at UN Summit 2006

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