Hans Blix to present report on weapons of mass destruction at WCC
Dr Hans Blix (left) with WCC deputy general secretary Mr Georges Lemopoulos
Former top United Nations weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix, now the chair of The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), is scheduled to present the WMDC's report at the World Council of Churches (WCC) during a ceremony at the Ecumenical Centre on Thursday evening 15 June 2006.
An open discussion and exchange with an audience of governmental and non-governmental representatives based in Geneva will follow the presentation.
Recent years have seen a slowdown and stalemate in the fields of non-proliferation, arms control and disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and Blix was invited to set up and chair The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC) in 2003.
The WMDC report - containing sixty concrete proposals on how the world could be freed of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons - was presented to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York on 1 June and is now, in an effort to mobilize governments and civil society, being presented to states, nongovernmental organizations and the general public around the world.
On 16 June, a related seminar on "Disarmament for development" is being organized by the International Peace Bureau (IPB) with the WCC at the Ecumenical Centre. This seminar will look at such topics as military vs. social spending, the effects of weapons on sustainable development, anti-personnel landmines and other explosive remnants of war, and the question of small arms.
Earlier, on 15 June and within the framework of his tour of world political and religious capitals, Dr Blix attended an all-day event on "Strengthening civil society engagement with the Conference on Disamament: pro-active strategic involvement on nuclear issues" organized by the NGO Committee for Disarmament at the Palais des Nations.
The report of the The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission
More information on the 15 and 16 June events at the Palais des Nations, and the Ecumenical Centre, respectively, is available from the International Peace Bureau
WCC 9th Assembly minute on the elimination of nuclear arms
Information on WCC work on peace-building and disarmament
