The following position statements were agreed to by the members attending the IPPNW (NZ) AGM in November 2000 (with various minor suggestions made and incorporated). Members are, however, invited to forward any further comments to the executive at any time.

1 Nuclear weapons

1.1 Nuclear weapons abolition: IPPNW (NZ) supports all attempts to move toward an international convention for the elimination of nuclear weapons which has a defined timeframe. It will work with other NGOs to achieve this goal.

1.2 New Zealand Government and official disarmament activity: IPPNW (NZ) supports the strengthening of New Zealand's official capacity to promote disarmament at international meetings and through proactive diplomacy. In particular, it encourages vigorous support for the Middle Powers Initiative, the New Agenda Coalition and a voting pattern at the United Nations that is consistently strongly in favour of disarmament. IPPNW (NZ) believes that a major focus of this activity should be addressing the major obstacle to nuclear disarmament - the pro-nuclear weapons attitudes amongst decision makers in nuclear weapons states.

1.3 Nuclear Free Zones: IPPNW (NZ) supports efforts to strengthen New Zealand's own nuclear free zone in relation to its exclusive economic zone - as per the "New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone Extension Bill". It also supports the strengthening of the existing South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone (to exclude transit of nuclear weapons and fissile materials). Similarly, it supports efforts for a Southern Hemisphere Nuclear Free Zone.

1.4 Role of the Commonwealth in nuclear disarmament: IPPNW (NZ) supports any moves by New Zealand to actively lobby those nuclear states that are members of the Commonwealth to move rapidly towards more active disarmament (these include the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan).

2 Other nuclear issues

2.1 Nuclear power for energy generation: IPPNW (NZ) supports the resolution adopted by the 1998 IPPNW Melbourne Congress calling for the phasing-out of nuclear power and support for more sustainable forms of energy. The key basis for this position is the association between nuclear power and the production of nuclear materials that can be used to produce nuclear weapons.

2.2 Nuclear materials transport: IPPNW (NZ) opposes the transfer through the South Pacific of nuclear waste and plutonium for reprocessing. Such transport supports nuclear power technologies and poses unacceptable risks to the environment and to the theft of nuclear materials by terrorists.

2.3 Nuclear technology for health: IPPNW (NZ) supports the selective use of nuclear technology in health care such as in medical diagnosis and treatment services (eg, cancer radiotherapy).

3 Related peace and security issues

3.1 Security in the South Pacific: IPPNW (NZ) considers that New Zealand should maintain strong diplomatic links with other nations in the South Pacific and South East Asia regions. This will facilitate New Zealand working with the nations in our region on collective security issues - particularly collective action for nuclear weapons elimination and the prevention of regional conflict. Development support in the South Pacific and South East Asia by addressing such issues as debt relief, support for sustainable development, and control of major regional health problems (eg, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS) is likely to also improve regional security in the long-term.

3.2 NZ defence capabilities: IPPNW (NZ) favours a defence capacity that is able to support international peace keeping operations in the South Pacific and South East Asian regions (such as New Zealand has done in East Timor, the Solomons and Bouganville).

3.3 Landmines: IPPNW (NZ) supports the work of the Campaign Against Landmines (CALM) and the New Zealand legislation (in line with the international convention) that bans landmines. Furthermore, it encourages further diplomatic efforts to expand the landmine ban more widely and supports work by the NZ military in mine clearing operations around the world.

3.4 Building respect for international law: IPPNW (NZ) supports any moves by the New Zealand Government to promote respect and enforcement of international law (given the International Court of Justice ruling on the general illegality of nuclear weapons use). It also supports the International Criminal Court.

3.5 Use of boycotts and sanctions: IPPNW (NZ) considers that in some situations boycotts and sanctions can be of value (as in the situation of South Africa during the apartheid period). However, if these economic instruments are necessary, they should be precisely targeted so as to avoid adverse impacts on the welfare and public health of populations. For example, the sanctions imposed on Iraq during the 1990s have been inhumane and have had an excessive adverse impact on the health and welfare of the population.

3.6 Conventional weapons and small arms: IPPNW (NZ) supports efforts to tightly regulate the legal international trade in conventional weapons and small arms. It also favours stronger action to limit the illicit trade in such weapons (through the actions of the United Nations and relevant governments).

IPPNW (NZ) PO Box 1702 Wellington, New Zealand. Email: nwilson@actrix.gen.nz