Program Priorities for Nuclear Abolition

Peace Action's 2009-10 program priorities will embark on an aggressive campaign promoting our positive, proactive agenda for disarmament. Now because of the push by former U.S. Secretaries of State and foreign policy elite of both parties for abolishing nuclear weapons, we have a major opportunity for dramatic steps toward our goal.

Therefore, we propose four objectives for 2009 toward that end:

a) US ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 2009.
b) US agreement to the fissile materials cutoff treaty to stop production of highly enriched uranium and plutonium worldwide—the key step toward preventing nuclear proliferation.
c) Prevent Congressional funding for any purpose related to the production or testing of new, "useable," nuclear weapons so we achieve a decisive and "final" end to all US plans for new nuclear weapons (Reliable Replacement Warhead or any other).
d) Begin negotiations for multilateral agreements to downsize nuclear arsenals in stages to 200 and then abolition.

These four steps connect with values people care deeply about:

• Each step makes us and the world safer.
• Each step signals that we intend to re-join the international community and cease being a rogue superpower.
• Each step is needed to show the world we are serious about non-proliferation and disarmament in order to achieve a successful Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in 2010—which otherwise will likely unravel.
• Each step moves us toward a nuclear-weapons-free planet.