ON NOVEMBER 26, 12 leading Christian organisations from Britain and France issued a joint declaration calling on the governments of the two countries to take meaningful steps to promote or achieve nuclear disarmament. 

The reason for the declaration was the anniversary of the “Lancaster House” treaties, signed in November 2010, which committed Britain and France to co-operate on various aspects of nuclear weapons research. It reflected on the teachings of Jesus, in the run-up to Christmas, and his commitment to peace.

What could have been a simple commemorative statement gained extra urgency as the political context continues to change. Ongoing sabre-rattling created by the war in Ukraine and increasing geopolitical tensions worldwide have lead to most major powers falling back into militaristic models of security. 

The declaration recalls the horrific wastefulness of expenditure on nuclear weapons ($90 billion a year); the risks posed by the possession by just nine countries of more than 12,000 nuclear weapons; and the horror of the human suffering which these can inflict. 

The awarding of the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese organisation Nihon Hidankyo has come as a timely reminder of the reality and the monstrosity of the risks involved.

It goes on to then call on the governments of the two countries to engage constructively with the signatories and promoters of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). 

The TPNW came into force in January 2021, and has been signed by 122 countries, with the Holy See leading the way. The TPNW is born of the frustration of non-nuclear weapons countries with the negligible steps taken by the nuclear weapons states to implement genuine nuclear disarmament, despite their commitment to do so under article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). 

The TPNW is viewed by its signatory members as a complement to the NPT and the practical embodiment of its clauses, not in any way as a replacement. 

The declaration urges the British and French governments to send observers to the next meeting of the states parties to the TPNW, scheduled for March 2025. By taking such steps, these two medium-sized powers could use the status which history and the possession of nuclear weapons have given them to act as responsible citizens in the modern world, and to promote genuine peace.

The declaration is influenced by the teachings of the Catholic Church which condemn the possession and threatened use of nuclear weapons. It recognises the prophetic leadership both Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis have taken in the realm of nuclear disarmament. The organisers hope the timing of the statement, released in the run-up to Christmas, presents an opportunity for people of all faiths to reflect on how they are called to be peacemakers today. 

It attracted supporting signatures from over 50 non-religious individuals and organisations from the two countries. Core organisations signing the Declaration include Pax Christi England and Wales, Pax Christi Scotland, Pax Christi France, the Fellowship of Reconciliation (England and Scotland), Cymdeithus Y Cymod, MiR France and the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship. 

Christian CND joined a range of religious and secular supporters of the statement, which also included the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Trident Ploughshares, the Mouvement de la Paix and the French branch of the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons. 

John Cooper, director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (England and Wales), said: “As people in the Christian church, we are about to prepare to welcome the Prince of Peace on Christmas Day. What world are we preparing to welcome him into? One riven by war. Where one in four of the world’s population are affected by conflict and the nuclear nations continue to invest in weapons of mass destruction instead of building lasting peace by investing in tackling poverty and climate change.”

The full text of the joint declaration with signatories can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/peacejointdeclaration.

Marc Morgan is a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, of Trident Ploughshares, and of the Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-Violente.