Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons Issue Joint Statement at First Committee Side Even

On October 16, Faith Communities Concerned about Nuclear Weapons, a group of diverse faith-based organizations and individuals committed to nuclear weapons abolition, presented a joint statement on the occasion of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly First Committee in New York.

The statement was introduced by Bruce Knotts, President of the NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security, during a side event “To Safeguard Future Generations – Multi-Faith Responses To The Threat of Nuclear Weapons.”

The statement, endorsed by 14 groups and individuals from different faiths, including Christian, Quaker, Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, urges the General Assembly to address the issue of disarmament not only from a military and political perspective but also as a “moral and ethical imperative.”

The statement reads: “As people of faith, we advocate for the right of all people to live in security and dignity; we seek to heed the commands of conscience and the call to justice; we are united in our determination to protect the vulnerable and to exercise the stewardship that will safeguard Earth for present and future generations.”

It is the 10th of its kind since the group issued its first statement in Washington DC in April 2014. PAX, Pax Christi International, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) and World Council of Churches (WCC) have taken the lead in drafting the statements.

The statement and signatories can viewed here.