WCC NEWS: US ratification of New START treaty welcomed by WCC

From WCC media <noreply@wcc-coe.org>
Date Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:59:53 +0100

World Council of Churches - News

WCC WELCOMES UNITED STATES RATIFICATION OF NEW START TREATY

For immediate release: 23 December 2010

Following a vote by the US Senate to ratify the New Strategic Arms
Reduction Treaty as proposed by negotiators representing the 
governments
of the United States and Russia, an affirmation of the treaty was 
issued
by Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of
Churches. “Such a decision is especially meaningful in what is for
Christians the season of peace,” wrote Dr Tveit. He concluded, “The
ratification by Russia of the New START treaty would be a welcome 
start to
2011.”


The full text of the World Council of Churches statement follows:

Public statement on the ratification of the New Strategic Arms 
Reduction
Treaty
23.12.2010

It is heartening that 20 years after the end of the Cold War, the 
United
States has ratified a verifiable new treaty to reduce nuclear 
arsenals.
Such a decision is especially meaningful in what is for Christians the
season of peace. With member churches around the world we thank God 
for
this small but significant demonstration of progress on a problem that
continues to deny the hopes of people everywhere.

We also welcome cross-party support in one nation for a decision that
concerns all nations. The US and other nuclear powers do not possess
weapons of mass destruction in isolation. They do so against the best
interests of humanity.

The New START treaty not only sets practical goals to reduce warheads 
and
launchers. It also sends a signal that governments can do more than 
block
international progress year after year for narrow national interests.
Progress is long overdue on another step that President Obama and many
other leaders link to the vision of a world without nuclear weapons – 
a
treaty to stop production of fuel for nuclear bombs. It has been 
stalled
at the Conference on Disarmament here in Geneva for years. In nuclear
disarmament as in climate change, when powerful countries provide
leadership with accountability their example helps others to do 
likewise.

The ratification by Russia of the New START treaty would be a welcome 
start
to 2011. We pray that the New Year will see more such news that is 
good
news for all.

Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit
General secretary
World Council of Churches


The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, 
witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship 
of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 
Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 
million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the 
Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse 
Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, 
Switzerland.



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