Youth Nuclear Peace Treaty
Students prepared for months. Before arriving, participants studied the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, so that they would come knowing how treaty language works and what it is for.
Law students from Robson Hall at the University of Manitoba worked alongside them. The intention was that the finished document be presented to the United Nations Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2020.
Youth Nuclear Peace Summit
Canadian Museum for Human Rights Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada October 9–11, 2019
International Youth Nuclear Peace Treaty 2019
The Students Parties to this treaty:
Determined to contribute to the realization of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Deeply concerned about the imminent threat of a nuclear arms race that is a detriment to world peace and a contributor to the climate crisis,
Reaffirming the need for political leaders in all countries to listen to our voices and provide us with a future that is free from nuclear arms,
Mindful that the threat of nuclear arms directly impacts our future,
Determined to have our voices heard in the discussions around the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with the direct goal of bringing positive peace education to all,
Reaffirming the articles in UNDRIP as they pertain to nuclear energy,
Reaffirming all land treaties as they pertain to nuclear energy,
Emphasizing the importance of consulting indigenous peoples, organisations, and civil society members in the implementation of the articles of this treaty,
Recalling the articles of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, in particular article 1.
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1 — Nuclear Energy and Power
Establish accords on regulating production of enriched uranium world wide
States shall adopt the legislation to regulate corporations that are decommissioning old reactors
States shall adopt legislation to:
monitor and regulate tests and experiments on nuclear reactors or materials.
ensure that power plants are regularly inspected and properly funded.
establish and monitor evacuation procedures
establish standards of training for those who run power plants
ensure that there are construction and safety standards in place and followed
States shall construct bunkers for people working at the power plants
States shall adopt legislation to ensure a non-hazardous form of transportation of nuclear materials
Signatories shall:
establish international standards for emergency protocols through the creation of a special committee*
impose international standards for handling radioactive materials
impose stronger and uniformed regulations on the exportation and importation of uranium.
States will take all appropriate measures to share equitably the profits of the nuclear industry with the indigenous peoples whose land it is.
Compensate indigenous peoples by supporting a sustainable future and investing in their future.
States will take all appropriate measures to reduce the number of reactors in power stations in their jurisdiction.
States will take all appropriate measures to find alternatives to nuclear energy.
Signatories shall impose stronger and uniformed regulations on the exportation and importation of uranium.
States shall adopt the legislation to restrict the use of uranium for energy only.
Article 2 — Environmental Impacts
States Parties shall adopt the legislation to:
prohibit mining of uranium and other radioactive materials within a 50km radius of any body of water including, but not limited to, major rivers and streams.
establish effective clean up procedures to minimize the impact of nuclear accidents and of nuclear energy production.
remediate environments that are affected by the extraction, land use, and disposal relating to nuclear materials.
States Parties will take all appropriate measures to:
communicate with the public about matters relating to disposal of nuclear waste with transparency and full disclosure.
provide more funding for research to clean up and decommission nuclear plants.
Further provisions:
Signatories (States Parties) shall establish international standards and cooperation regarding the safe disposal of nuclear waste.
Signatories (States Parties) shall adhere to existing international standards and treaties.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to create a nuclear waste disposal system that is not environmentally destructive.
States Parties adopt the legislation to hold corporations incorporated in their jurisdiction responsible for environmentally destructive nuclear related actions.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to clean up all directly or indirectly areas affected by nuclear waste contamination and radiation.
States Parties shall direct funding currently used for nuclear research development towards other sustainable energy sources. Research and fund potential peaceful uses for nuclear by product.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to halt uranium mining.
States Parties shall build reactors in consequent to climate change
States Parties shall not build new reactors.
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure local voices are adequately represented concerning disposal and mining
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to direct profits towards developing renewable, sustainable alternative sources of energy
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to adequately clean up nuclear accidents occurring in their jurisdiction.
States Parties shall invest in green/sustainable energy by implementing a rebate to companies converting completely to green energy
Signatories (Parties) will hold themselves and corporations or individuals accountable for environmental breaches according to the law of their home State, no matter where the breach takes place.
Article 3 — Role of Education in Nuclear Disarmament and Peace
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to:
educate populations on the devastating ramifications of nuclear war.
educate youth in secondary school on nuclear issues and ramifications.
implement peace literacy in secondary education and focus on indigenous land practices.
implement public awareness campaigns on the ramifications of the use of nuclear material
Further provisions:
States Parties shall promote anti-nuclear clubs in schools.
States Parties shall impose a statutory Remembrance Day for Peace (Nuclear Disarmament Day)
States Parties shall provide educational training and resources (conflict resolution and peace training) to all teachers in their country
Shall provide student teachers with mandatory peace literacy courses
States Parties shall implement a mandatory survey in a national census on peace and non-proliferation of nuclear arms to citizens for the purposes of education and consultation.
Article 4 — Economic Costs
States shall adopt the legislation to:
require corporations to compensate indigenous peoples for any degradation of their lands.
corporations responsible and require corporations to provide reparations for past infringements.
Further provisions:
States shall take all appropriate measures to inform civil society about corporate involvement regarding nuclear weapons development.
Levy taxes on users of nuclear technology and energy and direct those taxes to the clean-up of nuclear disposal and waste.
State parties shall require corporations to pay for the damage that they do to the environment and properties resulting from nuclear power plants, uranium mining, and nuclear testing.
Use nuclear reactors until we can replace them with sustainable technology.
Eliminate nuclear reactors.
Allow individuals to redirect their taxes away from the production of nuclear weapons.
Limit the amount of private and government funding that can be put toward nuclear innovation
Divert percentage of defense budget into nuclear storage and disposal mechanisms.
Impose time limits on the operation of nuclear reactors.
Civil taxes shall not be utilized towards nuclear weapon development. Parties that infringe this shall have tariffs or trade embargoes imposed upon them.
Member states shall impose penalties, including monetary tariff and trade on corporations who violate the articles of this treaty.
Member states shall implement laws and regulations to restrict corporations that profit from nuclear extraction and nuclear weapons development.
Article 5 — Human Costs
Provide counselling and support to communities exposed to the consequences of nuclear power and energy.
Separate economic power, and political interests from the good of the people.
Ensure local voices are adequately represented in decision making re disposal and mining.
Ensure that employers are given robust guidelines and appropriate funding to meet and exceed IAEA guidelines.
Shall automatically enrol all uranium workers in a collective (union)
Hold accountable distributors including but not limited to anyone who buys, sells, trades, develops, and or shares nuclear weaponry for the development of nuclear weapons that violate the right to life, with consequences that actually have an impact, including but limited to tariffs, trade embargoes, withdrawal of contracts. The proceeds address issues including but not limited to climate crisis, poverty, gender equality, famine.
Consult indigenous peoples regarding how their treaties are being respected.
Encourage the fair treatment of workers and indigenous peoples.
Shall recognise the psychological toll nuclear threat has on populations
Freedom from fear and generational trauma
Do not test nuclear weapons
In the extreme threat of nuclear attack, non-combatants and civilians must be forewarned to evacuate the affective area
Decisions regarding nuclear extraction, land use, and disposal shall consider humanity before economic matters.
Provide lifelong health care of workers who have worked in unhealthy and/or dangerous conditions related to nuclear energy production. This health care shall extend into retirement.
Article 6 — Global Opportunities and Overcoming Barriers to Global Peace
Civil society shall be represented actively at the NPT treaty review
Decisions involving nuclear weaponry shall include unbiased groups such as civil society, corporations and non-nuclear states.
In the event a country or countries are making the decisions to launch nuclear weapons, a third party should be consulted (2/3rds of the UNGA must agree to this action)
Cease production of nuclear arms, prioritize anti-nuclear technology
Incentivise disarmament and denuclearisation with economic and diplomatic benefits
Prioritize prohibition treaty over the NPT
Shall foster new multilateral cooperation between existing international organisations and member states
Shall uphold safe nuclear disarmament procedures
Member states shall be transparent and held to account on all importing, exporting, and usage of nuclear material.
Establish an available global fund, monitored by the review committee (mentioned below) to provide financial assistance to member states in energy denuclearisation and transition towards alternative sources of energy.
Member states shall require all heads of states and government bodies to take a United Nations sanctioned educational course on peace and conflict.
The United Nations shall facilitate a youth summit to coincide with the reviews of the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Arms treaty
Decommission existing nuclear arms
States shall never use and or integrate artificial intelligence to control any sort of arms.
Shall establish an international council of indigenous peoples as representatives, elected by indigenous peoples, regarding consultation processes on extraction, land use, and disposal of nuclear related materials, to the extent indigenous lands are affected.
Endorse citizens for peace project
Shall create a global protocol on disaster management
Final Clauses
Article 9 — Procedure for Clarification
The treaty shall create rotating biennially committee of signatories to lead periodic review.
All nuclear owning signatories shall report annually on the disarmament and denuclearisation of nuclear weapons
Shall hold periodical reviews to hold member states accountable to the articles herein.
Periodic reviews shall include reviews by civil society, including but not limited to indigenous peoples, scientists, environmentalists, youth organisations.
Shall hold a minimum of annual reviews, frequency to be determined by signatory votes
Committee shall establish an international fund for academic institutions to establish programmes that educate and provide resources on the ramifications of nuclear use.
Article 10 — Universality
Each School shall encourage Schools not party to this Treaty to sign, ratify, accept, or approve the Treaty, with the goal of universal adherence of all Schools to the Treaty.
Article 11 — Signature
This Treaty shall be open for signature to all Schools as from 11 October, 2019.
Article 12 — Ratification, acceptance, or approval
This treaty shall be subject to ratification, acceptance, or approval by signatory Schools.
Article 13 — Depositary
The Soka Gakkai International Association of Canada (SGI) is hereby designated as the Depositary of this Treaty.
Article 14 — Authentic Texts
The English, Cree, and French texts shall be equally authentic.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, duly authorized, have signed this Treaty.
NAME / SCHOOL / EMAIL
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