TORONTO - Canadian peace groups are proposing that Canada convene a Space Preservation Treaty Conference to ban all weapons in space. Canada played a similar Treaty-championing role, when it brought 122 nations together to sign the Convention Banning Land Mines in 1997.
In a formal proposal to Canadian Foreign Minister Bill Graham, the No-Weapons-In-Space Campaign asks Canada's Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAIT) to create a special Working group "to focus on two goals: (1) to educate U.N. Member Nations about the dangers of weapons in outer space; and (2) to lead in preventing the weaponization of space by convening or facilitating an international conference to coordinate the signing and ratification of an enforceable multilateral agreement banning space- based weapons."
The No-Weapons-In-Space Campaign now includes Canadian national peace organizations which are urging the Government of Canada to take a leading role
in banning space-based weapons: Science for Peace, Institute for Cooperation in Space, Canadian Voice of Women for Peace, Canadian Peace Alliance, Women's
International League for Peace and Freedom, Physicians for Global Survival and Project Ploughshares. This coalition has launched a campaign to educate the public about the dangers of weapons in outer space.
On November 30, 2002, the General Secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC), in a formal letter to the Government of Canada, stated that "Members of the General Synod were shocked to see the evidence of U.S. military designs for space, as set out in the mission statement of the United States Space Command (USSC), Vision for 2020. Missile defence is the first step in the pursuit of the much broader intent to have USSC "dominating the space dimension of military operations, to protect U.S. interests and investment." This mission will be sought through "integrating spaceforces into warfighting capabilities", "space-based global strike capability," and "space-based strike weapons."
"The ACC letter concluded, "In light of the General Synod's express stand, we call on the government without further delay to show the necessary leadership. Anglicans, along with many other Canadians, have already begun signing petitions pressing for a space preservation treaty and for government initiation of an Ottawa process of the kind that led the international community to the land mines ban treaty. General Synod has called your government to action. We are convinced that many thoughtful Canadians will join in supporting and furthering the efforts you initiate to oppose missile defence and to seek a ban on weapons in space."
The Campaign also states, "We note, moreover, that the U.S. House of Representatives 2003 Defense Authorization Bill authorized the U.S. Department of Defense to proceed with a program of nuclear-tipped National Missile Defense missiles, including concurrent research on mini-nukes. That such 2003 authorization was subsequently legislatively compromised for one year in Conference Committee with the U.S. Senate is an academic issue. Under international law, there in now a rebuttable presumption that the U.S. Administration, and indeed the U.S. Congress may at any stage in the future undertake the development and deployment of mini-nukes in space, either on interceptor missiles or on space-based platforms. There are fundamental issues of international law under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) involved in the development of such mini-nukes. Our Campaign will forward you information and developments regarding the imminent weaponization of space on a continuing basis."
Canadian residents of the B.C. Lower Mainland and Metropolitan Toronto areas have signed Parliamentary Petitions, certified by the Clerk of the Canadian House of Commons, noting that "the use of nuclear-tipped missiles of the United States Missile Defense system over Canada may result in irreparable, long-lasting radiation damage to Canadians, and the environment of Canada, including our land mass, rivers, lakes, waters, forests, and seas, and atmosphere and upper atmosphere." These Petitions call on Canada to hold a Space Preservation Treaty Conference banning all space weapons.
Emerging New Space Coalition
The Campaign notes that, "India and Canada, and perhaps other Member Nations are emerging in 2003 as U.N. Member Nations which are willing to break through the pattern of impasse, and take accountable and responsible steps to establish a Treaty Conference in which the U.N. Member Nations can come together to ratify an enforceable international agreement banning all space weapons."
On January 4, 2003, India's President and former missile expert A.P.J. Abdul Kalam stated, "We must recognise the necessity for the world's space community to avoid terrestrial geo- political conflicts to be drawn into outer space thus threatening the space assets belonging to all mankind." He said, "This leads on to the need for an International Space Force made up of all nations, willing to participate and contribute, to protect world space assets in a manner which will enable peaceful use of space on a global cooperative basis without the looming threat of conflict on earth." (Agence France Presse).
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