The ICAN Cities Appeal was endorsed unanimously by the Shire of Augusta Margaret River on 22 May 2019.

MOTION

CR TOWNSHEND, CR LANE

That Council:

1. Endorses the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Cities Appeal as stated:

“Our Shire is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world. We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat. Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental, would have catastrophic, far-reaching and long-lasting consequences for people and the environment. Therefore, the Shire Council warmly welcomes the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by the United Nations in 2017, and we call on our national government to sign and ratify it without delay.”

2. The Shire President writes to the Prime Minister, The Minister for Foreign Affairs and ICAN Australia advising of this endorsement;

3. Congratulates ICAN for its advocacy and leadership in the passage of the United Nations (UN) Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and on being awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize;

4. Notes that the Shire of Augusta Margaret River is an Australian member of Mayors for Peace, an organisation with the mission to raise international public awareness regarding the need to abolish nuclear weapons and contribute to world peace; and

5. Notes that the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons:

(a) is the first ever treaty to explicitly prohibit all aspects of the development, production, possession, transfer, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, or assistance or encouragement to engage in any of these prohibited activities;

(b) was passed by a majority of countries at the UN on 7 July 2017 and will come into effect when 50 countries have signed and ratified it;

(c) has been signed by 70 countries and ratified by 23 including New Zealand; and

(d) has not been signed or ratified by the Australian Government.

CARRIED 7/0