Belgian Senate passes landmark resolution in support of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol

April 10, 2009
The 2020 Vision Campaign Secretariat recently learned of a landmark resolution (no. 4-1111) passed in Belgian Senate explicitly supporting the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol and Mayors for Peace's efforts to put it forward at the 2010 NPT Review Conference. The resolution was passed on January 29th 2009 by 39 votes (and 8 abstentions).
Senator Vankrunkelsven at the meeting of the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign Board of Directors in Ypres City Hall, 11th November 2008
Senator Vankrunkelsven at the meeting of the Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign Board of Directors in Ypres City Hall, 11th November 2008
This is the first resolution in support of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol to be passed by a national parliament.

For the success of this historic resolution, our thanks goes to Senator and member of the Board of Directors of the 2020 Vision Campaign, Mr Patrik Vankrunkelsven, who worked tirelessly to ensure this first national endorsement of the Protocol.

We received the following statement and analysis from the office of Senator Vankrunkelsven:

"In 2005, both Chambers of the Belgian Parliament adopted a resolution in which they formally asked the Belgian government to take initiatives, both on EU and NATO level, towards a nuclear disarmament worldwide. Since 2005, the nuclear threat, coming from countries like Iran and North Korea, increased. In Europe, the missile defence is causing new worries. Therefore the Belgian Senate was convinced that an update of its 2005 Resolution was absolutely necessary.

The new Belgian Senate resolution of January 2009 covers two major topics. Firstly, it updates the concerns of the resolution of 2005. With a new Review Conference in 2010, the Senate stresses that the Belgian government should actively take steps to put nuclear disarmament on the agenda of NATO negotiations. Belgian government should also take all possible diplomatic efforts to create a nuclear weapon free zone. Secondly, it asked the Belgian government to support the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Protocol, as a mean for worldwide nuclear disarmament. With this resolution, the Belgian Senate is the first national parliament that acknowledges the importance of the new Protocol."

With thanks and credit to Mr. Kris Gysels.