This is the weekly electronic information service of the International Network of Engineers and Scientists for Global Responsibility

Editor: Tobias Damjanov, e-mail:   
INES homepages: http://inesglobal.org       http://www.inesglobal.com/
INES International Office   
INES Chair: Prof. Armin Tenner    [Please note that the first "1" in q18 is the number one, while the last "l" is a "L"]

CONTENTS of WNII No. 24/2001

• Membership and Projects' News:
  • INES 2000 Conference: Plenaries, Workshop reports online
• Special Section: On the US Missile Defence Policy
  • Conclusions of INESAP/NAPF planning workshop "Moving Beyond Missile Defense"
  • Useful web sources
  • US poll: Majority in favour of missile shield
• Nuclear Weapons:
  • Global Missile Proliferation report
• Sustainable Development:
  • Telecommunications Industry Launches Sustainability Initiative
  • Women's strategies for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
  • Preparatory Sessions for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development
  • UNEP Expert Consultations on International Environmental Governance
• Conferences, Meetings, Seminars:
  • Second Conference on Facilitating the Entry Into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
  • First International Conference on Ecological Sanitation
  • EURO-SUSTAIN Conference
• INES Web- and Email Service

MEMBERSHIP AND PROJECTS' NEWS"

INES 2000 Conference: Plenaries, Workshop reports online

Reports of the Plenary sessions and the workshops of the INES 2000 Conference "Challenges for Science and Engineering in the 21st Century" (Stockholm, 1418 June 2000) can now be found at: http://www.inesglobal.com/publication/ines_proceedings/Proceed_html/PROCEEDINGS.htm  

SPECIAL SECTION
ON THE US MISSILE DEFENCE POLICY

Conclusions of INESAP/NAPF planning workshop "Moving Beyond Missile Defense"

The International Network of Engineers and Scientists Against Proliferation (INESAP) has now disseminated the conclusions from the Workshop "Moving Beyond Missile Defense" that was held March 19-21, 2001, in Santa Barbara, California. INESAP Coordinator Regina Hagen writes: "You are encouraged to distribute the Conclusions and to publish them in any newsletter you may have. We will also document them in the next INESAP Information Bulletin."

The document is available from the WNII Editor either as an rtf-formatted or as a PDF-formatted email attachment.

Useful web sources

• Stephen F. Cohen: Russian Nuclear Roulette: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20010625
• Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, USA: National Missile Defense: Policy Issues and Technological Capabilities, July 2000 (by David R. Tanks): http://www.ifpa.org/pubs/nmd_bott.htm
• Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis, USA: BMDO BPA (Blanket Purchase Agreement) Web Page: http://www.ifpa.org/new/bmdo_bott.htm
• Projected NMD Developments Timeline: http://www.clw.org/coalition/nmdcalendar.htm
• Pugwash Workshop on Nuclear Stability and Missile Defense, Sigtuna, Sweden, 26-28 October 2000: http://www.pugwash.org/reports/nw/nw12.htm
• The Strategic Chameleon: Perceptions and Implications of US Plans for Strategic Missile Defence; by Nick Ritchie of the UK-based Oxford Research Group: http://www.oxfrg.demon.co.uk/frame%20-%20publications.htm
• Jonathan Shell: The New Nuclear Danger: http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20010625
• Michael W. Stowell: This Round's On You, Again. Review of the madness of the US National Missile Defense (NMD) and Theater Missile Defense (TMD): http://www.swans.com/library/art7/mws006.html
• "Universe Today Space News from Around the Internet": useful links directory: http://www.universetoday.com/html/directory/nasa.html
• US Government: National Missile Defense Program: http://www.acq.osd.mil/bmdo/bmdolink/html/nmd.html
• US State Department Bureau of Arms Control: Missile Defense (index!): http://www.state.gov/t/ac/index.cfm?id=3056

US poll: Majority in favour of missile shield (Source: Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2001)

A majority of Americans supports proposals to build a missile defense system, even if the system is costly, according to a survey released by the Council on Foreign Relations. It found that 51% of Americans were in favour of an anti-missile shield and 38% against. The poll was conducted May 15 to 28 and involved 1,468 adults.

Only 41% said the cost of a system was a reason to oppose it. And 34% said the threat to relations with Russia and China was grounds to oppose construction. Among self-described liberal Democrats, 45% said they favored building a system, while 47% opposed the idea. Moderates were 55% to 34% in favor; it was 70% to 22% among conservatives. Nevertheless, the public believes by 77% to 10% that terrorism is a greater threat than a long-range missile attack. And 53% said having treaties that would limit the arms race and help control the spread of nuclear weapons is the best way to protect the U.S.

Editor's note: The underlying article has two major shortcomings: It did not quote any of the questions used in the survey; hence, you dont know what exactly was asked. Also, the article neither did indicate in which region of the US the "1,468 adults" were questioned nor did it provide any information as to the social basis of the respondents. The Council on Foreign Relations is a government-friendly institution.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Abolition 2000 homepage: http://www.abolition2000.org  Grassroots News: http://www.napf.org/abolition2000/news

Global Missile Proliferation report

The June issue of "Arms Control Today" includes a report detailing the current state of missile proliferation. The report states that only five states besides the de jure nuclear-weapon states possess the capability to indigenously produce ballistic missiles with ranges over 1,000 km. The report further states that according to the US CIA, Russia, the PRC and the DPRK are the largest suppliers of ballistic missile-related goods, technology, and expertise. The report includes a table listing the global distribution of missile capabilities.          http://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/jun01/factfilejun01.htm  

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Telecommunications Industry Launches Sustainability Initiative http://www.gesi.org   

An initiative to improve the global environment and support sustainable development by promoting business practices and technologies that save energy, minimize waste and help bridge the "digital divide" has been launched in Torino, Italy, on the occasion of World Environment Day, 5 June.

The new alliance, called the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), brings together some of the world's biggest information and communications technology (ICT) companies and their industry associations and is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

It is the first alliance of its kind to involve both telecommunications operators and their suppliers who have committed to manage their own business operations in an environmentally friendly way and also promote sustainable business practices and technologies around the world. With a common vision to "make a key contribution to a global sustainable future" founding members of this new voice on the environment include: AT&T, British Telecommunications, Cable & Wireless, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Marconi, Telcordia Technologies , Telenor and the European Telecommunications Network Operators Association.

"At a time in history when our technologies are bringing people closer together it follows that businesses also work together to contribute to the societies within which they operate," says Chris Tuppen, Chair of the Interim GeSI steering group. "The launch of GeSI will build on existing voluntary activities and act as the focus for a global network of companies and organisations working on sustainability issues in the ICT sector."

As an industry, telecommunications tends to be relatively clean. However, as many other industries, it consumes vast amounts of energy, generates waste and affects the physical environment in various ways. Responding to this challenge, the GeSI encourages corporate environmental monitoring and the sharing of best practices like reducing and recycling of waste, saving energy and developing products "designed for the environment."

The participating companies in GeSI have agreed on a range of activities ranging from environmental management in their internal operations, to exploring options for remote and disadvantaged communities in developing countries to get 'online'.

Over the next two years, the GeSI will support research on the role that information and communications technology can play in advancing sustainable development -- climate change, waste reduction and the digital divide are among the main issues that will be addressed first. Participating companies are also looking into how best to "outreach" their knowledge and experience to enable businesses around the world to take new opportunities and expand markets while displaying corporate social and environmental responsibility at the same time.

GeSI Secretariat email contact: < >

(from UNEP News Release 2001/78)

Women's strategies for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development

Entitled "Women's Action Agenda for a Healthy Planet 2002", the US-based Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) has recently launched a strategies' paper which is available from the WNII Editor as an rtf-formatted email attachment.

NOTE additional information on the Women's Caucus Information:

• Website: http://www.earthsummit2002.org/wcaucus/csdngo.htm
• Listserv: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/women-csd/  

Preparatory Sessions for the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development

The 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development will take place in Johannesburg, South Africa, 2-11 September 2002 http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/ 

• Second Preparatory Session: New York (UN Headquarters), 28 January - 8 February 2002. The Second Session will review the results of national and regional preparatory processes, examine the main policy report of the Secretary- General, and convene a Multi-stakeholder Dialogue.
• Third Session: New York (UN Headquarters), 25 March - 5 April 2002 The Third Session is expected to produce the first draft of a "review" document and elements of the future work programme of the CSD.
• Fourth Session: Bali, Indonesia, 27 May - 7 June 2002 The Fourth Session will include Ministerial and Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Segments, and is expected to result in elements for a concise political document to be submitted to the 2002 Summit.

For more information contact Andrey Vasilyev: < >

Major groups contact: Zehra Aydin-Sipos, DESA: < >

UNEP Expert Consultations on International Environmental Governance

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin (Volume 53, Number 01, 07 June, 2001) has published a Summary Report of this Meeting which took place in Cambridge, UK, on 28-29 May. During one and a half days of roundtable discussions, participants conducted an extensive survey of the institutional, financial and conceptual dimensions of international environmental governance and the need to evolve new responses together with a review of UNEP's role within these wider issues. The Summary Report in full is available from the WNII Editor as an rtf-formatted email attachment.

CONFERENCES, MEETINGS, SEMINARS

Second Conference on Facilitating the Entry Into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)

• Date: 25-27 September 2001
• Venue: New York, USA
• IMPORTANT NOTE: NGOs should register for accreditation to this conference before 31 August 2001 Any NGO wishing to attend needs to apply in writing, with a letter from the organisation and a brief (max. 2 pages) explanation of its work relevant to the conference, to the Secretariat of the Conference Ms. Sari Nurro, Department for Disarmament Affairs, UN Plaza, 10017, New York, USA: Fax: (1-212) 963 8892 Phone: (1-212) 963 9678 Email: < > Permission will be granted by a decision of the Conference.

For more conference information:

• UN Department for Disarmament Affairs: http://www.un.org/Depts/dda/WMD/ctbt/article_iv/index.html
• The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization: http://pws.ctbto.org/
• The Acronym Institute: http://www.acronym.org
• The Coalition to Reduce Nuclear Dangers: http://www.crnd.org
• International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War: http://www.ippnw.org
• Physicians for Social Responsibility, USA: http://www.psr.org 
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)/Reaching Critical Will: http://www.reachingcriticalwill.org   NOTE: Through this webpage, you can find two Sign-up letters for NGOs, a) urging the CTBT signatories " to express support for this vital nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation tool and to take action to secure the ratifications necessary for CTBT entry into force"; and b) urging the CTBT Hold-out States to sign and/or ratify the treaty.
• VERTIC: http://www.vertic.org  

First International Conference on Ecological Sanitation http://www.wkab.se  

• Date: 5-8 November 2001
• Venue: Nanning, Guangxi Province, PR China
• Organized by the Jiu San Society, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), UNICEF, UNDP, the Ecological Society of China and the Chinese Association for Agricultural Engineering

For more details, contact the Conference Secretariat: < >

EURO-SUSTAIN Conference

• Date: 2-5 April 2002
• Venue: Island of Rhodos, Greece

The EURO-SUSTAIN initiative focuses on technologies and actions that lead toward sustainability.

For details, visit: http://aix.meng.auth.gr/lhtee/  and: http://www3.eureka.be/Home 

INES WEB AND E-MAIL SERVICE

No new or changed addresses.
All INES e-mail addresses and homepages are available upon request from:  

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