HomeMy WebLinkAbout026 19RESOLUTION NO. 26-19
Calling for the United States to Sign
the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
By this Resolution, the Jefferson County Board of Health resolves that certain steps be
taken in support of the signing of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, with such
steps set forth in detail below. This Resolution is supported by the following facts and reasons:
1. Nuclear weapons cannot be used without catastrophic health and humanitarian
consequences that violate every principle of international law, natural justice, public
health, environmental protection and human morality.
2. The continued existence of these weapons poses an intolerable risk to human survival.
3. The United States, together with Britain, France, Russia and China, signed and ratified a
legally binding commitment more than 50 years ago to negotiate "in good faith" and "at an
early date" the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
4. The International Court of justice ruled, in their 1996 Advisory Opinion on the Legality of
Nuclear Weapons, that the legally binding commitment to negotiate means "bringing
those negotiations to a successful conclusion."
S. In the year 2000 the United States, together with Britain, France, Russia and China gave
an "unequivocal undertaking" to 187 other nations that they would fulfill their
commitment to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
6. In July 2017,122 nations adopted the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,
making it illegal under international law to develop, test, produce, possess, stockpile,
transfer, use, or threaten to use nuclear weapons.'
7. Once this Treaty enters in force, it will be illegal in all countries who are party to this
Treaty to assist, encourage or induce, in any way, anyone to engage in any activity
prohibited by the Treaty.
8. More and more countries will continue to sign and ratify this Treaty, including sooner or
later many key allies of the United States.
9. This means that the United States will find it increasingly difficult to develop,
manufacture, deploy or justify its continued dependence on nuclear weapons.
NOW THEREFORE, having been informed by the facts and reasons just stated, the Jefferson
County Board of Health hereby APPROVES and ADOPTS the following Resolution:
FIRST: The President of the United States is called upon to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of
Nuclear Weapons and to invite the other eight nuclear nations to do likewise.
1 httl2://www icanw orgltreaty-on-the-prohibition-of-nuclear-weapons/
SECOND: Our federal leaders and our nation are called upon to take immediate steps in the
meantime to reduce the threat posed by the continued existence of these weapons and to
prevent the possibility of nuclear war taking place by accident, miscalculation or design, by:
❑ renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first;
❑ ending the president's sole, unchecked authority to launch a nuclear attack;
❑ taking US nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert;
❑ cancelling the plan to replace its entire arsenal with enhanced weapons; and
❑ leading a global effort to reduce tensions, particularly with Russia, through dialogue,
diplomacy and other confidence -building measures.
FINALLY: A copy of this Resolution shall be sent to U.S. Congressman Derek Kilmer, U.S. Senator
Patty Murray, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, and President Donald J. Trump.
ACCORDINGLY, on this 16th Day of May, 2019, and as indicated by the signature of the Chair
below, it is SO RESOLVED.
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF H TH
Cornelis Kolff, MD, MP , Ch 'r