Civil G8 2006

Civil G8 — is your opportunity
to discuss global problems!

earth

Forum final documents

"Human security". Recommendations of the Forum on the meeting of the heads of G8 countries in St. Petersburg in July 2006


Moscow, 9-10 March 2006

Preamble

1. Civil society representatives, participants of the Civil G8 Forum held in Moscow on 9-10 March 2006, have agreed that human security issues are of primary importance in the world today. With this in mind, Forum participants urge the G8 countries to make human security a priority item on the agenda of the G8 Summit in 2007 in Germany and thereafter.

2. Participants of the Civil Forum appeal to the G8 countries on this issue, because these countries bear special responsibility for ensuring security in the world, and because these countries themselves have been targeted by international terrorism over the recent years.

3. Civil Forum participants believe that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and delivery systems, international terrorism, and intensification of regional and internal armed conflicts represent a growing threat to international peace and security and thus to each and every human being as well.

4. In addition, Civil Forum participants emphasize that human rights are inseparable from security, and that violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law in the context of fighting terrorism are unacceptable. The need to respect and promote human rights is not a hindrance, but a necessary condition of security.

5. Issues of security have traditionally been considered as a state prerogative. Nevertheless these problems have a clear human security dimension and have better chances for success if dealt with in cooperation with civil society institutions.

6. Participants of the Forum believe that it is necessary to establish an effective permanent mechanism of civil society monitoring of G8 governments' activities in the area of human security, and hope that G8 countries will cooperate with such a mechanism should it be established.

Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Delivery Systems

7. The Civil Forum participants express their concern over the erosion of the non-proliferation regime and express hope that the G8 countries will take active measures to strengthen and consolidate the regime in the spirit of the UN Charter. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is at the core of the non-proliferation regime and participants call for its universal adoption.

8. Civil Forum participants are concerned about the growing proliferation risks of fissile materials, and urge the governments of G8 countries to adopt effective measures to improve security of the nuclear fuel cycle, and to strengthen domestic and international export controls.

9. Civil Forum participants also expressed concern over the increasing use of force as part of WMD counter-proliferation strategies.

10. Participants acknowledge that the G8 countries have achieved considerable progress in addressing the problem of WMD proliferation, in particular through the G8 Global Partnership against Proliferation of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction (GP), especially through its priority areas (such as chemical disarmament, utilization of nuclear submarines, retraining of weapons scientists, and utilization of nuclear materials). The Civil Forum participants believe, however, that the urgency of WMD proliferation threat requires speedier and more effective implementation of this initiative. To this end they think it is necessary to increase funding of the Global Partnership program; to establish better control over the efficiency of spending of allocated funds; to consider measures to extend the program beyond 2012 and to make it sustainable (in particular, through commercialization of projects and promoting nonproliferation education and culture). The program would benefit if it moves from "donor - recipient" relationship to true partnership. Civil society organisations of the Global Partnership countries are ready to share their expertise with the G8 governments to find the most efficient ways to implement the program.

Prevention and Management of Regional Conflicts

11. Participants feel that in order to prevent and manage regional armed conflicts, both civil society and governments need to promote political pluralism, and to create a culture of peace and tolerance. Dialogue of G8 countries with civil society organizations in politically unstable countries and regions is of paramount importance.

12. The Civil Forum participants are concerned over the growing religious, racial and ethnic intolerance, extremism and xenophobia in the world today, contributing to current and emerging conflicts and violence. The Forum participants urge the G8 governments to take proactive measures, jointly with civil society organizations, to prevent and combat these trends. The Forum participants also urge the G8 governments to make a political commitment to work against the use of religious and ethnic intolerance by politicians, public leaders and governments as an instrument of political competition and state governance.

13. The Forum participants urge the G8 governments to commit to global leadership, in particular in the UN framework, in elaborating clear and universal criteria for humanitarian intervention, and in abandoning double standards in this area.

Fight against Terrorism

14. In support to the G8 Statement, made at Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, participants condemn all terrorism acts as crimes against humanity without regard of their motivation, and confirm that there can be no reasons or justifications to murder of people.

15. The Forum participants agree that terrorist acts fundamentally undermine human rights, and support the necessity of effective anti-terrorism measures. At the same time they express serious concern over the erosion of human rights and the rule of law in the context of fighting terrorism in the G8 countries and across the globe, and over the fact that certain states resort to intimidation of peaceful civilian population, impose collective liability and collective punishment. The participants support efforts of the United Nations to address this problem and urge the G8 countries to assume an active position on this issue.

16. The Forum participants urge the G8 countries to develop effective procedures with regard to hostage-taking situations, proceeding from the priority of saving the lives of hostages, and to share information on existing best practices.

17. Many Forum participants urge all of the G8 countries to review national anti-terrorist legislation in the light of internationally recognized standards of proportionality and extreme necessity in restricting human rights due to security measures, and to put an end to impunity of perpetrators violating the rights of peaceful civilians.

18. Some Forum participants are concerned about the instances of the use of security threats to justify changes in the legislation which undermine democratic institutions and in some cases to seek establishment of government control over civil society. They call on the G8 countries to consider coordinated policies reversing this trend.

19. Citizens are not only potential targets of terrorist attacks; they are an active force in making the world a safer place. Participant of the Civil Forum urge the G8 countries to design and implement security measures jointly with civil society organizations.

Appendix

Terrorism is an international evil that touches us all, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or where we live. The effects of terrorism and specifically suicide bombing cannot be properly understood or explained except by victims. To give a human face to the murdered, to explain the depth of the pain of the injured and to properly reflect the worldwide scope of this scourge, victims need to be seen and heard. Some Forum participants therefore initiated a committee to be formed which would invite 12 to 15 people from different countries as victims of international terror to testify about their suffering in the presence of the world media during G8 summit, and to start preparations for such an event immediately.

Expert opinion

Halter Marek

02.12.06

Halter Marek
Le College de France
Olivier Giscard d’Estaing

02.12.06

Olivier Giscard d’Estaing
COPAM, France
Mika Ohbayashi

02.12.06

Mika Ohbayashi
Institute for Sustainable Energy Poliñy
Bill Pace

02.12.06

Bill Pace
World Federalist Movement - Institute for Global Policy
Peter I. Hajnal

01.12.06

Peter I. Hajnal
Toronto University, G8 Research Group


Contact us |  De | Rus |