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IEC, Lillehammer 1991
US BASES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE DEBT CRISIS (IEC Meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
A "People's Test Ban treaty" (IEC meeting Lillehammer, 1991)
Cuba (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
GULF AND THE MIDDLE EAST (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST (IEC, Lillehammer, 1991)
FRENCH POLYNESIA (IEC meeting Lillehammer, 1991)
OLYMPICS FOR PEACE (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
US BASES IN THE PHILIPPINES AND THE DEBT CRISIS (IEC Meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is aware that:
1. The US and Philippine governments today are in the process of negotiating a new treaty that will extend the stay of US military facilities, notably the Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base, in the Philippines until the next century.
2. The on-going talks are in line with the provision in the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibiting the presence of foreign troops in the country beyond 16 September, 1991 when the 1947 R.P.-US Military Bases agreement expires and no new treaty has been signed by the Philippine Executive and ratified by the Senate; and ,
3. The need for compensation to ease the Philippine debt burden of close to 30 billion US dollars has been cited by the Aquino government as a major reason for a new treaty;
and recognizes that:
1. The said constitutional provision and another which ban the presence of nuclear arms in Philippine territory were won by the Filipino people when they ousted the government of Ferdinand Marcos and are a step towards the development of the Asia-Pacific peace and nuclear- free zone; and.
2. No amount of compensation for the US basis can take the place of adopting an alternative debt strategy to solve the country's crisis.
As such, we therefore:
1. Call on the Philippine Government to abide by the spirit of the above constitutional provisions and to terminate the presence of the US bases, there by contributing to global peace and demilitarization. particularly in the Asia-Pacific region;
2 Support the members of the Philippine Senate, the body mandated to ratify a new R.P. - US military based agreement, who have taken a stand for the non extension of the based stay;
3. Strongly urge that, instead of compromising the people's sovereign will, the Aquino government ease.
Suggested Actions:
1. Write letters to President Corazon Aquino and the Philippine Senate, urging them to terminate the stay of the bases and to declare a debt moratorium.
2. Write and lobby vis-a-vis their governments on the issues of the US bases and the debt crisis, urging them to uphold the economic and political sovereignty of the Filipino people.
3. Support protest actions of the Philippine movement through a media campaign, information exchange and, if possible, coordinated actions.
A "People's Test Ban treaty" (IEC meeting Lillehammer, 1991)
The undersigned NGOs met in Geneva 13 and 14 November 1989 to consider activities to promote the conclusion of a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. They reached the following conclusions:
1. The complete and universal cessation of nuclear testing is of critical importance for the future of disarmament and for the survival of humanity. As the Secretary General of the United Nations conclude, a comprehensive nuclear test ban is regarded as the first and most urgent step towards the cessation of the nuclear arms race and in particular, of its qualitative aspects.
2. Despite an improved international atmosphere and support from world public opinion, there is no progress in the negotiations on a CTBT. The '80s were not marked by any substantial achievements in limiting nuclear explosions.
3. The time has come for peoples all over the world to take the initiative to elaborate and conclude a "People's Test Ban Treaty" and to press governments to speed up negotiations for the conclusion of a Comprehensive Nuclear test Ban.
4. The text of the People's Treaty, and the text of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban treaty for governments, should be prepared by NGOs in consultation with experts. The final texts of these documents would be adopted at a meeting with the broadest participation of NGOs and movements. An international campaign in support of the People's Treaty, would be submitted to the parliaments and every possible pressure should be exerted on the governments to sign the draft. An appeal will be addressed to all nuclear powers for an immediate moratorium on nuclear tests.
5. The NGOs, initiators of this proposal, as well as any other NGOs and movements ready to support the initiative,would delegate scientific,legal or other experts to participate in the work of the group with the mandate to elaborate the above mentioned documents should be ready for adoption by May 1990.
signed by:
– Afro-Asian Peoples' Solidarity Organization
– International Association of Democratic Lawyers
– International Youth and Student Movement for the United Nations
– Women's International Democratic Federation
– Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
– World Conference on Religion and Peace
– World Federation of Democratic Youth
– World Federation of United Nations Associations
– World Peace Council
Cuba (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
To be sent to sections for action:
Recognizing the principles of respect of self-determination of peoples; in the knowledge that Cuba is undergoing an economic boycott which has lasted over 20 years, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom requests that the economic boycott of Cuba be lifted.
Taking into account that the vulnerable groups in each country are children, the elderly and women; and that they are the ones who suffer most from these measures; we present this request for the end of the embargo and normalization of relations between USA and Cuba.
(copies to be sent to UN Secretary General and to sections for their action)
GULF AND THE MIDDLE EAST (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
Call for the Immediate Lifting of the Embargo
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom considers that it is not by the victor punishing the vanquished that lasting peace can be established. WILPF is horrified that the embargo against Iraq remains in place although Iraq's occupation of Kuwait was ended more than five months ago.
Recalling the United Nations Inter-Agency report of 20 March 1991 which states that the conflict "has wrought near apocalyptic results" in Iraq, and subsequent reports describing the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqi children, we call on the United Nations Security Council to immediately lift the embargo against Iraq so that the country can import urgently needed food and medical supplies. as well as materials and equipment for reconstruction.
We again call on the United Nations and all other international organizations to relieve the suffering of all victims of the war by;
–– sending medical supplies
–– sending food
–– giving technological assistance in securing clean water
–– providing assistance in the recovery of agriculture and in repairing ecological damage.
The distribution of supplies should be carried out without discrimination.
We oppose the severe conditions concerning the reparation payments by Iraq for damages caused by the war.
We urge the UN and all concerned countries to totally halt the transfer of arms, war-related materials and technology to all the countries in the Gulf and Middle East regions. We call for the establishment of a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction, leading to disarmament in the region.
PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST (IEC, Lillehammer 1991)
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom fully supports the Final Document adopted by the Women's Geneva Conference for Israeli-Palestinian Peace (held 13-15 May 1991).
We call on governments to exert pressure on the Government of Israel to enter into negotiations with the PLO for a peaceful settlement of the conflict by withholding aid used by Israel to maintain its occupation of Palestinian lands taken in the June 1967 war.
We stress the urgency of finding a solution to the conflict in order to avoid such devastation as was caused by missile and bombing attacks on civilian populations of Iraq, Israel and Lebanon, the on-going suffering of the Palestinian people under occupation, and the terrible catastrophe that would be cause by a future war.
FRENCH POLYNESIA (IEC meeting Lillehammer, 1991)
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom calls on the United Nations Members States to urge France to grant independence to French Polynesia and New Caledonia, the only remaining French colonies in the Pacific, in accordance with resolution 1514 of 14 December 1960.(To UN Member States and the UN Secretary General)
OLYMPICS FOR PEACE (IEC meeting, Lillehammer, 1991)
In ancient times, all hostilities ceased during the time of the Games so that the athletes could pass to and from the Games safely.
Meeting in Lillehammer, Norway, the site of the 1994 Winter Olympic, the Women's International league for Peace and Freedom urges that this tradition be observed again, and that the Olympic Games as of that year become known as the 'Olympic for Peace".
(to be sent in the form of a letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee, and to sections for transmittal to their governments)
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