Posted on 15 -8-2003

NZ Govt Backtracking On Nukes

Auckland, 14 August 2003: In a blatant attempt to weaken the Pacific's
resolve to stop nuclear shipments, New Zealand officials at the Pacific
Islands Forum have pushed to have legal and political steps to protect the
region from nuclear shipments dropped.

Instead they are in favour of resuming "dialogue" with nuclear shipping
states the UK, Japan and France - talks that have gone nowhere for the past
three years. Recommendations by officials to leaders abandon the
commitments already agreed in February in Nadi, Fiji.

The UK, France, Japan and Australia have been shipping nuclear materials
through the region since the early 1990s, attracting angry opposition from
countries en route. It took many years to get the shipping states to the
table to discuss the region's concerns. "Dialogue" fell apart in Nadi
after the UK made it clear it was not prepared to make concessions to
Pacific nations over nuclear shipments. The UK maintained this position at
a meeting on nuclear shipments at the International Atomic Energy Agency in
Vienna in July. "The only reason the UK is prepared to come back to the
table now is that the Pacific states dropped the dialogue - talking was
going nowhere and the UK began to fear that the Pacific route would be
closed off," said Greenpeace New Zealand spokesman Glyn Walters.

Despite strong opposition from Pacific states such as Fiji, Vanuatu and at
the Small Islands States Leaders meeting today, New Zealand officials have
insisted on dropping an agreement to pursue diplomatic and legal measures
to address the risks posed by the shipments. "Helen Clark must support the
Pacific nations and assure the New Zealand public that Forum members will
be able to investigate legal and diplomatic options in parallel with
'dialogue', to stop these dangerous nuclear shipments". "Talk on its own
will go nowhere". "It's like fiddling while Rome burns - if only 'dialogue'
continues, more nuclear shipments will come through the Pacific, with no
prior notification, no liability regime and completely inadequate emergency
response plans".