Report by Mr. Sean Morris, UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary
The UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter Secretary was one of the invited expert guests to a special UK Parliament roundtable event organised by PNND and the IPU British Group on the 9th of March. The roundtable meeting allowed for publication and discussion of the PNND Disarmament Parliamentary handbook to UK Parliamentarians. The handbook provides Parliamentarians with assistance and best practice guidance in promoting disarmament from all types of explosive weapons and weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. Speaking at the meeting was the former UK Ambassador to the United Nations Lord Hannay, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Explosive Threats Matthew Offord MP, and PNND Co-ordinator Alyn Ware.
The web-based meeting welcomed the publication of the handbook and discussed some of the key future risks and opportunities in the national and international debates on disarmament. The handbook also summarises for MPs the core issues from the United Nations Secretary General’s Common Future agenda looking at all weapons of mass destruction, conventional weapons and new, emerging weapons. The handbook has been developed after positive discussion with the United Nations in consultation with the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the World Futures Council. The roundtable included a wide cross-party of UK MPs and security and disarmament experts. The UK & Ireland Mayors for Peace Chapter welcome the handbook and the opportunity to understand more about it.