31st Oct 2011 – Senate Motions - Nuclear Weapons - International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion

The majority voted against a motion introduced by Greens Senator Scott Ludlam, which means it was rejected.

Motion text

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) 23 300 nuclear weapons are in existence posing direct and constant threat to international peace and security with thousands on hair trigger alert ready to be launched within minutes of an order to fire,

(ii) nine countries possess nuclear weapons and under 'nuclear sharing' arrangements five others have nuclear weapons on their soil, and

(iii) at the height of the cold war, nuclear weapon stockpiles were approximately 70 000 warheads and more than 40 000 have been dismantled;

(b) welcomes efforts taken by the Government to advance nuclear disarmament diplomacy, including the establishment of the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and the request for the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties to undertake an inquiry into the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament treaties involving Australia; and

(c) calls on the Government to support the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Threat or Use of Nuclear Weapons.