Whereas Unitarian Universalists affirm and promote
justice, equity and compassion in human relations, and the goal of world
community with peace, liberty and justice for all, and
Whereas the Canadian Unitarian Council supports the
establishment of an effective, independent and credible International
Criminal Court, and
Whereas a proposal of the Government of the United
States appears to affect the viability of the International Criminal
Court as an institution that upholds the aforesaid Unitarian
Universalist Principles, and
Whereas this proposal would prevent the Court from
prosecuting an individual without the consent of either the Security
Council or the accused's state of origin, and
Whereas this will have the effect of exempting
American officials from prosecution by the International Criminal Court,
and
Whereas this proposal is not only regarded by many as
an amendment and modification of the Rome Statute, but also drastically
decreases the independence of the International Criminal Court and its
Prosecutor, and significantly increases the power of the Security
Council over the International Criminal Court, and
Whereas this proposal seriously compromises the
Nuremberg principle that official acts do not protect individuals from
responsibility for major crimes, and disrupts the process of justice
leading to reconciliation and eventually to peace,
Therefore, be it resolved that the delegates at the
Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council urge the
Government of Canada to oppose a proposal of the Government of the
United States regarding the International Criminal Court, specifically
(i) the
Proposed Text of Rule to Article 98, and
(ii) the
Proposed Text to Supplemental Document to the Rome Treaty, and
furthermore, that the Government of Canada use its influence to
encourage other governments to oppose these proposals.
This Special Resolution was presented
by a petition signed by fifteen delegates from more than five
congregations, was passed by a 2/3 majority, and represents the view of
those delegates at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council
on May 21, 2000.
CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MAY 19-22, 2000
SPECIAL RESOLUTION
Since we as Unitarian Universalists strongly affirm
the high ideal of a peaceful world community, recognizing the crucial
interdependence of all peoples as well as of all creation, and
WHEREAS the United States government is pressuring the
Canadian government to participate in a Ballistic Missile Defence
system; and
WHEREAS this system undermines forty years of nuclear
arms control, especially the US-Russian Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty,
and pushes Russia and China to reject the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
and to engage in a renewed nuclear arms race; and
WHEREAS, in response to the proposed Ballistic Missile
Defence system, nuclear weapons states (like India, Pakistan, and
Israel) as well as many non-nuclear weapons states are likely to refuse
to ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty; and
WHEREAS NATO allies, particularly France, insist that
any ballistic threat must be considered in the context of a broader
concern for the international community; and
WHEREAS the U.S. Department of Defense has claimed
that the Ballistic Missile Defence system is designed to protect against
rogue states (like North Korea, Iran, and Iraq) yet has planned to
position missiles on the Russian border in Alaska and Norway; and
WHEREAS the US Department of Defense is working on a
Ballistic Missile Defence system for North America, following in the
tradition of the Strategic Defence Initiatives ("Star Wars")
that to date has cost $39 billion (by Center for Defense Information
estimates); and
WHEREAS Canada, as an ally of America, could have an
important influence on the United States;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the delegates at the
Annual General Meeting of the CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL strongly oppose
Canada's involvement in the Ballistic Missile Defence system; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the delegates at the
Annual General Meeting of the CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL encourage the
Canadian government and the Unitarian Universalist Association to urge
the United States to abandon the Ballistic Missile Defence system; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the delegates at the
Annual General Meeting of the CANADIAN UNITARIAN COUNCIL urge Canada to
continue its strong action in support of nuclear non-proliferation.
The Canadian Unitarian Council calls upon Canadian
congregations and individual Unitarian Universalists to contact their
Members of Parliament and members of the Federal Cabinet to voice their
opposition.
This Special Resolution was presented
by a petition signed by fifteen delegates from more than five
congregations, was passed by a 2/3 majority, and represents the view of
those delegates at the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Unitarian Council
on May 21, 2000.
