2018-12-14
The past few months have been a flurry of activity for the Global Issues Working Group (GIG) – with some exciting work on the horizon, too.
By Vivienne Glance
The past few months have been a flurry of activity for the Global Issues Working Group (GIG).
I’m looking forward to working with the Global Issues Working Group (GIG), Asia Pacific Greens Federation (APGF) and International Secretaries around the world for another 12 months promoting and sharing our values through the Global Greens Movement.
National Conference workshop
Thanks to everyone who made the National Conference in Springwood such a great event.
During the Springwood conference, GIG held a workshop with ICAN Board member Daryl Le Cornu, Mayor of Fremantle (WA) Brad Pettitt, and Senator Richard Di Natale. Promoting ICAN’s campaign has been a focus of GIG since it was agreed to in the UN in July 2017.
Daryl Le Cornu thanked the Australian Greens for our strong and consistent support of nuclear disarmament. He then presented a talk on the history of the nuclear disarmament movement and how this led to the formation of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
In particular, Daryl mentioned the impact of the film The Day After (1983), which has been watched by millions and depicts what life would be like after a nuclear war. It makes for very powerful viewing and has affected people’s opinions on nuclear weapons, including the late president Roland Reagan.
ICAN is a global civil society coalition and was founded in 2007 in Melbourne. It then moved to Geneva and became an international organisation, with groups in 100 countries. In Australia its personnel include Tilman Ruff, Gem Romuld (Director), and Sue Wareham (Medical Practitioners Against War, MPAW), and previously included Bill Williams and Dimity Hawkins. Former senator Scott Ludlum is an ICAN ambassador.
In 2017 at the United Nations, 122 countries voted in favour of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), with one vote against and one abstention. Australia is a non-nuclear state but chooses to rely on nuclear weapons from USA for its defence.
The next step is for the treaty to come into force when 50 countries have ratified or acceded to it. Signatories are obliged to also abide by other non-nuclear treaties as well, such as the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.
Daryl stated that we can solve this issue by getting the nine nuclear-armed countries to sign the Treaty. ICAN hopes for a global revolution that everyone can stand behind, and the majority of nations want this. ICAN and the Australian Greens very much want Australia to be part of this conversation and for the next government to sign and ratify this treaty.
West Papua Day of Action
Thanks to all the fantastic Greens members and elected representatives who joined the Free West Papua flag-flying protest on 1 December.
Since the Hobart conference in November 2017, GIG has been promoting and supporting the Free West Papua campaign. There have been several recent Australian Greens resolutions on West Papua, and one of these was to encourage Greens members and elected representatives to join the global flag-flying campaign.
However, this show of support didn’t stop hundreds of protesters being arrested in West Papua as they called for their right to self-determination. This global action for change can be followed via the various Free West Papua pages on Facebook or websites.
International study tour
Over the first week of December more than 20 people from Greens parties in the Asia-Pacific region came together to share ideas, learn about campaigning and discuss pressing issues.
Australian Greens members in Queensland and New South Wales were joined by visitors from Lebanon, Iraq, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.
Led by Michelle Sheather of our International Development Committee (IDC), the study tour was a busy but very engaged ten days covering issues such as the work of the Asia Pacific Greens Federation’s Women’s Network, (APGFWN); reports on the progress of parties in individual countries, and their work towards standing candidates in elections; building a Green movement on the ground; and building international networks. Following the study tour the APGF held a meeting of its Council in Brisbane.
What’s next for the Global Issues Working Group
There are an increasing number of global issues that Australian Greens members are keen to be involved with and GIG’s role is to help strengthen this. GIG’s role is to review and develop international policies and act as a reference group for advice on international issues and events (see terms of reference for more details).
We look forward to continuing to work with our APGF member Giz Watson, APGF councillors Bob Hale and Rose Read, and our colleagues in the Global Greens including Global Greens ambassador Christine Milne.
GIG will continue to advocate for the Australian government to sign the ICAN-led UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. To follow the progress of the signing and ratification of this treaty, visit the ICAN website. As of the 12 December 2018, 69 countries have signed and 19 have ratified the treaty.
We are also keen to support global movements and issues such as those calling for action on climate change; to stop the global use of dangerous chemicals such as glyphosate; sharing best practice with other Greens parties; and engaging with Australian Greens members who live across the world. If you think there is an important global issue that we should be supporting, please contact the GIG delegate for your member body.
Wishing everyone a happy and global new year!
Vivienne Glance is the Australian Greens’ International Secretary and GIG Convenor.