By David Andersson
On Wednesday, June 9, New York City Council members Dromm, Rosenthal and Kallos introduced Resolution 976 to: 1) require the city to divest from financial institutions involved in the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons; and 2) stand in support of the U.N. treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. NYC will be joining the city of Paris, which became the first French city – and the second capital of a nuclear-armed state – to support the treaty.
It is a very important step but just the beginning. Now individual council members will have to sign on to the resolution. There should be public hearings around September and after that the city council will vote on it, after which it goes to the mayor, who could either sign or veto it.
The text of the resolution reads: “Resolution calling on the New York City Comptroller to instruct the pension funds of public employees in New York City to divest from and avoid any financial exposure to companies involved in the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons, reaffirming New York City as a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, and joining the ICAN Cities Appeal and calling on the United States to support and join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. NYC committee on Civil Service and Labor .”
You can follow the process online and see the name of council members who have signed. To have any chance of passing, the resolution will need the support of at least 30 CM.
If NYC passes this resolution it will have limitless repercussions, nationally and internationally. If you want to learn more about the treaty, Pressenza has produced a documentary that will be screened by the Catholic Workers at Maryhouse on July 9 and by Brooklyn for Peace at Brooklyn Commons on September 5. For more details visit: http://theendofnuclearweapons.com/events/
