PO Box 1379
Carlton VIC 3053
Australia+61 3 9023 1958
australia@icanw.org
icanw.org.au
ABN: 96 291 421 937

Bishop Mitsuru Shirahama
Nuclear-Free World Foundation

25th June 2024

Dear Bishop Shirahama,On behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Australia, I would
like to thank you and the Nuclear-Free World Foundation again for your very generous
support enabling Karina Lester to attend the second Meeting of States Parties in New
York in December 2023. It's hard to capture just how much Ms Lester did in such ashort time. Another attendee noted: “She was a real leader in the space and looked up
to by so many. Her work there was truly monumental.”
Please accept our apologies for this very delayed report back.
Her activities were as follows:
Karina Lester engagements
Second Meeting of States Parties (United Nations) New York
23 November – 1 December 2023
Karina Lester travelled from Wallatina Station in South Australia to New York city,
arriving 23 November 2023 to attend the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty
on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Over the week she was in New York Karina played a pivotal role in the internationalmeeting. She also contributed to a remarkable number of civil society events. This
report highlights some of the key achievements of her trip, as recorded by ICAN
Australia Board Member Dimity Hawkins.
Sunday 26 November:•Karina attended the whole day civil society campaigners meeting.

Monday 27 November:••Karina attended the Peace Boat and Nuclear Truth Project breakfast
for affected community members, an opportunity to meet with fellow
affected community members and get orientated to the program ofwork.
Karina attended the first day of the States Party meeting.

Tuesday 28 November:•Karina addressed the UN meeting: you can see Karina’s address tothe meeting here.

Wednesday 29 November:•••Karina was a panellist for the Nuclear Truth Project event"Challenging Nuclear Secrecy - Voices from the Frontline" – Karina
represented her story on a panel discussion with other affected
community members and their supporters from the USA, French
Polynesia/Ma’ohi Nui, France, the Marshall Islands and Fiji. Read
more in the ICAN summary here.
Interview with NHK.
Interview with ICAN Germany for short documentary with otheraffected community representatives. See the documentary “FiveQuestions” here.

Thursday 30 November:••Karina facilitated the Nuclear Survivors Forum, hosted by Peace
Boat, the Nuclear Truth Project and other groups. Read more in theICAN summary here.
Karina spoke in a live cross to Australia. Others involved in the live
event with her were Australian Member of Parliament SusanTempleman; Muhadi Sugiono Indonesian ICAN Campaigner andlecturer at the Department of International Relations at theUniversitas; Gadjah Mada; and ICAN Australia representatives,Dimity Hawkins and Gem Romuld. The full event can be viewed here.

Friday 1 December:•The New York Times interviewed Karina. You can see Karina
featured in the NYT article here.

Karina also met with numerous delegates, civil society groups and other affected
community representatives over the course of the week. Some photos are supplied fromacross the week. Her participation, together with the Australian Government’s formal
observership of the meeting, adds to the pressure on the Australian government to sign
and ratify the TPNW.
The support of the Nuclear-Free World Foundation made an enormous difference, byenabling Karina to be a key part of this important gathering. If you have any furtherquestions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Please accept our thanks and sincere appreciation.
Margaret Beavis
Co-chair ICAN Australia

Picture 1: Karina with other panelists for the Nuclear Truth Project's special side event"Challenging Nuclear Secrecy/Voices from the Frontline"

Picture 2: Karina Lester and Acoma Elder Petuuche Gilbert speaking at the Nuclear
Truth Project's special side event "Challenging Nuclear Secrecy/Voices from theFrontline"

Picture 3: Karina about to address the Second Meeting of States Parties in the UnitedNations.

Picture 4: Karina facilitating the Nuclear Survivors Forum with Kiribati Ambassador Tito
receiving feedback from the affected community members.