Even worse is when major powers completely sidestep the United Nations in the pursuit of their own interests. This occurred all the time during the cold war, but after the fall of the wall we all hoped that the major powers would respect international law. The recent NATO bombings of Kosovo and Russia's bombings of Chechnia show all too clearly that they do not. To add insult to injury, NATO subsequently turned over the devastating consequences of the war a million refugees, a ruined infrastructure and a traumatized and divided population to United Nations. And, now the US is debating withdrawing its peacekeeping troops from Kosovo in July 2001.
Nuclear weapons are weapons of the cold war.
The cold war is over but the nuclear weapons remain. Nuclear weapons still constitute a serious threat to peace and security of our planet and the survival of all humanity and life on earth. This is demonstrated in the unwillingness of the nuclear weapon states to fulfil their obligations in the NPT-treaty article 6 to in good faith carry out nuclear disarmament. It is time for all states to negotiate and conclude a Nuclear Weapons Convention, which would prohibit the production, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, and provide for verification and enforcement of their destruction. I am confident that this NGO Millennium Forum will support this demand.