Multilateral action is far more likely than unilateral action to achieve the goal of a demilitarized, democratic peaceful world. While individual members states of the United Nations can and should establish strict standards for arms sales, those standards will obviously be most effective, when all potential exporters abide by them. Under the code of conduct we are developing, to be eligible for arms transfers a government would have to meet a number of standards. Personally, I believe that such standards should include being chosen in free and fair elections, protecting citizens' human rights, admitting the expression of political views, having civilian control over its armed forces, not being engaged in civil war or international conflict, not sponsoring international terrorism, and not taking actions that undermine regional security such as importing a new level of military technology that triggers a wasteful arms race. To those who say that considerations of regional security mean that dictators should be armed to balance off the power of other dictators, I reply, that it is far better to remove the means of repression from all dictators in a region.
Regional security rests fundamentally on the security of the individual of each country.
Peace is not a balance of terror between two countries, not a reign of terror within one country. I urge you my friends and respected leaders in your countries to educate your fellow citizens about the need for the Nobel Peace Laureates' Code of Conduct and to press your governments to approve it. Europe parlimentarians have been promoted a code of conduct within the European union. In the US congress, my friends Senator Mark Hatfield and congress woman Cynthia McKinney recently brought the code of conduct to a strong influential vote and that effort will continue next year. This plenary session looks toward the new century and asks what strategic initiatives should be promoted to make it more humane than the tragic twentieth century with its two world wars, countless regional conflicts, and massive loss of life in civil strife.