About Us
The Mehta Centre is set up to promote Peace, Security and Disarmament, United Nations Human Rights, International Law, Development and Poverty Reduction. Its approach to solving global threats and challenges is a holistic one. We advocate that hard and soft challenges facing the world today have to be dealt with the same urgency. It will be futile to be only spending most of our resources and time to fight terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), if 30,000 children per day are dying of poverty and malnourishment whilst 7,000 people die daily of HIV aids.
The Mehta Centre advocates governments and the international community to have a holistic approach to solve the problems of poverty reduction, sustainable development, environmental protection and end to pandemic diseases to go hand in hand, along with a vigorous drive to combat terrorism and WMDs.
Non-violent means, education and a culture of peace should be used to stop human rights abuses, promote democracy, ethics, freedom, solidarity, rule of law as enshrined in the UN Charter.
The Mehta Centre for Peace works with others for the principle goal of advancing peace in the world. It recognises that central to this goal, the scourge of war and armed conflict must be tackled. Furthermore, it recognises the interdependence of the world and thus attaining peace requires building bridges and promoting dialogue and peace education. Moreover economic growth, poverty reduction lifting the trade and other barriers, sustainable development, the respect for human rights and democratic institutions all play a role in the ultimate goal of lasting peace.
The Mehta Centre objectives are:
| To inform and promote a better understanding; |
| To provide a forum and disseminate policy recommendations; |
| To propose solutions; |
The Mehta Centre agrees the primary challenge for the United Nations and its members is to ensure that, of all the threats in the categories listed, those that are distant do not become imminent and those that are imminent do not actually become destructive. This requires a framework for preventive action which addresses all these threats in all the ways they resonate most in different parts of the world.
Most of all, it will require leadership at the domestic and international levels to act early, decisively and collectively against all these threats - from HIV/AIDS to nuclear terrorism - before they have their most devastating effect.
We believe that the emerging threats and challenges to the world are:
| Nuclear, radiological, chemical and biological weapons |
| Small arms and military spending |
| Development, poverty reduction and environmental degradation |
| Terrorism |
| Human rights abuses and democratic deficit |
| Inter-state and internal conflicts |
Among these major threats, the proliferation of WMDs is the gravest to our way of life. The possible use of WMDs by terrorist also poses a very real danger, whilst the problems of poverty and global warming cannot be ignored. Conflicts within and between countries pose great challenges for the international community. In particular, in weak states, we have witnessed the problems of human rights abuses (including genocide) and civil wars.
Elimination of nuclear weapons and WMD by implementing the NPT, arms control and disarmament treaties.
| Renouncing use of nuclear weapons |
| Prohibiting development of new nuclear weapons |
| All countries to refrain from testing nuclear weapons |
| Strengthening the Biological and Chemicals Weapons Conventions, through more rigorous monitoring and inspections |
| Working to create nuclear-free zones |
| Tightening international arms exports controls; working to end military aid and weapons sales to areas of conflict and abusive regimes |
| Have strict controls and prevent the proliferation of nuclear, biological, chemical weapons, and their means of delivery. |
Small arms and military spending
| The international community adopts a global arms trade treaty in time for the next UN arms conference, 2006. |
| Working with Arms Reduction Coalition (ARC) for a reduction of arms per year agreement of 1-5 per cent stipulated under Article 26 of the United Nation Charter which calls for: |
"The establishment of an effective system to regulate armaments.." "..to promote the establishment and maintenance of international peace and security with the least diversion for armament of the world’s human and economic resources"
| Demilitarised global economy by reducing military budget of nations which should never be bigger then the budget for human security, health, education and development. At the moment the global spending on education is 6 billion USD against 950 billion USD on military spending. It should be the other way around completing the urgently needed 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDG): eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, develop a global partnership for development. Only then we are to have any hope and chance for a safer world and better international relations. |
Human Rights and Good Governance
| Supporting the deployment of international human rights monitors in situations of conflict |
| Supporting programmes to strengthen civil society and promote human rights, democracy and accountability |
Sustainable Development, Human Security, and Poverty Reduction
| increasing funding for programmes that combine conflict prevention and peace-building with development aid |
| increasing aid to the poorest countries |
| Work toward halving poverty by 2015 via completion of Millennium Development Goals, promote a sustainable environment, address issues of fair trade and increasing debt relief |
| Reducing our dependence on oil by using less, developing renewable energy and using more energy-efficient transport |
| Globalization should be a positive force for all |
International cooperation based on the rule of law
Preemptive wars and military actions do not solve problems in the long term and often inflame the underlying cause that it seeks to solve.
| opposing the policy of pre-emptive war |
| supporting and strengthening the UN |
| All countries to adhere to international criminal court for the resolution of disputes, and to encourage non-signatories (including US) to ratify the ICC. |
| International relations should be conducted in a transparent, accountable and democratic way with the participation of civil society |
Our plan of action (See ‘Campaign Page’)
Mehta Centre is entirely funded by its supporters and members. To join the Centre, go the ‘membership and donation’
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