NEWS RELEASE
December 15, 1995

Contact: Sue Woodard
(202)319-1106

DR. OSCAR ARIAS LAUNCHES
THE YEAR 2000 CAMPAIGN TO REDIRECT MILITARY SPENDING
TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Concern for Future Bosnias Leads to New Plan

Washington, D.C. -- Dr. Oscar Arias today joined 7 Members of Congress and 45 citizen organizations at a Capitol Hill symposium launching "The Year 2000 Campaign to Redirect World Military Spending to Human Development." The symposium was hosted by Senator Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.). Other endorsing Members of Congress include Reps. Ron Dellums (D-Cal.), Elizabeth Furse (D Ore.), Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.), Cynthia McKinney (D-Ga.), George Miller (D-Cal.) and Connie Morella (R-Md.). Dr. Arias negotiated the peace plan that ended civil wars in Central America is internationally-recognized as a spokesperson for developing countries, championing such issues as human development, democracy, and demilitarization. Also speaking at the symposium will be Dr. Sulayman Nyang, Department of African Studies, Howard University, Dr. Randall Forsberg, Director of the Institute for Defense and Disarmament Studies, and the Hon. Matthew McHugh, Counselor to the President of the World Bank.

The plan calls for the U.N. to administer regional negotiations in which countries would commit to make mutual, dramatic reductions in military forces and spending, and to redirect the savings to programs that spur sustainable economic development and meet human needs. According to Dr. Arias; " The campaign presents an opportunity for the world to reclaim a substantial peace dividend each and every year. It is also a practical plan that the United Nations can implement and that citizens in all countries can pressure their governments to adopt. While the world's attention is properly focused on Bosnia today, this plan is designed to reduce the number of future Bosnias the international community will have to solve.

The specific elements of the plan are:

1. The Security Council and General Assembly of the United Nations call on all nations to commit to meeting with their neighbors to identify and implement confidence-building measures and mutual reductions in military threats that will reduce the likelihood of future conflicts. These nations will seek to achieve substantial reductions in military forces and expenditures by the Year 2000.

2. Special envoys be appointed by the U.N. Secretary-General to organize these demilitarization talks in various regions of the world.

3. Every nation meet with its regional envoy to present plans for regional security at reduced force levels. These nations will also participate in negotiations guided by the envoy in order to identify military capacities and implement mutual force reductions. Such negotiations will reduce the threat that nations pose to each other due to the size, proximity, and technological sophistication of their armed forces.

4. With savings from reduced military spending, all nations, in cooperation with grassroots organizations, implement economic reforms related to demilitarization, such as the conversion of military to non-military production, landmine clearance, community reconstruction, and the reintegration of demobilized soldiers.

5. In support of the steps taken toward demilitarization by developing countries, industrialized nations condition their bilateral and multilateral aid to promote demilitarization. they will exchange debt forgiveness for military conversion efforts, provide special funding for programs to assist the demilitarization process, promote full transparency and reductions in military budgets, and bring about the end of military involvement in the civilian economy.

6. All arms-exporting nations agree to a Code of Conduct on arms transfers that would bar exports to non-democratic governments, countries engaged in armed aggression in violation of international law, countries that do not fully participate in the U.N. Register of conventional arms, and governments permitting gross violations of internationally-recognized human rights.

Prior to coming to Washington, Dr. Arias delivered the plan to a representative of U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in New York and asked for his support in implementing the proposal. The U.S. grassroots organizations endorsing the campaign will be delivering the plan to the President and asking for administration support.

The campaign is coordinated by the Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress, the Council on Economic Priorities, the Military Spending Working Group of Washington, and the Project on Demilitarization and Democracy.

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