“Machines that have the power and discretion to take human lives without human control are politically unacceptable, morally repugnant and should be banned by international law. I reiterate my call for the conclusion of a legally binding instrument by 2026.” These were the words of UN …
Peacemaking
Response to international development budget cut
Baptist, Methodist, Church of Scotland and United Reformed Church leaders have responded to the Prime Minister’s announcement concerning further cuts to the international development budget: We deeply lament the government’s stated intention to make further cuts to the UK’s international …
The Future of Arms: Blockbuster films or the new reality of war?
When I was growing up, my Dad believed that it was his duty as our father to ensure that my brother and I received a robust and culturally rich education. That is to say, he made sure that we were brought up watching the Star Wars films. This meant that Luke Skywalker, Yoda and Jaja Binks were some …
Autonomous weapons
Autonomous weapons might seem like the far-off stuff of sci-fi and dystopian pop culture, but autonomous weapons in various shapes and sizes, are being used and developed across the world. This raises serious issues and concerns over ethics, responsibility and the law, which emphasise the need for …
JPIT statement on the recent riots
Our church partners have expressed alarm and concern following the violence that we have witnessed on our streets in several towns and cities. We stand with those who are being subjected to violence and hatred in our communities. It is heart-breaking to see the accommodation of those who have …
Global military spending reaches all-time high
On 22 April the global military spending figures for the 2023 were released, and perhaps unsurprisingly, spending has increased across the world, with total global military expenditure reaching $2443 billion in 2023.[1] For the first time, all five continents saw an increase in military expenditure, …
Myanmar: Remembering a Forgotten Conflict
Our churches recently issued prayers for Myanmar to mark three years since the 2021 Myanmar coup. For the people of Myanmar, this marks three years of living under repressive military rule. Three years of civil war. Three years of civilians being targeted, injured and brutally killed. Three years …
Ukraine – Two tragic years
We are two years on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We might refer to this as President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, firstly because leadership matters in every national context and secondly because Putin has amassed power around him providing him with unchallengeable …
Conflict Prevention and ‘A New Agenda for Peace’
Currently, a quarter of humanity is living in places affected by violent conflict, with the world facing the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War[1]. We face significant challenges, with the ongoing devastating war in Ukraine, global tensions increasing and new threats …
Why the US should change course on sending cluster munitions to Ukraine
We urge President Biden not to send cluster munitions to Ukraine. In 2021, 97% of global deaths from cluster munitions were civilians and two thirds of these were children.[1] Unexploded bomblets from cluster munitions litter areas of land posing a threat to children and adults long after a …