Depleted Uranium

DU is a radioactive and chemically toxic substance that poses serious risks to humans, including increased instances of cancer and birth defects.

CND deplores the failure of existing arms control law to ban the use of uranium in non-nuclear weapons and calls for a moratorium on the manufacture, storage, testing, trade and use of depleted uranium munitions, leading to a global ban. This call has been echoed by the European Parliament and the Latin American Parliament. Belgium and Costa Rica have already banned DU weapons. The Irish and New Zealand parliaments have also come close to adopting similar legislation.

The UK has consistently voted against UN General Assembly resolutions on DU weapons. The UK should be vigorously involved in international efforts to ban DU, rather than denying the dangers entailed in its use. The government should introduce an immediate moratorium on its use of DU munitions as well as contribute to more meaningful research into the impact of uranium weapons on civilian populations.