Call for a Global Asbestos Ban!
To bring an end to one hundred years of disability and death caused by the use of asbestos, asbestos victims, public health campaigners, healthcare professionals, concerned citizens and NGOs are calling for a global ban on asbestos. Millions of lives have already been sacrificed to generate billions of dollars of profits for governments and companies with asbestos interests; the time has come to call a halt to this killer industry! On the occasion of International Workers' Memorial Day (April 28, 2006), we join together to support calls for a worldwide ban on asbestos being made by Parliamentarians, international trade unions, medical associations and international agencies.
There is a global consensus that exposure to all types of asbestos can kill. This view is supported by the International Labor Organization, the World Health Organization, the International Programme on Chemical Safety, the European Union, the Collegium Ramazzini, the International Social Security Association, the World Trade Organization, the International Commission on Occupational Health, the International Federation of Building and Woodworkers, the International Metalworkers' Federation and the Governments of: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Uruguay and scores of independent scientists.
International Workers' Memorial Day is a time to remember the dead and fight for the living. In that spirit, we hereby issue the following pledge:
“In the spirit of humanity and equality, we declare that each human being has the right to live and work in a healthy environment. It is not acceptable that a substance which is too harmful to be used in the European Union is used in Asia, Africa and Latin America; it is not acceptable for an industrialized country to dump asbestos-contaminated ships in a developing country. A global asbestos ban is the first step in the campaign to rid humanity of the threat it faces from asbestos. To end the asbestos scourge, we pledge our commitment to work together to achieve our goal. The struggle continues!”
To sign this petition go to:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/878671812
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March 30, 2006
