The Use of Radioactive Waste in Weapons and Military Vehicles

Concerned

During the Persian Gulf War, the United Nations Coalition used depleted uranium (DU238) in bombs, shells, and bullets, as well as a hardener in military vehicle bodies.
Debris from these weapons, scattered across Iraq and Kuwait, emits radiation into the air, soil, and water, harming humans, animals, and the ecosystem.
Some weapons did not explode and remain intact, gradually releasing radiation as they erode.
DU238 emits Alpha, Beta, and Gamma radiation, with a half-life of approximately 4.5 billion years, making it an extreme and permanent environmental hazard.
The global accumulation of nuclear waste from reactors further increases the risk.
Weapons production and testing in parts of the United States have caused serious environmental damage.
Non-radioactive alternatives like tungsten exist for heavy metal hardening.

Resolved

The National Council of Women of Canada (NCWC) urges the Government of Canada to ban the production and use of DU238 in Canadian military weapons and vehicles.
NCWC further urges the Government of Canada to support a worldwide ban on DU238 in weapons and military vehicles.
The NCWC calls on the International Council of Women to urge their affiliated National Councils of Women to lobby their respective governments for a DU238 ban.
The International Council of Women should seek a worldwide ban on the use of DU238 in weapons and military vehicles through the United Nations.

# Military Forces