24-25 February 2023
Throughout the world, we need to multiply our initiatives to say: No to war! No to any “Sacred Union” with war-mongering governments!

War is spreading; it is taking root. Every passing day sees the call made by workers, young people, activists of the labour and democratic movement from 47 countries at the World Conference Against War and Exploitation (29 and 30 October 2022, Paris) become more urgent. 

« In 2022, wars are ravaging all continents, causing massacres, devastation, famine, and epidemics. Tens of millions of people are being driven out of their countries. We are witnessing a formidable retreat of human civilisation, threatened with pure and simple obliteration.

“The peoples and workers of the world are against war. They know that it means ever more oppression and exploitation.” 

On 24 February 2023 it will be one year since the war began to wreak havoc in Europe. 

« Like all workers, we condemn the war unleashed in Ukraine on 24 February 2022 by order of President Putin. From the very beginning of the conflict, we have been calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country.

“Like all workers, we see that the major capitalist powers, under the aegis of the Biden administration, NATO and the European Union, have done everything possible to provoke this conflict and are doing everything possible to fuel it.” 

Over the past few weeks, several significant steps have been taken on the road to full-scale war. 

When NATO met on 13 January, it was decided to deliver heavy weapons to Ukraine, and tanks to « defeat » Russia. NATO officially entered into war with Russia. Since then, deliveries of German, Polish, Finnish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, American, British and French tanks have been announced.
“On their side », Putin’s regime has announced a new mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of men. Military budgets are increasing in all countries. 

The US administration is methodically building a « military arc » in the Pacific around China. An agreement has just been signed with the Philippine government to this effect. 

« That is why, while we demand the withdrawal of Russian troops, we also demand the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Europe. We call for the dismantling of NATO, the withdrawal of all foreign occupying troops from all countries of the world and, an end to all imperialist and neocolonial interventions.” 

The call to fight for peace and against war should come from all organisations that claim to be part of the workers’ movement. 

« Yet it must be noted that in the main capitalist countries, the leaders of the workers’ organisations refuse to genuinely oppose the war. In the United States, they support the warlike ventures of President Biden; in the European Parliament, their elected representatives vote for resolutions that aggravate the sanctions against the Russian people, over-arm the belligerents and strengthen the links with NATO. » 

Since October, parliaments in the various European countries have often voted unanimously in favour of resolutions approving the decision to send tanks to Ukraine. 

« We appeal to all workers and youth, to activists of all origins of the workers’ movement, to the workers’ organisations. Reject any form of “sacred union” with the war-mongering governments and the capitalists whose interests they defend. The only union that is consistent with the cause of peace and social justice is the union of the workers and peoples of the whole world.” 

This call must be heard. We are calling for initiatives to be organised around the world on 24 and 25 February, one year to the day after the start of the war in Ukraine. These are already being announced in many NATO countries. 

In the US, an assembly is being called by Open World Conference delegates « to build a united and massive movement against the war », because « this is a critical issue: the US is diverting over $900 billions of our money to fund mass death and devastation. » 

In Spain, the anti-war coalition is calling on the Basque Country to « oppose the delivery of arms to Ukraine by the Spanish government ». 

In France, at the initiative of the POID, rallies will take place in dozens of cities across the country.

In Great Britain, the Anti-War Coalition is calling for « anti-war voices to be heard in London on 25 February ». 

Workers of the world, workers’ organisations, oppressed peoples, let us unite against war and exploitation to impose peace and preserve the future of humanity. 

Follow up committee of the International Workers Committee against War and Exploitation: 

Camille Adoue (France), Innocent Assogba (Benin), Alan Benjamin (USA), Adama Coulibaly (Burkina Faso), Constantin Cretan (Romania), Berthony Dupont (Haiti), Daniel Gluckstein (France), Rubina Jamil (Pakistan), Christel Keiser (France), Milind Ranade (India), Apo Leung (China), Nnamdi Lumumba (USA), Randy Miranda (Philippines), Mandlenkosi Phangwa (Azania), Liliana Plumeda (Mexico), Klaus Schüller (Germany), Jung Sikhwa (South Korea), Nambiath Vasudevan (India).