The ICJ Advisory Opinion—What did it give us?
On this day, 30 years ago, the International Court of Justice published its historic document on the Legality of Use and Threat of Use of Nuclear Weapons. It was the result of a worldwide campaign by a network of over 500 organisations, led by IPPNW, IALANA and IPB. But did the nuclear disarmament community get the result it wanted? Opinion on the Opinion was divided. The third and final part of this anniversary series on the ICJ Opinion looks at what we achieved, and what is to be done next.
30 Years Later: The World Court Project
Tomorrow, on 8 July, the Advisory Opinion on the legality of nuclear weapons will be thirty years old. What did the World Court Project change? This is the second part of a three-part series looking at what led up to the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague in 1996, and what it meant for the process towards complete nuclear disarmament.
30 years ago, on 8 July 1996, a groundbreaking document was published: the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the Legality of the Use and Threat of Use of Nuclear Weapons. It was the result of a civil society campaign, spearheaded by IPPNW, together with the International Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), and the International Peace Bureau (IPB). To mark the anniversary, I will—in three posts—give an overview of the Opinion, briefly cover the history and the process in which I was centrally involved, and share my conclusions about what it has changed in the past 30 years.
From independence to interdependence
As Americans and people of other former colonies recognize, there’s a great deal to be said for national independence.
But, at times, we might also wonder: is it sufficient?
Read more…‘Able’ nuclear test, 1 July 1946
Eighty years ago today, the first post-World War II nuclear test took place over the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
Image: Library of US Congress/ public domain
The ‘Able’ nuclear test was one of two tests conducted by the United States as part of ‘Operation Crossroads’. It took place on 1 July 1946 and was the first nuclear explosion to be carried out after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. It was the first of 21 bombs that were detonated at Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands, in the Pacific Ocean, over a period of twelve years, totalling about 75 megatons of TNT. Between 1946 and 1962 altogether 106 nuclear tests were carried out in the Marshall Islands.
Read more…Introduction to volunteer-based human security
The International Year of Volunteers 2026 comes at a time when communities worldwide face rising pressures from climate shocks to displacement, inequality, and social fragmentation. Across the world, volunteers are often the first to notice emerging problems and the first to respond. During heatwaves, volunteers check on isolated older persons. In conflict-affected areas, volunteers raise awareness about landmines and unexploded ordnance, helping families avoid life-threatening dangers. These everyday actions reveal a powerful reality: volunteers are not only helpers. They are essential actors in building safer, more resilient, and more dignified societies.
Read more…How Finland learned to love the bomb
by Kati Juva
When Finland’s defence minister Antti Häkkänen announced on 5 March that Finland will lift its ban on nuclear weapons, it was a total surprise to all opposition parties and also to most MPs from the government parties, not to mention the civil society. The proposal had been prepared in total secrecy and went against previous promises.
Read more…Parliament as a guardian of human dignity: reflections on the International Day of Parliamentarism 2026
Every year on 30 June, the world marks the International Day of Parliamentarism, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 to coincide with the founding of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in 1889. More than a commemorative occasion, the day invites reflection on the role of parliaments in serving people, strengthening democracy, and upholding the rule of law.
The theme for 2026, “Putting Human Rights Back on the Frontline,” underscores the urgent need to restore human dignity to the center of public life at a time marked by armed conflicts, humanitarian crises, and growing public distrust in institutions. In such circumstances, parliaments are called upon to reclaim their fundamental role as the voice of the people and as guardians of rights, justice, and accountability.
Read more…The medical conscience of the nuclear age: the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki’s physicians
Introduction: Hiroshima Day 2026
Hiroshima Day, observed each year on 6 August, marks the moment the world first witnessed the catastrophic human consequences of nuclear weapons. The 81st anniversary in 2026 invites renewed commitment to prevention, justice, and global human security. As communities and campaigners prepare for this year’s observance, it is essential to recall the legacy of those who first confronted the medical reality of nuclear war. The physicians, nurses, and caregivers of Hiroshima and Nagasaki shaped the moral foundation of today’s humanitarian movement for nuclear abolition.
Read more…by Arun Mitra
The Indian government has become increasingly aligned with US policy and has effectively surrendered to pressure from President Trump. In a changing world, Russia and China are cooperating on many issues and expanding their influence in geopolitics. A growing number of developing countries in the Global South are strengthening their ties with these two nations.
Read more…
Bimal Khadka
Bjorn Hilt
Charles K. Johnson
Dr. Ghassan Shahrour
Gunnar Westberg
IPPNW
John Loretz
Lawrence Wittner
Maria Valenti
mollymcgint
Sue Wareham
Tilman Ruff
Tim Wright
Xanthe Hall
IPPNW peace and health blog 