US can do more to lead the way in global nuclear disarmament
Frank von Hippel, one of the world’s leading specialists on nuclear weapons, has provided us―and the presidential candidates―with an important challenge: How are we going to get the stalled nuclear disarmament process moving forward once again? Answering the challenge is particularly problematic because it requires navigating between the national security fears of US political leaders and the apparent disinterest in further nuclear disarmament on the part of the Russian government. Even so, a case can be made for cutting back the deployed US nuclear arsenal. Read more…
Revolt
Guest editorial
by Ray Acheson
On 24 January 1946, the UN General Assembly adopted its first resolution, which set out to “deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy.” It established a commission with the task, among others, to make proposals “for the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons.” Nearly 71 years later, the General Assembly has taken an enormous step towards this goal.
The adoption of resolution L.41, establishing a conference in 2017 to negotiate a legally binding treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, represents a meaningful advancement towards the elimination of nuclear weapons. It also represents a revolt of the vast majority of states against the violence, intimidation, and injustice perpetuated by those supporting these weapons of mass destruction. Read more…
Breaking news: One step closer to a ban treaty!
The UN First Committee approved a resolution this afternoon to mandate negotiations on a new treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons. Adopted by a strong majority vote—123-38-16—the resolution now goes to the General Assembly for a final vote before the end of the year.
“Taking forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations” specifies a 20-day negotiating conference open to all states, with meetings planned in March and June 2017. The goal of the conference, as set out in the resolution, is “to conclude as soon as possible a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.” Read more…
[IPPNW co-president Tilman Ruff spoke in Melbourne on October 10 at the launch of a special issue of the International Review of the Red Cross on The human cost of nuclear weapons. The full text of his remarks is on the ICRC’s Humanitarian Law & Policy blog.]
by Tilman Ruff
I think that this special issue of the Review is, to date, the definitive history of the humanitarian initiative for nuclear disarmament, one that has changed the international discourse about nuclear weapons, bringing humanitarian considerations and imperatives to the heart of this matter – where they belong.
My piece titled “The humanitarian impacts and implications of nuclear test explosions in the Pacific region” addresses the health and environmental effects of nuclear test explosions in Australia, Christmas Island, French Polynesia and the Marshall Islands. Read more…
Nobel Laureates call for ban treaty negotiations
[The following statement, calling on the UN First Committee to adopt a resolution mandating negotiations on a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, has been endorsed by 15 Nobel Peace Laureates and two Laureates in other fields. Their names are listed at the end of the statement.]
The dangers posed by nuclear weapons are utterly unacceptable, and the only sure way to prevent an unthinkable catastrophe is to eliminate them completely. Read more…
Ban treaty is about security of all
[ICAN delivered the following statement to the UN First Committee today, during a special civil society session. The statement was read by Jasmin Nario Galace of The Philippines.]
Statement by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) to the UN General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, 12 October 2016
Honorable Chair and Members of the First Committee,
I take the floor on behalf of ICAN—the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons—a global campaign coalition comprising 440 partner organizations in 98 countries. ICAN fully supports the resolution calling for negotiations to commence in 2017 on a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. Read more…
Isn’t it time to ban the bomb?
“Ban the bomb” — 1959
Although the mass media failed to report it, a landmark event occurred recently in connection with resolving the long-discussed problem of what to do about nuclear weapons. On August 19, 2016, a UN committee, the innocuously-named Open-Ended Working Group, voted to recommend to the UN General Assembly that it mandate the opening of negotiations in 2017 on a treaty to ban them. Read more…
ICAN condemns North Korea’s nuclear test, urges nations to pursue global nuclear weapon ban
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), a campaign coalition that includes IPPNW and more than 400 other partner organizations worldwide, has released the following statement in response to today’s nuclear test by North Korea.
North Korea today confirmed that it had conducted its most powerful nuclear test explosion to date, with an estimated yield of 10 kilotonnes, triggering a magnitude 5.3 earthquake. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) – a coalition of non-government organizations in close to 100 nations – strongly condemned this reckless and destabilizing act, which runs counter to the growing tide of international support for a treaty banning nuclear weapons. Read more…
By Dr. Peter Mburu, Kenya Association of Physicians and Medical Workers for Social Responsibility (IPPNW-Kenya)
Myself and other members of the Kenya Association of Physicians and Medical Workers for Social Responsibility (APMS) held a student workshop recently at Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya, the highland home base of Kenyan athletes. We were invited by the Moi student chapter, and in the APMS tradition, we tackled a theme chosen by the students – in this case, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Read more…
Ban treaty recommendation on its way to UN First Committee
Support for a ban treaty grew stronger during the final session of the OEWG, despite attempts by Australia and some NATO states to sabotage the outcome.
The world took one step closer to banning nuclear weapons today, when the UN Open-Ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament (OEWG) voted to recommend that the General Assembly mandate negotiations on a ban treaty to commence in 2017 when it meets in New York in October. Read more…
Bimal Khadka
Bjorn Hilt
Charles K. Johnson
Gunnar Westberg
IPPNW
John Loretz
Lawrence Wittner
Maria Valenti
mollymcgint
Sue Wareham
Tilman Ruff
Tim Wright
Xanthe Hall
IPPNW peace and health blog 