Nuclear Weapons: A Threat to Humanity and Peace
Nuclear weapons are the most terrifying weapon ever invented: no weapon is more destructive; no weapon causes such unspeakable human suffering; and there is no way to control how far the radioactive fallout will spread or how long the effects will last. The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons violates the principles of international law, human rights, and humanitarian law, and poses a grave danger to the survival of humanity and the environment.
The history of nuclear weapons is a history of horror and tragedy. From the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, which killed and injured hundreds of thousands of civilians, to the numerous nuclear tests and accidents that have contaminated the land, water, and air with radiation, nuclear weapons have caused immense suffering and damage to people and nature. The survivors of nuclear explosions, known as hibakusha, have endured lifelong physical and psychological scars, and have witnessed the devastating effects of radiation on their families and communities.
The existence of nuclear weapons also creates a constant risk of nuclear war, either by accident, miscalculation, or intention. The world has witnessed several close calls and near misses, such as the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, the Goldsboro incident in 1961, and the false alarm in 1983, that could have triggered a nuclear catastrophe . The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the emergence of new actors and technologies increase the likelihood of such scenarios. Moreover, the doctrine of nuclear deterrence, which relies on the threat of mutual annihilation, is inherently unstable and immoral, as it holds the world hostage to the possibility of nuclear holocaust .
The only way to prevent the horror and tragedy of nuclear weapons is to eliminate them completely and irreversibly. The international community has a moral and legal obligation to pursue this goal, as affirmed by the International Court of Justice in its 1996 advisory opinion. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which entered into force in 2021, is a historic step towards this goal, as it bans the development, testing, production, possession, transfer, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons, and establishes a framework for their verifiable and irreversible elimination . The treaty reflects the will of the majority of the world’s nations and people, who reject nuclear weapons as illegitimate, immoral, and illegal weapons of mass destruction.
However, the treaty faces strong opposition from the nuclear-armed states and their allies, who continue to rely on nuclear weapons for their security and prestige. These states have boycotted the treaty and have shown no sign of fulfilling their existing commitments to nuclear disarmament under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and other agreements. Instead, they have embarked on modernizing and expanding their nuclear arsenals, spending billions of dollars on weapons that threaten the world and divert resources from urgent human needs .
This situation is unacceptable and unsustainable. The nuclear-armed states and their allies must join the rest of the world in rejecting nuclear weapons and embracing the treaty as the basis for a nuclear-free future. They must recognize that nuclear weapons do not enhance their security, but endanger it, and that their continued possession and reliance on nuclear weapons undermines the norms and rules of international law and order. They must also acknowledge the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons, and the moral and legal responsibility they owe to the victims and survivors of nuclear explosions .
Nuclear weapons are a threat to humanity and peace. They have no place in the 21st century. They must be abolished before they abolish us.
