Red Cross urgently appeals to states to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used by ICRC, UN News, ICAN, International Peace Bureau 12:48pm 25th Mar, 2022   Red Cross urgently appeals to states to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used, by Helen Durham - Director of Law and Policy, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)    The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is alarmed by recent statements made with respect to nuclear weapons.    Five years ago this month, as States were beginning the negotiations of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the ICRC recalled that "nuclear weapons are the most terrifying weapon ever invented. They are unique in their destructive power, in the unspeakable human suffering they cause, and in the impossibility of controlling their effects in space and time. They threaten irreversible harm to the environment and to future generations. Indeed, they threaten the very survival of humanity."    The ICRC and the Japanese Red Cross Society witnessed first-hand the suffering and devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 as humanitarian personnel attempted, in near-impossible conditions, to assist the dying and injured. We cannot allow a repetition of this dark part of our past.    We know that a nuclear explosion would cause insurmountable challenges to humanitarian assistance. No State or humanitarian organization is prepared to respond to the enormous needs that a nuclear explosion would create. What we cannot prepare for, what we cannot respond to, we must prevent.    It is extremely doubtful that nuclear weapons could ever be used in accordance with the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.    The only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used again is by prohibiting and eliminating them. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, of which the ICRC is a part, has repeatedly expressed its deep alarm at the increasing risk that nuclear weapons will again be used by intent, miscalculation or accident and stressed that any risk of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, given their catastrophic humanitarian consequences.    The introduction of nuclear weapons renders armed conflicts significantly more dangerous and risks a global conflagration in which humanity will suffer irreparably. This is a wake-up call and a call for utmost caution.    States must now heed the Movement's call on all States to promptly sign, ratify or accede to, and faithfully implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Pending their elimination, all States and, in particular, the nuclear possessors and nuclear-allied States must take immediate steps to reduce the risk of intentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, based on their existing international commitments.    In 2022, the first meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will provide key opportunities, but also tests, for States to make tangible progress towards achieving nuclear disarmament, a legal obligation of the international community as a whole.    Seldom have collective action and concrete, meaningful steps to free the world of the dark shadow of nuclear weapons been more urgent.    http://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-appeals-nuclear-weapons-never-used/    Aug. 2022    Humanity’s just one misunderstanding away from ‘nuclear annihilation’ warns UN chief. (UN News)    As geopolitical tensions reach new highs, and some governments are spending billions on nuclear weapons in a false bid for peace and security, countries must uphold the nearly 80-year norm against their use, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in New York on Monday.    The UN chief was speaking at the opening of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which runs through 26 August.    Mr. Guterres highlighted some of the current challenges to global peace and security, with the world under greater stress due to the climate crisis, stark inequalities, conflicts and human rights violations, as well as the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.    He said the meeting is taking place amid these challenges, and at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.    “Geopolitical tensions are reaching new highs. Competition is trumping co-operation and collaboration. Distrust has replaced dialogue and disunity has replaced disarmament. States are seeking false security in stockpiling and spending hundreds of billions of dollars on doomsday weapons that have no place on our planet,” he said.    Currently, almost 13,000 nuclear weapons are now being held in arsenals around the world, he added.    “All this at a time when the risks of proliferation are growing and guardrails to prevent escalation are weakening. And when crises — with nuclear undertones — are festering, From the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. To the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and to many other factors around the world.”    He said today, humanity was “just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”    The Secretary-General underlined the importance of the non-proliferation treaty, saying it is needed “as much as ever”, while the review meeting provides an opportunity “to put humanity on a new path towards a world free of nuclear weapons.”    He outlined five areas for action, starting with reinforcing and reaffirming the norm against the use of nuclear weapons, which requires steadfast commitment from all parties to the treaty. “We need to strengthen all avenues of dialogue and transparency. Peace cannot take hold in an absence of trust and mutual respect,” he said.    Countries also must “work relentlessly” towards the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, which begins with new commitment to shrink their numbers.    This will also mean reinforcing multilateral agreements and frameworks on disarmament and non-proliferation, which includes the important work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).    For his third point, Mr. Guterres focused on the need to address the “simmering tensions” in the Middle East and Asia.    “By adding the threat of nuclear weapons to enduring conflicts, these regions are edging towards catastrophe. We need to redouble our support for dialogue and negotiation to ease tensions and forge new bonds of trust in regions that have seen too little,” he said.    He urged governments to fulfill all outstanding commitments in the treaty, “and keep it fit-for-purpose in these trying times.”    http://bit.ly/3PLqkeZ http://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00573-0    May 2022    Ireland condemns Russian TV for nuclear attack simulation. (Guardian News, agencies)    A Russian state TV report that simulated a nuclear attack launched off the coast of County Donegal in Ireland, has provoked alarm and widespread indignation across the country.    Dmitry Kiselyov, a pro-Kremlin presenter on Channel One, on Monday showed a video of an underwater missile wreaking apocalypse on Ireland and the UK.    Russia could “plunge Britain into the depths of the sea” using an unmanned underwater vehicle called Poseidon, he said. “The explosion of this thermonuclear torpedo by Britain’s coastline will cause a gigantic tsunami wave up to 500 metres high. Such a barrage alone also carries extreme doses of radiation. Having passed over the British Isles, it will turn what might be left of them into a radioactive desert for a long time."    The report did not name Ireland but the simulation showed its destruction along with Britain, which has angered the Kremlin by supplying weapons to Ukraine.    Dmitry Kiselyov also described Britain as "so small that one Sarmat missile will be enough to sink it once and for all". The Sarmat II missile, known as the Satan II, had its first successful test in April. The missile, which can deliver multiple nuclear warheads has been described as “the most destructive single weapon on Earth”.    Irish politicians condemned the report. Billy Kelleher, an MEP, tweeted: “Time to tell Russian government that this wild language is simply unacceptable to us.”    The TV report made the front pages of several Irish newspapers on Tuesday, including the Irish edition of the Sun. “Russia threat to Nuke Ireland,” said the print headline.    Last week, hosts on Russian Channel One’s 60 Minutes programme discussed the possibility of a nuclear attack on Western capitals. Viewers were shown an infographic showing how a Sarmat missile fired from Kaliningrad could hit Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds.    Last week Margarita Simonyan, editor of Russian state broadcaster RT, one of the Kremlin’s highest-profile media outlets, told a panel show that nuclear war would be OK because "we're all going to die someday".    The Russian embassy in Dublin said in a statement: “The views and presentations in the TV show are that of the editors. The official position of Russia has always been that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never be unleashed.”    Last week the North Korean regime threatened to preemptively use nuclear weapons if it perceived itself to be threatened.    Mar. 2022    The Time to Act is Now: Joint Statement Nobel laureates Dmitry Muratov and ICAN    Right now, we see nuclear tensions heightening to the most threatening levels seen in modern times. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made threats to launch nuclear attacks and raised the offensive and defensive nuclear mobilisation alert to its highest level since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He has joined forces with Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus, to attack Ukraine in violation of international law including the UN Charter, and pave the way for Belarus to host Russian nuclear weapons.    As recipients of the 2017 and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, we warn about the unprecedented risk to international peace and security posed by the menace of nuclear weapons, and the urgent threat created by President Putin’s reckless action and rhetoric.    The fate of humanity today rests on the rationality of a few leaders who control nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons, a terrifying force powerful enough to destroy the earth many times over. The use of just one nuclear weapon could kill and injure hundreds of thousands if not millions of civilians and poison the environment with radiation that lingers for generations. There is no adequate health response to this catastrophe. That’s why the majority of the world’s nations adopted the first international treaty banning nuclear weapons, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) for which ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.    Russia’s recent nuclear escalations have brought us to a more dangerous level of nuclear threat than we have witnessed since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Russia must take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation.    Specifically, Russia must: rescind Sunday’s order to raise the alert level of nuclear forces; withdraw from Ukraine and return to compliance with the UN Charter; commit to never deploy nuclear weapons in Europe; eliminate its nuclear weapons.    People across Russia, across Europe and across the world are standing in the streets demanding an end to this illegal and unjust war, demanding their voices be included in the conversation about the future. Nuclear weapons prevent that conversation from taking place, they prevent the democratic will of the people, and their voice, from being represented in decisions around their own future.    As long as nuclear weapons exist, the threat of their use persists. The world cannot continue to hold its breath and count on the good sense of the handful of world leaders with the power to destroy us all. We must eliminate these weapons of mass destruction. We urge all governments to join the TPNW without delay. We urge them to choose peace over war and reason over madness. We urge them to support democracy and freedom of speech all over the world. The time to act is now. We may not survive the next nuclear crisis.    * Dmitry Muratov (2021 Nobel Peace Prize) and Beatrice Fihn on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017 Nobel Peace Prize) http://bit.ly/3LJknNH http://www.icanw.org/updates http://www.icanw.org/tpnw_statements http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/foreign-and-security-policy/stigmatising-nuclear-weapons-6034/    Mar. 2022    A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.    The Elders today denounced President Vladimir Putin’s decision to place Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal on “special alert” status as a reckless escalation of the conflict in Ukraine that underscores the existential threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons.    NATO’s nuclear powers have maintained restraint and kept their own nuclear weapons off high alert. They must persist in this stance to avoid aggravating an already extremely dangerous situation.    The Elders have long called for all nuclear arsenals to be moved off high alert status as part of a wider agenda of de-escalation, disarmament and risk reduction. Current events show precisely why these steps are urgently needed.    The Elders also voiced grave concerns about Belarus’ move to renounce its non-nuclear status and potentially allow Russian nuclear weapons to be based on Belarusian territory – an action that would destabilise European security and further increase the risks of nuclear escalation.    These unprecedented moves risk placing Russian and NATO forces, both armed with nuclear capabilities, in direct confrontation. Such a scenario risks an increased chance of an accident, mistake or miscalculation with devastating consequences.    Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, and former President of Ireland said:    “The world has shown dangerous complacency on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament for many years, which has led to this wake-up call. Urgent steps are needed to reverse the systematic erosion of arms control treaties and norms. Stoking nuclear tensions to intimidate Ukrainian resistance and the international community is an outrageous, irresponsible act by President Putin. NATO nuclear powers are right to continue to maintain the restraint they have thus far shown on their own nuclear alert status.”    President Putin’s actions stand in direct opposition to the recent joint statement he signed with other P5 leaders declaring that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. It is incumbent on all parties to engage in good faith and with redoubled efforts in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference later this year as part of a serious and sustained commitment to long-term nuclear de-escalation.    http://theelders.org/news/elders-deplore-putin-s-nuclear-escalation-and-urge-continued-nato-restraint    * “International Security must rest on a commitment to joint survival rather than a threat of mutual destruction”, report from Olof Palme International Center, the International Peace Bureau and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC): http://commonsecurity.org/    Jan. 2022    It is 100 seconds to midnight, report from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists    Last year’s leadership change in the United States provided hope that what seemed like a global race toward catastrophe might be halted and—with renewed US engagement—even reversed. Indeed, in 2021 the new American administration changed US policies in some ways that made the world safer: agreeing to an extension of the New START arms control agreement and beginning strategic stability talks with Russia; announcing that the United States would seek to return to the Iran nuclear deal; and rejoining the Paris climate accord.    Perhaps even more heartening was the return of science and evidence to US policy making in general, especially regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. A more moderate and predictable approach to leadership and the control of one of the two largest nuclear arsenals of the world marked a welcome change from the previous four years.    Still, the change in US leadership alone was not enough to reverse negative international security trends that had been long in developing and continued across the threat horizon in 2021.    US relations with Russia and China remain tense, with all three countries engaged in an array of nuclear modernization and expansion efforts—including China’s apparent large-scale program to increase its deployment of silo-based long-range nuclear missiles; the push by Russia, China, and the United States to develop hypersonic missiles; and the continued testing of anti-satellite weapons by many nations. If not restrained, these efforts could mark the start of a dangerous new nuclear arms race.    Other nuclear concerns, including North Korea’s unconstrained nuclear and missile expansion and the (as yet) unsuccessful attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal contribute to growing dangers. Ukraine remains a potential flashpoint, and Russian troop deployments to the Ukrainian border heighten day-to-day tensions.    For many countries, a huge gap still exists between long-term greenhouse gas-reduction pledges and the near and medium-term emission-reduction actions needed to achieve those goals. Although the new US administration’s quick return to the Paris Agreement speaks the right words, it has yet to be matched with actionable policies.    Developed countries improved their responses to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, but the worldwide response remained entirely insufficient. Plans for quick global distribution of vaccines essentially collapsed, leaving poorer countries largely unvaccinated and allowing new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to gain an unwelcome foothold.    Beyond the pandemic, worrying biosafety and biosecurity lapses made it clear that the international community needs to focus serious attention on management of the global biological research enterprise. Further, the establishment and pursuit of biological weapons programs marked the beginning of a new biological arms race.    And while the new US administration made progress in reestablishing the role of science and evidence in public policy, corruption of the information ecosystem continued apace in 2021. One particularly concerning variety of internet-based disinformation infected America last year: Waves of internet-enabled lies persuaded a significant portion of the US public to believe the utterly false narrative contending that Joe Biden did not win the US presidential election in 2020.    Continued efforts to foster this narrative threaten to undermine future US elections, American democracy in general, and, therefore, the United States’ ability to lead global efforts to manage existential risk.    In view of this mixed threat environment—with some positive developments counteracted by worrisome and accelerating negative trends—the members of the Science and Security Board find the world to be no safer than it was last year at this time and therefore decide to set the Doomsday Clock once again at 100 seconds to midnight. This decision does not, by any means, suggest that the international security situation has stabilized.    On the contrary, the Clock remains the closest it has ever been to civilization-ending apocalypse because the world remains stuck in an extremely dangerous moment. In 2019 we called it the new abnormal, and it has unfortunately persisted.    Last year, despite laudable efforts by some leaders and the public, negative trends in nuclear and biological weapons, climate change, and a variety of disruptive technologies—all exacerbated by a corrupted information ecosphere that undermines rational decision making—kept the world within a stone’s throw of apocalypse. Global leaders and the public are not moving with anywhere near the speed or unity needed to prevent disaster.    Leaders around the world must immediately commit themselves to renewed cooperation in the many ways and venues available for reducing existential risk. Citizens of the world can and should organize to demand that their leaders do so—and quickly. The doorstep of doom is no place to loiter..    * Access the full statement: http://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ http://thebulletin.org/2022/03/bulletin-science-and-security-board-condemns-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-doomsday-clock-stays-at-100-seconds-to-midnight/ Visit the related web page
	Next (more recent) news item
	Next (older) news item