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Statement to the 11th Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference
Preparatory Committee
Honorable Chair and Distinguished Delegates,
My name is Ivana Nikolić Hughes and I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, an organization that has been committed for over 40 years to educating and advocating for a just and peaceful world, one that is free of nuclear weapons. Our commitment to this vision stems from the recognition that nuclear weapons are uniquely murderous and have the potential for destruction unmatched by anything else that humans can do. No other action that humanity can take could cause the end of civilization as quickly as nuclear war could.
Nuclear weapons can impact us over vast amounts of space and vast amounts of time. A nuclear explosion may take place locally, but its impacts quickly spread and become global. A nuclear explosion may take place in a split moment in time, but its impacts may persist for thousands of years. A single nuclear explosion today could kill thousands, even millions of people due to the heat, blast, and radiation it produces. A single nuclear weapon, exploded high in the atmosphere, would produce an electromagnetic pulse that could shut down the electric grid in entire countries, placing societies into complete turmoil. Even more frightening is the prospect of nuclear war. A nuclear war, wherein hundreds or thousands of nuclear warheads are exploded, would not just kill tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of people instantly, it would also cause the depletion of the ozone layer and reduce temperatures globally, to the point of agriculture failure and starvation of billions. There would be nowhere to hide.
As the book Nuclear War: A Scenario, by author Annie Jacobsen demonstrates in vivid detail, a full-blown nuclear war could take place in just 72 minutes. Not 72 hours, or 72 days, or even years and decades, but just a little over one hour. It is not a realist position to ignore the scientific evidence on what nuclear weapons could do to our world. And it is not a realist position to disregard the constant risk that nuclear arms pose to our world. The realist position is to recognize that each nation and humanity as a whole would be safer in a world free of nuclear weapons. This is the position that each NPT Member State must embrace and work toward with renewed vigor.
Honorable Chair,
The issue of nuclear weapons is not just a matter of realism. It is also a moral issue. As we collectively mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis, we must remember that he told us again and again that not only is the use of nuclear weapons immoral, so is their mere possession. His is a legacy of deep commitment to a world free of nuclear weapons. He believed that such a world was both possible and necessary. He was a staunch supporter of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), commending its courageous vision, its commitment to education for peace, and its humanitarian provisions on victim assistance and environmental remediation for all impacted by nuclear weapons use and testing. We implore all Member States to honor the Pope’s legacy by joining the TPNW and commend all of the States that are already a part of this historic treaty. As the Pope stated in 2022, “Adherence to, and respect for, international disarmament agreements and international law is not a form of weakness. On the contrary, it is a source of strength and responsibility.”
In this anniversary year, when we remember the first nuclear victims of the Trinity Test and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is not enough to just pay lip service to the survivors and those who perished on the fateful 1945 summer days and in the decades since. Discussion of concrete steps on disarmament must be a part of the next NPT Review Conference and each Member State must do its part, most especially the Nuclear Weapons States. Here we applaud the comments of the United States President Donald Trump on the need to denuclearize and the Kremlin’s openness to dialogue and broad discussions about the two largest nuclear arsenals. These conversations can start bilaterally, but will need to expand to include China, France, and the United Kingdom, and eventually all nuclear armed states. Ratifications of the TPNW across the globe can be the final step that brings all nation States together in ensuring a future for our children, grandchildren, all future generations, and all other life on the planet.
Renewing our resolve to rid the world of weapons that can get rid of us is the only responsible thing to do in this moment. For nearly 80 years, humanity has lived in the shadow of nuclear weapons, stumbling from one catastrophe to another, but somehow, with a lot of luck, never quite getting to the unimaginable – the scourge of nuclear war. We cannot continue to play the ultimate roulette.
It is time for this body to grapple most seriously with the nuclear disarmament pillar of the NPT, not only because Article 6 represents a solemn commitment agreed upon by all of the parties to the treaty, but because the fate of the world is at stake. Motivated by love for life in all its many forms and beauties, we urge you to come together to remove the shadow of nuclear weapons, once and for all.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
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