• The UN Secretary-General has appointed an independent scientific panel of 21 experts to examine the physical and societal consequences of a nuclear war on a local, regional and planetary scale.

• The creation of the panel, mandated by a General Assembly resolution, comes in response to a global environment in which the risk of nuclear war is higher than at any point since the depths of the Cold War. 

• Nuclear weapons are wielded as tools of coercion, nuclear arsenals are being upgraded. A nuclear arms race is once again a very real possibility. The guardrails against nuclear devastation are being eroded.

• The panelists will seek input from a wide range of stakeholders — including international and regional organisations, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), civil society and affected communities. 

• Members will hold their first meeting in September this year and will submit a final report to the General Assembly in 2027.

• The last cross-sectional United Nations study of this kind was undertaken in 1988.

Nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation

• Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons on earth. One can destroy a whole city, potentially killing millions, and jeopardising the natural environment and lives of future generations through its long-term catastrophic effects. 

• The dangers from such weapons arise from their very existence. 

• Although nuclear weapons have only been used twice in warfare, about 12,500 reportedly remain in our world today and there have been over 2,000 nuclear tests conducted to date. 

• Disarmament is the best protection against such dangers but achieving this goal has been a tremendously difficult challenge.

• The UN has sought to eliminate such weapons ever since its establishment. 

• The first resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1946 established a Commission to deal with problems related to the discovery of atomic energy among others. The Commission was to make proposals for the control of atomic energy to the extent necessary to ensure its use only for peaceful purposes.

• Several multilateral treaties have since been established with the aim of preventing nuclear proliferation and testing, while promoting progress in nuclear disarmament.

• These include the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapon Tests In The Atmosphere, In Outer Space And Under Water, also known as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which was signed in 1996 but has yet to enter into force, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

• More than half of the world’s population still lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances. 

• While the number of deployed nuclear weapons has appreciably declined since the height of the Cold War, not one nuclear weapon has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty. 

• The UN commemorates September 26 as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. 

• This Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority. It provides an opportunity to educate the public — and their leaders — about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them. 

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store