International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

• The United Nations observes the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26. 

• In the final days of the Second World War, as the idea of the United Nations was beginning to take shape, the atomic bombings of two Japanese cities sent a chilling warning to the world, of the terrifying destructive power of nuclear weapons. 

• Eight decades later, amidst rising geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts, the threat from nuclear arms is escalating.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that “nuclear weapons deliver no security – only the promise of annihilation”.

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. 

Countries modernise their nuclear arsenals

• Deep concerns surrounding the possible use of these weapons have intensified due to conflicts, including the war in Ukraine.

• Many nuclear-armed countries are also planning to modernise their arsenals. 

• The integration of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, raises the possibility of misjudgements and misunderstandings, making the risks even more complex and unpredictable.

• Rising global instability and violent conflicts are placing increasing pressure on mechanisms like multilateral treaties and initiatives that have been established to curb, regulate, or eliminate nuclear weapons over the decades. 

• The weakening of such frameworks risks sparking a renewed nuclear arms race.

• In 2019, the United States announced its withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, which targeted the elimination of a specific class of nuclear missiles and, in 2022, a major review conference failed to reach consensus on the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty.

• The following year, Russia withdrew its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and suspended its participation in the ‘New START’ Treaty on measures for the reduction and limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms.

• Frustration has been growing amongst Member States regarding what is perceived as the slow pace of nuclear disarmament. 

• This frustration has been put into sharper focus with growing concerns about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of even a single nuclear weapon, let alone a regional or global nuclear war.