Press Release

The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was established in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly. It calls for urgent negotiations to prohibit the possession, development, production, acquisition, and testing of nuclear weapons. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was adopted in 2017.

Nuclear weapons are a biological hazard to humans, plants, and animals and can obliterate entire societies and destroy the earth's landscape. Nuclear war can devastate the oceans, atmosphere, and food supply chain globally. Every single one of us can be affected, yet nuclear weapons persist. There are approximately 13,000 nuclear weapons worldwide. There are a total of nine countries that possess nuclear weapons currently. The five original NPT nuclear weapon states have persistently refused to denuclearize themselves, causing further nuclear proliferation. This is exacerbated by rhetoric and distrust.

The issue of nuclear weapons is pervasive, and it can feel confusing, overwhelming, and disempowering not to know whether there is anything we can do as individuals or communities to make a difference. Every individual and organization have the responsibility to take steps to eliminate this threat to humanity. With the recent war in Ukraine, the threat of use of nuclear weapons has increased.

Creating a safe, sustainable global environment benefits every living being on this planet. Advocating for these fundamental human rights and warning leaders of the dangers of nuclear weapons that can infringe upon these human rights is a good start.

The ICHRRF sounds the alarm that nuclear weapons are a threat to global humanity and world peace. The Commission exhorts the NPT-5 nuclear weapons states (NWS) to take leadership and initiate a time-bound process of denuclearization in conjunction with a parallel denuclearization of the Non-NPT nuclear weapon states.