By Evelyn Tischer
On January 22, 2025, the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, TPNW, celebrated its
fourth birthday. Unfortunately, a few days later, the Doomsday Clock was set one second closer
to midnight. At 89 seconds to midnight, it signals the greatest danger ever due to nuclear
weapons, bioweapons, infectious diseases, climate change and technology.
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists mentions Russia’s suspended compliance with the New
Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), China’s growing nuclear arsenal and the United
States world’s most expensive nuclear modernization as contributing to increased dangers.
In addition, although the ability to deploy nuclear weapons in space is forbidden in the 1967
Outer Space Treaty, U.S. officials say that Russia is developing a nuclear weapon type
designed to attack satellites.
However, the TPNW and people aware of the dangers of nuclear weapons and dedicated to
their elimination obtained a number of victories. There are now 73 state parties to the TPNW,
the last ones to ratify the Treaty being Sierra Leone, the Solomon Islands and Indonesia.
Also, during the second meeting of states parties to the TPNW, a number of parliamentarians
delivered the Parliamentarian Declaration pledging to expand the treaty’s membership.
Hundreds of cities have supported the TPNW by signing the ICAN (International Campaign to
Abolish Nuclear Weapons) Cities appeal.
A new report by authors and researchers from PAX, ICAN and PROFUNDO shows that the
number of financial institutions having financing or investment relations with weapons producing
companies dropped from 287 to 260. Unfortunately, the amount held in shares and bonds in nuclear weapon producing companies increased.
Also, the number of financial institutions in “ the Hall of Fame”, (institutions that have a policy
that prevents financial involvement in nuclear weapon producing companies) has
increased from 36 in 2019 to 59 in 2022. Concerning companies producing nuclear
weapons, the Indian company Larsen and Toubro was very proud to announce that it is not
producing nuclear weapons anymore.
A bright light in the nuclear disarmament world was the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize 2024
to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, dedicated to the elimination of nuclear weapons. With the Nobel prize lecture, Terumi Tanaka, survivor of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki
implored: “let not humanity destroy itself with nuclear weapons”.
A nuclear ban week is organised from March 2, 2025 to March 9, 2025 in New York, just before
the third Meeting of the States Parties to the TPNW. Also, petitions have circulated in the U.S., demanding no first use of nuclear weapons and to prevent the president from unilaterally starting a nuclear war. In its petition, “Win Without War” reminds us of President Nixon saying “I can go back into my office and pick up the telephone and in 25 minutes 70 million people will be dead”.
For city dwellers, ICAN offers the ICAN Cities Appeal; people can encourage their mayor to join
the appeal and to tell the government that he or she supports the TPNW.
Mutual nuclear disarmament is not impossible. David Swanson reminds us that when the U.S. ,
under John F. Kennedy and Geoge H.W. Bush disarmed unilaterally, Russia quickly disarmed as
well.
Hiram Maxim, inventor of the machine gun said that “only a general who is a barbarian would
send his men” against this gun.
Orville Wright and his brother thought that their invention would make wars “practically
impossible”.
And yet…
Martin E. Hellman reminds us of the Bible saying:” I have set before you life and death, blessing
and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live”.
