The Case for Abolishing Nuclear Weapons
A Call to Action
This year marks significant anniversaries linked to the end of World War II in 1945, with the most notable being the invention and first use of nuclear weapons. Eighty years on, the development, testing, and use of nuclear weapons continue to shape our lives, with the world living in the shadow of the 12,121 nuclear weapons held by nine countries.
The Irreparable Harm
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were immoral, unnecessary, and unethical. Under current international law, these indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, which killed hundreds of thousands of civilians, including an estimated 38,000 children, would be considered a war crime. The majority of hibakusha (Japanese survivors of the bombings) who are still alive today were young children at the time of the attacks and continue to experience the effects in their old age.
The Power of Survivor Stories
Many hibakusha have devoted their lives to campaigning for the abolition of nuclear weapons. By drawing on their personal experiences, they have raised global awareness of the devastation such weapons cause and helped establish the taboo against their use in conflict. Shigemitsu Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots organization, gave moving testimony about how his grandchild died three days after being born due to the impact of the nuclear attack on their internal organs and lungs.
The Flawed Theory of Deterrence
Despite the claims of nuclear-armed states, it was the taboo the hibakusha helped to establish and sustain, not the flawed theory of nuclear deterrence, that has prevented the further use of these weapons. In fact, deterrence doctrine increases the risk of nuclear war, as demonstrated by the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, which Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev triggered by placing nuclear missiles in Cuba to deter the US from using the missiles it had deployed in Turkey.
A Lack of Political Imagination
The continued emphasis on deterrence, rather than abolition of nuclear weapons, reflects a lack of political imagination and courage. Proponents of the doctrine argue that such arms, no matter how terrible, cannot be uninvented. However, decisions can be made – and have been made – to control deadly technologies and end their use. This includes chemical and biological weapons, as well as industrial chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment. For example, the 1987 Montreal Protocol phased out chlorofluorocarbons to protect the ozone layer.
A Global Call for Abolition
The nine nuclear-armed states and a few dozen of their allies are blocking progress on disarmament while at the same time claiming to support a nuclear-free future. However, the rest of the world – around 140 countries – supports the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which came into force in 2021 and has since been signed or ratified by half of all countries. Instead of insisting that they must keep their weapons to deter potential adversaries, members of the nuclear club should listen to the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki attacks and their call for abolition. They know better than anyone the damage that nuclear weapons can inflict on people and the environment.
Conclusion
It is time for nuclear-armed states to accept that this existential threat has hung over the world for long enough. Rather than merely congratulating the hibakusha for their Nobel Peace Prize, they should honour these survivors – while they are still alive – by joining the TPNW and eliminating their nuclear arsenals before these weapons are used again in conflict.
FAQs
* What is the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)?
+ The TPNW is an international treaty that prohibits the development, testing, production, manufacturing, and use of nuclear weapons.
* What is the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons?
+ The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons is a global movement of civil society organizations working towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.
* Who is Melissa Parke?
+ Melissa Parke is a former Australian minister for international development and the current executive director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.