International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons

Dec. 8-9, 2014:
Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
Vienna Conference Statements:
"As long as nuclear weapons exist, the risk of their use by design, miscalculation or madness, technical or human error, remains real. Nuclear weapons, therefore, continue to bear an unacceptable risk to humanity and to all life on earth. Any use of nuclear weapons could cause gravest humanitarian emergencies and have catastrophic global consequences on the environment, climate, health, social order, human development and the economy...
"This increased focus on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons is an important development and has a positive and uniting effect on international discussions about nuclear weapons. The more the international community discusses and understands the scale of these consequences and of the risks involved, the clearer the case and the stronger the sense of urgency become for the elimination of nuclear weapons."
- Report and Summary of Findings of the Conference: (view/download PDF)
- Vienna Conference Official Website
- Twitter hashtag: HINW14vienna. Also, the Global Tweetmap
- Video of discussion/general debate at Youtube- 4 parts, 7+hrs total

Austria Delivered the "Austrian Pledge":
"Austria pledges to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders, States, International Organizations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements, parliamentarians and civil society, in efforts to stigmatize, prohibit, and eliminate nuclear weapons, in light of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences and associated risks..."
(view/download Pledge PDF)

Reaching Critical Will report on the Vienna Conference: Filling the Gap: Report On The Third Conference On The Humanitarian Impact Of Nuclear Weapons

Why should we care what happens in Vienna?
What can we expect from next week's international conference on the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons in Vienna? And why does it matter?
UNIDIR / ILPI / Effective Measures

US Announces It Will Attend the Vienna Conference
"The United States will attend the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons this December. Following a careful review of the agenda, as well as discussions with the conference host Austria, the United States concluded there were real prospects for constructively engagement with conference participants..." - U.S. State Dept. Nov 7, 2014

NPT PrepCon Geneva:
Joint Statement On The Humanitarian Impact Of Nuclear Weapons
Delivered by Ambassador Abdul Samad Minty of South Africa on behalf of 74 countries at the Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepCom in Geneva, Switzerland, April 24, 2013. (Full text)
"Our countries are deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. While this has been known since nuclear weapons were first developed and is reflected in various UN resolutions and multilateral instruments, it has not been at the core of nuclear disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation deliberations for many years. Although it constitutes the raison d'�tre of the NPT, which cautions against the "devastation that would be visited upon all mankind by a nuclear war and the consequent need to make every effort to avert the danger of such a war and to take measures to safeguard the security of peoples", this issue has consistently been ignored in the discourse on nuclear weapons...
"It is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances. The catastrophic effects of a nuclear weapon detonation, whether by accident, miscalculation or design, cannot be adequately addressed. All efforts must be exerted to eliminate this threat. The only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons will never be used again is through their total elimination. It is a shared responsibility of all States to prevent the use of nuclear weapons, to prevent their vertical and horizontal proliferation and to achieve nuclear disarmament, including through fulfilling the objectives of the NPT and achieving its universality. The full implementation of the 2010 Action Plan and previous outcomes aimed at achieving the objectives of the NPT must therefore not be postponed any further.
"Addressing the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons is an absolute necessity. As an element that underpins the NPT, it is essential that the humanitarian consequences inform our work and actions during the current Review Cycle and beyond.
"This is an issue that affects not only governments, but each and every citizen of our interconnected world. By raising awareness about the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, civil society has a crucial role to play, side-by-side with governments, as we fulfill our responsibilities. We owe it to future generations to work together to rid our world of the threat posed by nuclear weapons." (Full text)

Nayarit Conference: Momentum Building Toward a Nuclear Weapons Ban

February, 2014: Delegates from 146 nations gathered in Nayarit, Mexico, for the Second International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, hosted by the Mexican Government. The nations at the Nayarit Conference include most of the European Union and NATO states and the UK's Commonwealth and Non-Proliferation Treaty partners from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. The 5 original nuclear powers, the US, the UK, Russia, France and China did not attend.
Ray Acheson of the ICAN International Steering Group said in her closing statement:
"Those countries that have renounced nuclear weapons- the overwhelming majority- have made the right decision for the security of their countries and their populations and for the survival of life on Earth. Those same countries have the opportunity now to advance not only the humanitarian agenda but also our human future by negotiating a treaty banning nuclear weapons.
"The claim by some states that they continue to need these weapons to deter their adversaries has been exposed by the evidence presented at this conference and in Oslo as a reckless and unsanctionable gamble with our future... Unless we act, nuclear weapons will be used, either by accident, design, or miscalculation. The only questions are when, where, and how many.
"We would welcome the participation of the nuclear-armed states. But most of them have demonstrated their unwillingness to constructively engage let alone lead in such a process.
"History shows that legal prohibitions of weapon systems- their possession as well as their use- facilitate their elimination. Weapons that have been outlawed increasingly become seen as illegitimate. They lose their political status and, along with it, the money and resources for their production, modernization, proliferation, and perpetuation.
"...Nuclear weapon-free states are calling for a new approach. The call for a ban on nuclear weapons overcomes the dilemma posed by placing the onus on the nuclear-armed states to lead a process for nuclear disarmament.
"Ridding the world of nuclear weapons will take courage. It will take leadership by states free of nuclear weapons. Show that leadership and you will have the support of civil society. It is time. It is time to change the status quo. It is time we ban nuclear weapons." (ref)
Conference Resources:
Chair's summary
Statements and Presentations
Civil society and the humanitarian impact, presentation of Beatrice Fihn
ICAN statement, delivered by Ray Acheson
International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons
Reaching Critical Will
International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Physicians for Social Responsibility