Nuclear Disarmament

Nuclear weapon test Romeo on Bikini Atoll, 1954. Photo courtesy of the US Dept. of Energy

The existence of nuclear weapons poses the single greatest threat to humanity today. The stockpiles held by the United States, Russia, France, the U.K., China, India, Pakistan and Israel have the capacity to destroy the Earth hundreds of times over. As well, approximately 40 member-state parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have legally acquired nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and also therefore have the capability to develop nuclear weapons.

The proliferation of nuclear weapons and the threat of terrorists seeking to acquire them heightens the existing dangers.

The U.S., Russia, the U.K., France and China possessed nuclear weapons when the Treaty went into force, and committed to eliminate their arsenals.

Though the numbers have been reduced, much more must be done to achieve total prohibition and abolition of nuclear weapons. The pace is slow and some of these states are upgrading their stockpiles and asserting that nuclear weapons are essential to their security strategies.

There is no ban on nuclear weapons, though they are indiscriminate weapons and their use would constitute a violation of International Humanitarian Law. It is not currently illegal to manufacture them, stockpile them or target a city deemed of military interest. According to the Advisory Opinion on the Legality of Nuclear Weapons, if it is believed that the survival of the state is at risk, it is not illegal to threaten to use and to use nuclear weapons. However, any use would have catastrophic humanitarian consequences and would contravene International Humanitarian Law.

Despite the end of the Cold War and better relations between Russia and the United States, the two countries still have thousands of nuclear weapons, on continuous high-alert status, targeted on each other. Thus, the risk of accidents, accidental launch, terrorist acquisition and attacks remains.

Cities are at risk. The design and purpose for nuclear weapons is to target the most densely populated areas, to kill the maximum number of civilians and to destroy their habitats. Military installations do not require the massive destructive power of a nuclear weapon. 

 

Nuclear Disarmament Content

By M. V. Ramana, Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security
and Emily Enright, Master's Candidate in Public Policy and Global Affairs
School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, University of British Columbia
Published by OpenCanada.org
August 20, 2019

As the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) falls apart due to a lack of US and Russian participation, Emily Enright and the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security at UBC, M. V. Ramana, argue that Canada should help do its bit to avert the unravelling of global arms control.  Visit OpenCanada.org at the following link for the complete article.
We are pleased to share this first edition of "Critical Mass," an exclusive new communiqué to keep Global Zero's supporters up to speed on the movement’s many initiatives and progress being made.
Visit European Leadership Network for this commentary from Dr. Hans Blix, a Peace Leader with The Simons Foundation, on how the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran will operate given the legally binding UN Security Council sanctions.

Article by Dr. Hans Blix
Former Swedish Foreign Minister and Director-General Emeritus of the IAEA
Published by the European Leadership Network
July 8, 2019

Visit The Globe and Mail at the link below for this opinion piece by Ernie Regehr, our Senior Fellow in Arctic Security and Defence, and The Hon. Douglas Roche, a Peace Leader with The Simons Foundation Canada.

Opinion by Ernie Regehr, O.C, Senior Fellow in Arctic Security and Defence
and The Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C., Peace Leader
The Simons Foundation Canada
Published by The Globe and Mail
July 7, 2019
 

Visit the Journal for Peace and Nuclear Disarmament at the link below for this article co-authored by Professor M.V. Ramana, Ph.D., the Simons Chair in Disarmament, Global and Human Security and Director of the Liu Institute for Global Issues at the School for Public Policy and Global Affairs, The University of British Columbia, and Zia Mian and A.H. Nayyar of the Program on Science and Global Security at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University.
Visit The Hill Times at the link below (subscription required) for this commentary by The Simons Foundation Peace Leader, The Hon. Douglas Roche, on U.S. plans to spend $100,000 per minute on the maintenance and expansion of nuclear weapons.

Commentary by the Hon. Douglas Roche, O.C.
Published by The Hill Times (subscription required)
May 22, 2019