As the Oppenheimer movie opens, civil society and governments prepare for the 2023 Non-Proliferation Treaty Prep Com in Vienna

Posted: 24th July 2023

Nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament proposals to be discussed over the two-week-long diplomatic meeting. 

  

On July 21, Universal Pictures released Oppenheimer into theaters around the world. The movie chronicles the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, a theoretical physicist who was pivotal in developing the first nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. 78 years on, the world is closer than ever to a nuclear war by crisis escalation, miscalculation, accident or intent.

Meanwhile, governments and civil society (including UNFOLD ZERO members) are preparing nuclear risk-reduction, non-proliferation and disarmament proposals to be discussed at the 2023 Non-Proliferation Treaty Prep Com which will take place at the United Nations in Vienna from July 31 – August 11, 2023. Some of these are outlined below.

 

Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law

On August 2, NoFirstUse Global will present Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law to the States Parties to the NPT. This Declaration of Public Conscience calls on the NPT and the UN General Assembly to enshrine as a dictate of international law the statement agreed by the G20 Leaders in Bali last November that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”

The statement also calls on states to take the first step to implement this norm/law by adopting no-first-use policies. The declaration has been endorsed by over 1000 legislators, youth, academics/experts, religious leaders and civil society leaders from around the world. It will be presented to a plenary session of the NPT Perp Com by John Hallam, NoFirstUse Global Steering Committee Member. We encourage individuals who have not already to endorsed to do so.  

 

Endorse (as an individual) Nuclear Taboo from Norm to Law

 

 

 

Common Security v Nuclear Deterrence

Nuclear armed and allied countries have accepted an obligation under the NPT to eliminate nuclear weapons, but are not implementing this obligation because they continue to rely on nuclear deterrence for their security, especially from the threat of aggression against them.

A group of NGOs has prepared a statement to the NPT entitled Common Security v Nuclear Deterrence suggesting that nuclear deterrence could be replaced by common security approaches and mechanisms, and proposing that the States Parties to the NPT establish a subsidiary body to “explore common security and conventional military alternatives to nuclear deterrence, and make recommendations on the transition from nuclear deterrence to non-nuclear security.”

The statement, which organizations are invited to endorse, also highlights the important role and positive examples of the International Court of Justice in resolving international conflicts and replacing the ‘law of force’ with the ‘force of law’, and calls on all States to accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the Court. 50 organizations have endorsed so far. It will be presented to the NPT Prep Com on August 2 by John Vlasto, Chair of the World Federalist Movement Executive Board.
  

 

Endorse (as an organization) Common Security v Nuclear Deterrence

 

 

 

 

Frameworks for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World

The Abolition 2000 Working Group on a Nuclear Weapons Convention (NWC) has drafted a working paper entitled NWC Reset: Frameworks for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World which Jackie Cabasso, Abolition 2000 Steering Committee Member, will present to the NPT Prep Com on August 2.

The working paper includes reflections on the political environment for comprehensive nuclear disarmament, an outline of three possible approaches for establishing the framework for a nuclear-weapon-free world, plus recommendations to the 2023 NPT Prep Com for the commencement of deliberations to achieve comprehensive nuclear disarmament within time-bound commitments.

For more on Abolition 2000’s participation in the NPT Prep Com, including a list of key side-events, please see How the August NPT meeting in Vienna could make a difference.

 

Jackie Cabasso, Member of the Abolition 2000 Coordinating Committee, will present the working paper NWC Reset: Frameworks for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World to the NPT Prep Com Plenary Session on August 2.

 

Yours sincerely
UNFOLD ZERO