Act Collectively Against Nuclear Arms

The world seems to be at the tipping point of nuclear war. The war in Ukraine, the war in the Middle East and the rivalry between some nuclear powers hint at the possibility of nuclear war. Two nuclear powers – Russia and Israel – are already at war. India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers, fought a brief war some time ago, and war between these two South Asian nuclear powers can break out anytime due to the nature of their rivalry and animosity. China and India, too, fought a border war in 1962, and border skirmishes have occasionally erupted between these two nuclear powers, the latest being the Galwan and Doklam conflicts.

Currently, there are nine nuclear powers—the United States, Russia, China, India, the United Kingdom, France, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. Iran is said to be in the process of developing nuclear weapons, for which it is said to be enriching uranium. Some other countries, too, might have been clandestinely trying to develop nuclear arms. The nuclear arsenals of the nine countries are enough to annihilate human civilisation. This situation requires solidarity and a collective campaign to abolish nuclear weapons and ban future proliferation for the safety and security of humanity. 

Deterrence

The nuclear-powered countries try to defend their nuclear weapons in the name of deterrence. According to them, nuclear deterrence keeps the world safe, maintains peace and their nuclear weapons are merely for peaceful and defensive purposes. However, these are all nonsense claims. Nuclear weapons cannot ensure deterrence and safety. Developing nuclear weapons in the name of maintaining deterrence is something like waging war in the name of peace. So nuclear weapons are against the safety and security of humanity and civilization. 

According to the Federation of Atomic Scientists’ report entitled “Status of the World’s Nuclear Forces 2025”, the nine nuclear-armed countries have around 12,331 nuclear warheads, with over 9,600 in active military stockpiles. This number is quite a bit less compared to that of the Cold War era but they continue to pose a serious and significant threat to human survival as they are vying to enlarge their nuclear arsenals. Moreover, modern nuclear weapons are more efficient and powerful than those of the Cold War era. 

Only nine countries have so far developed nuclear weapons but they have deployed these weapons in different parts of the world. This has nuclearized the entire world, and once any country uses nuclear weapons, that will trigger a nuclear world war. In such a case, the world will see its complete obliteration. In the first place, all wars and all kinds of weapons need to be discouraged and nuclear weapons must come to a complete end. For this, the countries are required to destroy their nuclear arsenals completely for the security of human civilization.  So far, nuclear weapons have been used in war only twice – in the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The people of these two Japanese cities are suffering the consequences of the nuclear bombing even today – 80 years later.  

In the first place, all weapons are manufactured to kill people. Weapons are thus killing machines. Nuclear weapons are more dangerous and disastrous. Given the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons, there have been serious concerns at individual, national and international levels against possible wars and the use of nuclear weapons. Several international efforts and campaigns have been initiated to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, their use and ban all kinds of nuclear testing. The first such international campaign and initiative was made in the early 1960s, for which the Disarmament Committee of the United Nations started drafting the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT), seeking to ban the proliferation of nuclear weapons, which was finalised in 1968. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was finally opened for signature in 1968 and came into force on March 5, 1970. This is a significant development in the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the world, which seeks to make the world free from the danger of nuclear catastrophe. 

Nuclear disarmament

In addition to the NPT, the Partial Test Ban Treaty (PTBT) is another international treaty that seeks to prohibit tests of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty is yet another positive international initiative to ban all kinds of nuclear tests. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is the latest international initiative seeking to completely prohibit and abolish all kinds of nuclear weapons. However, not all countries have signed and ratified the TPNW. Nepal is the signatory to all international treaties on abolishing nuclear weapons, limiting and banning tests of nuclear weapons. Nepal is the state party to both NPT and PTBT, which means it has already signed and ratified these two important international nuclear non-proliferation treaties. 

However, Nepal is only a signatory to the CTBT and TPNW. It has yet to ratify these two key treaties on nuclear disarmament. It would do well if Nepal ratifies both the CTBT as well as the TPNW at the earliest, as it would be yet another testament to Nepal’s commitment to world peace, disarmament and de-escalation of nuclear weapon proliferation. As Nepal is surrounded by nuclear powers, it is more important for the country to advocate strongly against the proliferation and use of nuclear weapons anywhere in the world. Nepal is a non-aligned and peace-loving country. Nepal has been strongly advocating peace in all international forums. Nepal wants peace at home, in the region, and in the world. Nepal believes firmly that war cannot bring about peace. Only diplomacy can bring about peace. So it is the duty of all to act collectively to abolish the proliferation and use of nuclear weapons. 

(The author is former ambassador and former chief editor of this daily. lamsalyubanath@gmail.com)