Nuclear Weapons-Free World Receives Boost

The Forum is important in terms of the application of Humanitarian Law to nuclear weapons and its implications. As can be seen by the presence of Mr. Sergio Duarte at this launch session, along with luminaries in the disarmament field such as Alyn Ware and John Burroughs, the humanitarian approach to the effects of the use of nuclear weapons is illuminating for all countries.

The Final Document of the 2010 NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty) Review Conference declared that the Conference "expresses its deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, and reaffirms the need for all states at all times to comply with applicable international law, including international humanitarian law."

The importance of this first issue of the Nuclear Abolition Forum lies in the fact that humanitarian approaches to disarmament, as part of a wider effort to bring the rule of law to disarmament, can play a decisive role in achieving nuclear abolition.

Such approaches importantly focus on an integral element of disarmament: human security and humanitarian considerations. This approach was pioneered over 30 years ago by Patricia and Gerry Mische, founders of Global Education Associates, who were far ahead of the times in redefining security in terms of the decent work agenda and protection of the environment.

Given the fact that over one trillion dollars is spent annually on armaments, the implications for the South in turning part of these expenditures to development is an equally important adjunct to the considerations discussed in this report.