Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons Conference next week

Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons Conference next week

Third International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
8 and 9 December 2014, Austria

iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand

5 December 2014

A reminder about the Third International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, which take place in Vienna next week. This message includes information about the Civil Society Forum in Vienna, which starts tomorrow, and about the International Conference. Links to updates on the Civil Society Forum are included in the relevant section below, and updates on the International Conference will be available on the iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand site at http://www.icanw.org.nzand on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/notes/peace-movement-aotearoa/reminder-third-international-conference-on-the-humanitarian-impact-of-nuclear-we/777559405624764

"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 the threat of these weapons of mass destruction. The only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons will never be used again is through their total elimination. All States share the responsibility 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." Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons, Ambassador Del Higgie, on behalf of New Zealand and 154 other UN members states, First Committee of the 69th UN General Assembly, 20 October 2014 - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nz-nucweapons-oct14.pdf

In the closing summary of the Second International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons (held in Nayarit, Mexico, in February 2014), the Chair called for the development of new international standards on nuclear weapons, including a legally binding instrument. The time has come, he noted, for a diplomatic process to reach this goal, within a specified timeframe, identifying the most appropriate forum and on the basis of a clear and substantive framework. Calling for this process to conclude by the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Chair described Nayarit as “the point of no return”.

Will the Third International Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons really be the point of no return? Will the governments participating - including New Zealand - finally agree to begin negotiations on a legally binding instrument to eliminate nuclear weapons? The 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is next year, so now is the time for positive action for a world without nuclear weapons.

Civil Society Forum in Vienna, Austria
6 - 7 December 2014

On 6 and 7 December 2014, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (iCAN) will host a Civil Society Forum in Vienna on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. Despite the compelling call of the humanitarian initiative, nuclear weapons states continue to cling to their inhumane weapons. Governments will convene for the Third conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons on 8 and 9 December, shortly after the Civil Society Forum. The forum is our chance to tell governments that we are watching and we will not wait. Nuclear weapons can be banned and eliminated, we just need enough people to have the courage to believe it can happen now. The Civil Society Forum will bring participants from around the world to share ideas, strategies, and inspiration. Participants from over 200 organisations will include government representatives, non-governmental organisations, international organisations, and other critical humanitarian actors.

Information on the Civil Society Forum is available at http://goodbyenuk.es/ Updates are on Twitter athttps://twitter.com/nuclearban and https://twitter.com/hashtag/HINW14vienna and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/goodbyenukes and https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/hinw14vienna

Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons,
8 and 9 December 2014 in the Hofburg Palace Vienna, Austria

"A world without nuclear weapons is a goal shared by all humanity. Yet, so far, it has remained elusive. An estimated 16,300 nuclear weapons still exist nearly 25 years after the end of the cold war. Today, nine states are believed to possess nuclear weapons, but as nuclear technology is becoming more available, more states, and even non-state actors, may strive to develop nuclear weapons in the future.

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.

A single detonation of a modern nuclear weapon would cause destruction and human suffering on a scale far exceeding the devastation seen in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. No State or international body would be able to provide adequate assistance. Nuclear weapons continue to pose an existential threat to all humankind. These risks are not abstract. They are real, more serious than previously known and can never be eliminated completely.

In the past few years, a growing number of states and many civil society actors focused on the humanitarian consequences and risks associated with nuclear weapons through different national, regional and international events and activities. Two international conferences were devoted specifically to this issue; in Oslo, Norway, in March 2013 and Nayarit, Mexico, in February 2014.

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.

The government of Austria is proud to host the 3rd international conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons which will take place on 8 and 9 December 2014 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. With this conference, Austria wishes to strengthen the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and to contribute to the growing momentum to firmly anchor the humanitarian imperative in all global efforts dealing with nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament."

Programme: Monday, 8 December 2014

• Opening Ceremony

• Session I - Impact of Nuclear Weapons Explosions: this session will further address the short and long-term consequences of nuclear weapons explosions, especially in the areas of health, environment, climate, food security, and infrastructure, and the potential interaction of these consequences. The second part of this session will put a specific focus on the impacts of nuclear tests.

• Session II - Risk Drivers for deliberate or inadvertent Nuclear Weapons Use: this session will further address the range of human and technical factors that could lead to the explosion of (a) nuclear weapon(s), such as human error, negligence, miscalculation, miscommunication, technical faults, risk calculation, vulnerability and cyber security.

• Session III - Scenarios, Challenges and Capabilities regarding Nuclear Weapons Use and other events: this session will address possible scenarios of nuclear weapons use/explosions, as well as explosions of radiological devices. Response plans and challenges of the international system as and implications for States will be discussed.

Programme: Tuesday, 9 December 2014

• Session IV - A “bird’s-eye view” on International Norms and the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons: this session will provide an overview of the norms under existing international law pertaining to the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons explosions, in particular regarding the environment and health, as well as a discussion of international humanitarian law and the humanitarian dimension in existing disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation instruments. Note - this session will be Co-Chaired by Dell Higgie, Ambassador for Disarmament of New Zealand

• Discussion / General Debate

• Closing Session - Presentation of Chair’s Summary: Sebastian Kurz, Federal Minister for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs of Austria will present the summary of the proceedings and discussions in the form of a Chair’s summary under his personal responsibility.

Updates on the International Conference will be available on the iCAN Aotearoa New Zealand site at http://www.icanw.org.nzand on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/notes/peace-movement-aotearoa/reminder-third-international-conference-on-the-humanitarian-impact-of-nuclear-we/777559405624764

ENDS

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