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Despite ongoing tensions in various parts of the world, the year 2017 ended with a positive note. The historic Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) passed by the UN General Assembly on 7 th July, henceforth a red letter day in history. This has raised many hopes for achieving a future and better world without nuclear weapons. Any use of nuclear weapons now would be much more catastrophic than what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 killing over two hundred thousand people with resulting genetic mutations affecting generations thereafter. The studies on the climatic consequences of even a limited nuclear conflict have predicted that over two billion people would be at risk of starvation.
Moving ahead with creating the agenda for a nuclear weapons free world, several organizations joined hands for collective action. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was formed at the initiative of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) in 2006. ICAN was officially launched with a further 468 partners in Vienna, Austria in April 2007 during the preparatory committee meeting of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. Since its founding, ICAN has worked to build a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons. By engaging a diverse range of groups and working alongside the Red Cross and like-minded governments, ICAN has helped reshape the debate on nuclear weapons and to generate momentum towards their total elimination. ICAN was instrumental in bringing up evidence on catastrophic humanitarian impact of nuclear conflict before the UN during the debate on TPNW. Recognizing its contribution the Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded the prize for year 2017 to ICAN. It is pertinent to mention that IPPNW was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1985.
It is unfortunate that none of the nuclear weapons possessing countries signed the TPNW. The nuclear-armed nations continue to spend close to US$300 million (Rs.2000 crores) a day on their nuclear forces at a time when hundreds of millions of people across the globe go hungry. The production, maintenance and modernization of nuclear forces diverts vast public resources away from health care, education, climate change mitigation, disaster relief, development assistance and other vital services. For countries like India and Pakistan that stand very low in the human development index, this is an alarming situation. Skirmishes at the border could trigger a larger and wider conflict. In such a situation the threat of use of nuclear weapons cannot be ruled out. India ranks 5th in the world when it comes to military expenditure with an outlay of 55.9 billion USD (Rs.363,350 crores) as per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute [SIPRI] annual report, April 2017. India’s defense expenditure is 1.62 % of its GDP. The Central health budget of India is 0.26% of GDP which is 6 times less than the arms budget. Pakistan’s pattern of spending is similar.
It is therefore high time that a powerful anti nuclear movement is built in South Asia. In this connection the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) and the Indian Society for Cultural Relations and Friendship (ISCUF) have decided to work together to organize an international seminar on the theme “The Landmark Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons - Opportunities and Challenges†on 24th and 25th March 2018 in Deputy Speakers Hall at Constitution Club, New Delhi. This will be followed by a Dialogue with Decision makers and shapers to highlight the need for abolition of nuclear weapons.
We invite you to be a partner in this movement which is so important for the people of the world today and for future generations of entire mankind.
- Programme Schedule for International Seminar on the Landmark Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons (New Delhi, 24-25 March 2018)
- Organised by Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD), the Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP), the All India Peace and Solidarity Organisation (AIPSO) and the Indian Society for Cultural Relations and Friendship (ISCUF) at Constitution Club, New Delhi.
