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	It is 90 seconds to midnight - nuclear weapons can never be used by ICRC, ICAN, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists   Aug. 2023   Any use of nuclear weapons would be catastrophic for humanity   More than 100 medical journals issue urgent call for the elimination of nuclear weapons, warning that the “danger is great and growing.”   In January, 2023, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moved the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward to 90 seconds before midnight, reflecting the growing risk of nuclear war.   In August, 2022, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the world is now in “a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War”. The danger has been underlined by growing tensions between many nuclear armed states.   As editors of health and medical journals worldwide, we call on health professionals to alert the public and our leaders to this major danger to public health and the essential life support systems of the planet—and urge action to prevent it.   Current nuclear arms control and non-proliferation efforts are inadequate to protect the world's population against the threat of nuclear war by design, error, or miscalculation.   The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) commits each of the 190 participating nations ”to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control”.   Progress has been disappointingly slow and the most recent NPT review conference in 2022 ended without an agreed statement.   There are many examples of near disasters that have exposed the risks of depending on nuclear deterrence for the indefinite future.   Modernisation of nuclear arsenals could increase risks: for example, hypersonic missiles decrease the time available to distinguish between an attack and a false alarm, increasing the likelihood of rapid escalation.   Any use of nuclear weapons would be catastrophic for humanity. Even a “limited” nuclear war involving 250 of the 13 000 nuclear weapons in the world could kill 120 million people outright and cause global climate disruption leading to a nuclear famine, putting 2 billion people at risk.   A large-scale nuclear war between the USA and Russia could kill 200 million people or more in the near term, and potentially cause a global “nuclear winter” that could kill 5–6 billion people, threatening the survival of humanity.   Once a nuclear weapon is detonated, escalation to all-out nuclear war could occur rapidly. The prevention of any use of nuclear weapons is therefore an urgent public health priority and fundamental steps must also be taken to address the root cause of the problem—by abolishing nuclear weapons.   The health community has had a crucial role in efforts to reduce the risk of nuclear war and must continue to do so in the future.   In the 1980s the efforts of health professionals, led by the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), helped to end the Cold War arms race by educating policy makers and the public on both sides of the Iron Curtain about the medical consequences of nuclear war. This was recognised when the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the IPPNW.   In 2007, the IPPNW launched the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, which grew into a global civil society campaign with hundreds of partner organisations. A pathway to nuclear abolition was created with the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017, for which the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons was awarded the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.   International medical organisations, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the IPPNW, the World Medical Association, the World Federation of Public Health Associations, and the International Council of Nurses, had key roles in the process leading up to the negotiations, and in the negotiations themselves, presenting the scientific evidence about the catastrophic health and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons and nuclear war.   They continued this important collaboration during the First Meeting of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which currently has 92 signatories, including 68 member states.   We now call on health professional associations to inform their members worldwide about the threat to human survival and to support efforts to reduce the near-term risks of nuclear war, including three immediate steps on the part of nuclear armed states and their allies: first, adopt a no first use policy; second, take their nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert; and third, urge all states involved in current conflicts to pledge publicly and unequivocally that they will not use nuclear weapons in these conflicts.   We ask them to work for a definitive end to the nuclear threat by supporting the urgent commencement of negotiations among the nuclear armed states for a verifiable, timebound agreement to eliminate their nuclear weapons in accordance with commitments in the NPT, opening the way for all nations to join the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.   The danger is great and growing. The nuclear armed states must eliminate their nuclear arsenals before they eliminate us. The health community played a decisive part during the Cold War and more recently in the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We must take up this challenge again as an urgent priority, working with renewed energy to reduce the risks of nuclear war and to eliminate nuclear weapons.   http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)01526-X/fulltext http://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ http://thebulletin.org/2023/07/artificial-escalation-imagining-the-future-of-nuclear-risk/ http://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2023-08-09/secretary-generals-message-nagasaki-peace-memorial-the-78th-anniversary-of-the-atomic-bombing-of-nagasaki http://news.un.org/en/story/2023/08/1139442 http://press.un.org/en/2022/sgsm21394.doc.htm http://www.ippnw.org/programs/nuclear-weapons-abolition http://www.ippnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/ENGLISH-Nuclear-Famine-Report-Final-bleed-marks.pdf http://www.icanw.org/catastrophic_harm   Mar. 2023   Izumi Nakamitsu, the head of the United Nations disarmament division has warned of the need for urgent global action to eliminate atomic weapons, especially during the current heightened tensions between the United States and Russia—the world's major nuclear powers—over the conflict in Ukraine.   Addressing the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons Forum in Oslo, Norway via video, United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu linked the concept of "humanitarian disarmament" with international agreements including the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Anti-Personnel Landmine Ban Convention, and the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).   "It is clear that a desire to avoid the unspeakable human suffering caused by the use of nuclear weapons is a driving force for nuclear disarmament efforts," Nakamitsu said. "Such efforts are needed now more than ever."   "Since the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation just over one year ago, we have witnessed an increase in dangerous nuclear rhetoric," she noted. "There has been a further breakdown of trust among the two states with the world's largest nuclear arsenals. In the past weeks, we have seen the suspension of inspections under the last remaining treaty limiting the size of these arsenals."   "Nuclear risk is at the highest level since the depth of the Cold War," said Nakamitsu, who highlighted "five key measures that can be taken" to "reverse current dangerous trends":   State parties to the TPNW should make headway in implementing their treaty and continue to forcefully advocate for its principles;   States that have yet to sign or ratify the TPNW should make a serious study of the treaty that takes into account its articles, its normative value, and its operation to date;   States that choose to remain outside the TPNW should use the avenues available to them—including victim assistance, environmental remediation, nuclear disarmament verification, and further study of the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons—to make progress on nuclear disarmament;   States should condemn nuclear threats and blackmail and demand progress toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons—not in spite of, but precisely because of today's deteriorating security environment; and Civil society must continue to hold states—and the United Nations—accountable for living up to their promises, and for making tangible progress toward our shared goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.   To date, 92 nations have signed the TPNW, while 68 countries are state parties to the agreement, according to the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. None of the world's nine nuclear powers has signed the treaty.   "Though we are living in a moment of increased confrontation and militarization, one fundamental truth remains unchanged: The only way to eliminate nuclear risk is to eliminate nuclear weapons," Nakamitsu concluded. "This remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations and we will continue to work with all member states and all other stakeholders to that end."   http://front.un-arm.org/hr-nakamitsu-video-messages/hr-nakamitsu-ican-act-on-it-forum.mp4 http://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HR-briefingSC-ThreatInternationalPeace-1.pdf http://front.un-arm.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/HR-statement-ICAN.pdf http://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/ http://www.sipri.org/media/press-release/2023/states-invest-nuclear-arsenals-geopolitical-relations-deteriorate-new-sipri-yearbook-out-now http://www.icanw.org/ http://www.icanw.org/catastrophic_harm http://humanitariandisarmament.org/campaigns/   The Doomsday Clock was created in 1947 by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to convey how close humanity is to destroying itself. The Clock has become an international symbol of the world’s vulnerability to catastrophe from nuclear weapons, climate change and disruptive technologies.   Jan. 2023   The Doomsday Clock is set at 90 seconds to midnight, due largely but not exclusively to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the increased risk of nuclear escalation.   The new Clock time was also influenced by continuing threats posed by the climate crisis and the breakdown of global norms and institutions needed to mitigate risks associated with advancing technologies and biological threats such as COVID-19.   Rachel Bronson, president of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:   “We are living in a time of unprecedented danger, and the Doomsday Clock time reflects that reality. 90 seconds to midnight is the closest the Clock has ever been set to midnight, and it’s a decision our experts do not take lightly.”   The Doomsday Clock statement explains that “Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised profound questions about how states interact, eroding norms of international conduct that underpin successful responses to a variety of global risks. And worst of all, Russia’s thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons remind the world that escalation of the conflict—by accident, intention, or miscalculation—is a terrible risk. The possibility that the conflict could spin out of anyone’s control remains high... Russia has also brought its war to the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear reactor sites, violating international protocols and risking widespread release of radioactive materials. Efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency to secure these plants so far have been rebuffed.”   Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:   “The Doomsday Clock is sounding an alarm for the whole of humanity. We are on the brink of a precipice. But our leaders are not acting at sufficient speed or scale to secure a peaceful and liveable planet. From cutting carbon emissions to strengthening arms control treaties and investing in pandemic preparedness, we know what needs to be done. The science is clear, but the political will is lacking. This must change in 2023 if we are to avert catastrophe. We are facing multiple, existential crises. Leaders need a crisis mindset.”   Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations:   “Three years ago, I helped unveil the Doomsday Clock when its hands were last moved. Today they are even closer to midnight, showing how much more perilous our world has become in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, extreme weather events and Russia’s outrageous war on Ukraine. Leaders did not heed the Doomsday Clock’s warnings in 2020. We all continue to pay the price. In 2023 it is vital for all our sakes that they act.”   Elbegdorj Tsakhia, former President of Mongolia and member of The Elders:   “As a former President of a country landlocked between two large powers, I know how important international diplomacy is when it comes to tackling existential threats. Today our world faces multiple crises. A common thread runs through them all: failure of leadership. We need a collective response rooted in the spirit and values of the UN Charter that can put us back on a pathway to peaceful co-existence and sustainable development.”   Sivan Kartha, senior scientist, Stockholm Environmental Institute, lead author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report said:   “Dealing with the crisis of climate change requires faith in institutions of multilateral governance and cooperation. The geopolitical fissure opened by the invasion of Ukraine has weakened trust among countries and the global will to cooperate.”   Suzet McKinney, member, Science and Security Board (SASB), Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:   “Devastating events like the COVID-19 pandemic can no longer be considered rare, once-a-century occurrences. However, disease-induced disaster can be avoided if countries around the world cooperate on global health strategies.”   Steve Fetter, National Academy of Sciences Committee on International Security and Arms Control, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists:   “Even if nuclear use is avoided in Ukraine, the war has challenged the nuclear order—the system of agreements and understandings that have been constructed over six decades to limit the dangers of nuclear weapons.”   The 2023 Doomsday Clock statement details other threats and threat multipliers beyond the most immediate risks related to the Russia-Ukraine War.   http://thebulletin.org/2023/01/press-release-doomsday-clock-set-at-90-seconds-to-midnight/ http://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/current-time/ http://thebulletin.org/2022/03/bulletin-science-and-security-board-condemns-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-doomsday-clock-stays-at-100-seconds-to-midnight/   Aug. 2022   Humanity’s just one misunderstanding away from ‘nuclear annihilation’ warns UN chief. (UN News)   As geopolitical tensions reach new highs, and some governments are spending billions on nuclear weapons in a false bid for peace and security, countries must uphold the nearly 80-year norm against their use, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in New York on Monday.   The UN chief was speaking at the opening of the Tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which runs through 26 August.   Mr. Guterres highlighted some of the current challenges to global peace and security, with the world under greater stress due to the climate crisis, stark inequalities, conflicts and human rights violations, as well as the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.   He said the meeting is taking place amid these challenges, and at a time of nuclear danger not seen since the height of the Cold War.   “Geopolitical tensions are reaching new highs. Competition is trumping co-operation and collaboration. Distrust has replaced dialogue and disunity has replaced disarmament. States are seeking false security in stockpiling and spending hundreds of billions of dollars on doomsday weapons that have no place on our planet,” he said.   Currently, almost 13,000 nuclear weapons are now being held in arsenals around the world, he added.   “All this at a time when the risks of proliferation are growing and guardrails to prevent escalation are weakening. And when crises — with nuclear undertones — are festering, From the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula. To the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and to many other factors around the world.”   He said today, humanity was “just one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.”   The Secretary-General underlined the importance of the non-proliferation treaty, saying it is needed “as much as ever”, while the review meeting provides an opportunity “to put humanity on a new path towards a world free of nuclear weapons.”   He outlined five areas for action, starting with reinforcing and reaffirming the norm against the use of nuclear weapons, which requires steadfast commitment from all parties to the treaty. “We need to strengthen all avenues of dialogue and transparency. Peace cannot take hold in an absence of trust and mutual respect,” he said.   Countries also must “work relentlessly” towards the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons, which begins with new commitment to shrink their numbers.   This will also mean reinforcing multilateral agreements and frameworks on disarmament and non-proliferation, which includes the important work of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).   For his third point, Mr. Guterres focused on the need to address the “simmering tensions” in the Middle East and Asia.   “By adding the threat of nuclear weapons to enduring conflicts, these regions are edging towards catastrophe. We need to redouble our support for dialogue and negotiation to ease tensions and forge new bonds of trust in regions that have seen too little,” he said.   He urged governments to fulfill all outstanding commitments in the treaty, “and keep it fit-for-purpose in these trying times.”   http://bit.ly/3PLqkeZ http://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00573-0   May 2022   Ireland condemns Russian TV for nuclear attack simulation. (Guardian News, agencies)   A Russian state TV report that simulated a nuclear attack launched off the coast of County Donegal in Ireland, has provoked alarm and widespread indignation across the country.   Dmitry Kiselyov, a pro-Kremlin presenter on Channel One, on Monday showed a video of an underwater missile wreaking apocalypse on Ireland and the UK.   Russia could “plunge Britain into the depths of the sea” using an unmanned underwater vehicle called Poseidon, he said. “The explosion of this thermonuclear torpedo by Britain’s coastline will cause a gigantic tsunami wave up to 500 metres high. Such a barrage alone also carries extreme doses of radiation. Having passed over the British Isles, it will turn what might be left of them into a radioactive desert for a long time."   The report did not name Ireland but the simulation showed its destruction along with Britain, which has angered the Kremlin by supplying weapons to Ukraine.   Dmitry Kiselyov also described Britain as "so small that one Sarmat missile will be enough to sink it once and for all". The Sarmat II missile, known as the Satan II, had its first successful test in April. The missile, which can deliver multiple nuclear warheads has been described as “the most destructive single weapon on Earth”.   Irish politicians condemned the report. Billy Kelleher, an MEP, tweeted: “Time to tell Russian government that this wild language is simply unacceptable to us.”   The TV report made the front pages of several Irish newspapers on Tuesday, including the Irish edition of the Sun. “Russia threat to Nuke Ireland,” said the print headline.   Last week, hosts on Russian Channel One’s 60 Minutes programme discussed the possibility of a nuclear attack on Western capitals. Viewers were shown an infographic showing how a Sarmat missile fired from Kaliningrad could hit Berlin in 106 seconds, Paris in 200 seconds and London in 202 seconds.   Last week Margarita Simonyan, editor of Russian state broadcaster RT, one of the Kremlin’s highest-profile media outlets, told a panel show that nuclear war would be OK because "we're all going to die someday".   The Russian embassy in Dublin said in a statement: “The views and presentations in the TV show are that of the editors. The official position of Russia has always been that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and that it must never be unleashed.”   Last week the North Korean regime threatened to preemptively use nuclear weapons if it perceived itself to be threatened.   Mar. 2022   The Time to Act is Now: Joint Statement Nobel laureates Dmitry Muratov and ICAN   Right now, we see nuclear tensions heightening to the most threatening levels seen in modern times. Russian President Vladimir Putin has made threats to launch nuclear attacks and raised the offensive and defensive nuclear mobilisation alert to its highest level since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He has joined forces with Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus, to attack Ukraine in violation of international law including the UN Charter, and pave the way for Belarus to host Russian nuclear weapons.   As recipients of the 2017 and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, we warn about the unprecedented risk to international peace and security posed by the menace of nuclear weapons, and the urgent threat created by President Putin’s reckless action and rhetoric.   The fate of humanity today rests on the rationality of a few leaders who control nearly 13,000 nuclear weapons, a terrifying force powerful enough to destroy the earth many times over. The use of just one nuclear weapon could kill and injure hundreds of thousands if not millions of civilians and poison the environment with radiation that lingers for generations. There is no adequate health response to this catastrophe. That’s why the majority of the world’s nations adopted the first international treaty banning nuclear weapons, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) for which ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017.   Russia’s recent nuclear escalations have brought us to a more dangerous level of nuclear threat than we have witnessed since the Cuban Missile Crisis. Russia must take urgent steps to de-escalate the situation.   Specifically, Russia must: rescind Sunday’s order to raise the alert level of nuclear forces; withdraw from Ukraine and return to compliance with the UN Charter; commit to never deploy nuclear weapons in Europe; eliminate its nuclear weapons.   People across Russia, across Europe and across the world are standing in the streets demanding an end to this illegal and unjust war, demanding their voices be included in the conversation about the future. Nuclear weapons prevent that conversation from taking place, they prevent the democratic will of the people, and their voice, from being represented in decisions around their own future.   As long as nuclear weapons exist, the threat of their use persists. The world cannot continue to hold its breath and count on the good sense of the handful of world leaders with the power to destroy us all. We must eliminate these weapons of mass destruction. We urge all governments to join the TPNW without delay. We urge them to choose peace over war and reason over madness. We urge them to support democracy and freedom of speech all over the world. The time to act is now. We may not survive the next nuclear crisis.   * Dmitry Muratov (2021 Nobel Peace Prize) and Beatrice Fihn on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (2017 Nobel Peace Prize) http://bit.ly/3LJknNH http://www.icanw.org/updates http://www.icanw.org/tpnw_statements http://www.ips-journal.eu/topics/foreign-and-security-policy/stigmatising-nuclear-weapons-6034/   Mar. 2022   A nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.   The Elders today denounced President Vladimir Putin’s decision to place Russia’s strategic nuclear arsenal on “special alert” status as a reckless escalation of the conflict in Ukraine that underscores the existential threat posed to humanity by nuclear weapons.   NATO’s nuclear powers have maintained restraint and kept their own nuclear weapons off high alert. They must persist in this stance to avoid aggravating an already extremely dangerous situation.   The Elders have long called for all nuclear arsenals to be moved off high alert status as part of a wider agenda of de-escalation, disarmament and risk reduction. Current events show precisely why these steps are urgently needed.   The Elders also voiced grave concerns about Belarus’ move to renounce its non-nuclear status and potentially allow Russian nuclear weapons to be based on Belarusian territory – an action that would destabilise European security and further increase the risks of nuclear escalation.   These unprecedented moves risk placing Russian and NATO forces, both armed with nuclear capabilities, in direct confrontation. Such a scenario risks an increased chance of an accident, mistake or miscalculation with devastating consequences.   Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders, and former President of Ireland said:   “The world has shown dangerous complacency on the issue of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament for many years, which has led to this wake-up call. Urgent steps are needed to reverse the systematic erosion of arms control treaties and norms. Stoking nuclear tensions to intimidate Ukrainian resistance and the international community is an outrageous, irresponsible act by President Putin. NATO nuclear powers are right to continue to maintain the restraint they have thus far shown on their own nuclear alert status.”   President Putin’s actions stand in direct opposition to the recent joint statement he signed with other P5 leaders declaring that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”. It is incumbent on all parties to engage in good faith and with redoubled efforts in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference later this year as part of a serious and sustained commitment to long-term nuclear de-escalation.   http://theelders.org/news/elders-deplore-putin-s-nuclear-escalation-and-urge-continued-nato-restraint   * “International Security must rest on a commitment to joint survival rather than a threat of mutual destruction”, report from Olof Palme International Center, the International Peace Bureau and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC): http://commonsecurity.org/   Mar. 2022   Red Cross urgently appeals to states to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used, by Helen Durham - Director of Law and Policy, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)   The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is alarmed by recent statements made with respect to nuclear weapons.   Five years ago this month, as States were beginning the negotiations of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the ICRC recalled that "nuclear weapons are the most terrifying weapon ever invented. They are unique in their destructive power, in the unspeakable human suffering they cause, and in the impossibility of controlling their effects in space and time. They threaten irreversible harm to the environment and to future generations. Indeed, they threaten the very survival of humanity."   The ICRC and the Japanese Red Cross Society witnessed first-hand the suffering and devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 as humanitarian personnel attempted, in near-impossible conditions, to assist the dying and injured. We cannot allow a repetition of this dark part of our past.   We know that a nuclear explosion would cause insurmountable challenges to humanitarian assistance. No State or humanitarian organization is prepared to respond to the enormous needs that a nuclear explosion would create. What we cannot prepare for, what we cannot respond to, we must prevent.   It is extremely doubtful that nuclear weapons could ever be used in accordance with the principles and rules of international humanitarian law.   The only way to guarantee that nuclear weapons are never used again is by prohibiting and eliminating them. The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, of which the ICRC is a part, has repeatedly expressed its deep alarm at the increasing risk that nuclear weapons will again be used by intent, miscalculation or accident and stressed that any risk of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable, given their catastrophic humanitarian consequences.   The introduction of nuclear weapons renders armed conflicts significantly more dangerous and risks a global conflagration in which humanity will suffer irreparably. This is a wake-up call and a call for utmost caution.   States must now heed the Movement's call on all States to promptly sign, ratify or accede to, and faithfully implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Pending their elimination, all States and, in particular, the nuclear possessors and nuclear-allied States must take immediate steps to reduce the risk of intentional or accidental use of nuclear weapons, based on their existing international commitments.   In 2022, the first meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the 10th Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty will provide key opportunities, but also tests, for States to make tangible progress towards achieving nuclear disarmament, a legal obligation of the international community as a whole.   Seldom have collective action and concrete, meaningful steps to free the world of the dark shadow of nuclear weapons been more urgent.   http://www.icrc.org/en/document/icrc-appeals-nuclear-weapons-never-used/   Jan. 2022   It is 100 seconds to midnight, report from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists   Last year’s leadership change in the United States provided hope that what seemed like a global race toward catastrophe might be halted and—with renewed US engagement—even reversed. Indeed, in 2021 the new American administration changed US policies in some ways that made the world safer: agreeing to an extension of the New START arms control agreement and beginning strategic stability talks with Russia; announcing that the United States would seek to return to the Iran nuclear deal; and rejoining the Paris climate accord.   Perhaps even more heartening was the return of science and evidence to US policy making in general, especially regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. A more moderate and predictable approach to leadership and the control of one of the two largest nuclear arsenals of the world marked a welcome change from the previous four years.   Still, the change in US leadership alone was not enough to reverse negative international security trends that had been long in developing and continued across the threat horizon in 2021.   US relations with Russia and China remain tense, with all three countries engaged in an array of nuclear modernization and expansion efforts—including China’s apparent large-scale program to increase its deployment of silo-based long-range nuclear missiles; the push by Russia, China, and the United States to develop hypersonic missiles; and the continued testing of anti-satellite weapons by many nations. If not restrained, these efforts could mark the start of a dangerous new nuclear arms race.   Other nuclear concerns, including North Korea’s unconstrained nuclear and missile expansion and the (as yet) unsuccessful attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal contribute to growing dangers. Ukraine remains a potential flashpoint, and Russian troop deployments to the Ukrainian border heighten day-to-day tensions.   For many countries, a huge gap still exists between long-term greenhouse gas-reduction pledges and the near and medium-term emission-reduction actions needed to achieve those goals. Although the new US administration’s quick return to the Paris Agreement speaks the right words, it has yet to be matched with actionable policies.   Developed countries improved their responses to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, but the worldwide response remained entirely insufficient. Plans for quick global distribution of vaccines essentially collapsed, leaving poorer countries largely unvaccinated and allowing new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to gain an unwelcome foothold.   Beyond the pandemic, worrying biosafety and biosecurity lapses made it clear that the international community needs to focus serious attention on management of the global biological research enterprise. Further, the establishment and pursuit of biological weapons programs marked the beginning of a new biological arms race.   And while the new US administration made progress in reestablishing the role of science and evidence in public policy, corruption of the information ecosystem continued apace in 2021. One particularly concerning variety of internet-based disinformation infected America last year: Waves of internet-enabled lies persuaded a significant portion of the US public to believe the utterly false narrative contending that Joe Biden did not win the US presidential election in 2020.   Continued efforts to foster this narrative threaten to undermine future US elections, American democracy in general, and, therefore, the United States’ ability to lead global efforts to manage existential risk.   In view of this mixed threat environment—with some positive developments counteracted by worrisome and accelerating negative trends—the members of the Science and Security Board find the world to be no safer than it was last year at this time and therefore decide to set the Doomsday Clock once again at 100 seconds to midnight. This decision does not, by any means, suggest that the international security situation has stabilized.   On the contrary, the Clock remains the closest it has ever been to civilization-ending apocalypse because the world remains stuck in an extremely dangerous moment. In 2019 we called it the new abnormal, and it has unfortunately persisted.   Last year, despite laudable efforts by some leaders and the public, negative trends in nuclear and biological weapons, climate change, and a variety of disruptive technologies—all exacerbated by a corrupted information ecosphere that undermines rational decision making—kept the world within a stone’s throw of apocalypse. Global leaders and the public are not moving with anywhere near the speed or unity needed to prevent disaster.   Leaders around the world must immediately commit themselves to renewed cooperation in the many ways and venues available for reducing existential risk. Citizens of the world can and should organize to demand that their leaders do so—and quickly. The doorstep of doom is no place to loiter. Visit the related web page
	The dangers of the growing use of mercenaries around the globe by UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries   Nov. 2024   Combating illicit financing of mercenaries and related actors must be prioritised: UN experts. (OHCHR)   Combating the illicit financing of mercenaries and related actors must be an urgent priority, given the human rights violations and harm they perpetrate worldwide, both in conflict and non-conflict situations, UN experts said today.   “Funds generated and payments made are funnelled through traditional banking systems and cash payments, as well as through alternative financial systems by way of cryptocurrencies and crowd-funding initiatives, which are supported by multitudes of so-called enablers such as bankers, lawyers, fixers, insurance companies and other corporate entities,” the experts said in a report presented to the General Assembly by Jovana Jezdimirovic Ranito, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries.   Mercenaries and related actors are financed by and profit from a variety of sources. At a “macro” level, mercenary operations and services are funded primarily by States and/or their proxies, while at the “micro” level, individual mercenaries are paid for their services and may receive pecuniary and/or non-pecuniary remuneration.   “The financing of mercenarism does not exist in a vacuum. There are existing links between mercenarism and the exploitation of natural resources, as well connections to transnational organised crimes and other illicit activities such as terrorism, trafficking in persons, arms trade, drug trafficking, corruption, money-laundering, online frauds and scams, smuggling, the payment of modern piracy ransoms, among others,” the experts said.   “Understanding the complex ways in which States, enablers and individual mercenaries utilise traditional and alternative financial ecosystems, including linkages to broader criminal and other illicit activities, is crucial to tackling the scourge of mercenarism.”   The Working Group urges specific regulatory action by States and other stakeholders and stresses the need for robust adherence to international and regional criminal regulations that are aimed at stemming direct and indirect funding of mercenarism.   “We must address the gaps in the traditional and alternative financial ecosystems that allow the financing of mercenarism to flourish; and prevent individual mercenaries and related actors from obtaining pecuniary and non-pecuniary remuneration. Removing incentives to engaging in mercenarism is crucial and this should include tackling the root causes of individual recruitment for mercenary purposes.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/combating-illicit-financing-mercenaries-and-related-actors-must-be   Sep. 2022   Rise in mercenary forces trigger ‘rampant’ human rights violations. (UN News)   Human rights violations committed by mercenaries and private security companies create grave challenges for victims seeking justice and redress, UN-appointed independent human rights experts warned this week.   Presenting its new report to the Human Rights Council 51st session, the Working Group on the use of mercenaries said that this was due to the particularity of the perpetrators and the way they operate.   They also noted that the proliferation of mercenaries, contractors operating as soldiers for hire and private security companies in conflict, post-conflict and peacetime settings, has increased the number of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.   “Deplorable gaps in accountability, access to justice, and remedies for victims of violations perpetrated by such actors are rampant,” said Sorcha MacLeod, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, who presented the report to the Counc   The experts explained that, in the contexts in which they operate, the impacts of their actions are of grave concern.   Persons in vulnerable situations, women, children, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities, LGBTI+ persons, older persons, minorities, human rights defenders and journalists, are experiencing particularly negative impacts, the experts highlighted.   “Given this bleak situation, a holistic and victim-centred approach is imperative to ensure victims’ effective access to justice and remedy,” Ms. MacLeod said.   Investigate and punish offenders   The report highlights a lack of accountability and the common challenges faced by victims in accessing justice and effective remedies to overcome the damage mercenaries leave in their wake.   It drew specific attention to the secrecy and opacity surrounding the activities of mercenaries, military contractors hired to kill, and private security companies; their complex business and corporate structures, issues related to jurisdiction; and gaps in national and international regulation.   “States have obligations under international human rights law to prevent, investigate, and punish violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, and to provide effective remedies and reparation to victims of mercenaries, mercenary-related actors, and private military and security companies,” the experts said.   They concluded by urging States to adopt national legislation to “regulate the activities of these actors, punish perpetrators, and provide redress for victims are part of these implementation efforts”.   http://news.un.org/en/story/2022/09/1127171   Mar. 2022   The UN Working Group on the use of mercenaries is alarmed by the growing use of mercenaries and mercenary-related actors in armed conflicts around the world. “We are witnessing the ever-increasing presence of mercenaries and mercenary-related actors in contemporary armed conflicts and the ever-mounting risk of grave human rights abuses and war crimes” said Sorcha MacLeod, Chair of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries.   Given the current complex international peace and security context, the Working Group expressed serious concerns about the ongoing recruitment, financing, use and transfer of mercenaries and mercenary-related actors in and out of different conflict situations around the world. In many instances, the presence of these private actors prolongs the conflict, acts as a destabilising factor, and undermines peace efforts.   The experts are also concerned that the recruitment and sending of mercenaries and mercenary-related actors to conflict zones, exacerbates the risk of conflicts spreading to other regions. The Working Group has continuously raised concerns that the operations of mercenaries and mercenary-related actors increase the risk of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law.   “The Working Group has highlighted extensively, the patterns of grave abuses and violations committed with impunity by these actors, such as extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, rape, sexual and gender-based violence, arbitrary detention, and torture. They are also known to indiscriminately target civilians” explained MacLeod.   The Working Group reiterates that all actors should refrain from using, recruiting, financing or training, mercenaries or mercenary-related actors under all circumstances. Furthermore, all actors should abide by the UN Charter and the legal obligations arising from international human rights law, and where applicable, international humanitarian law.   Finally, MacLeod restated the Working Group’s position that “states should implement effective international and national regulation. Human rights abuses and humanitarian law violations by mercenaries must not be allowed to go unpunished by States and the international community. Violations must be investigated, prosecuted and sanctioned, and effective remedies provided to victims.”   http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2022/03/statement-un-working-group-use-mercenaries-warns-about-dangers-growing-use http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/09/predatory-recruitment-mercenaries-must-end-un-experts http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/wg-mercenaries http://www.ohchr.org/en/topic/conflict-prevention-early-warning-and-security http://www.icj.org/icj-calls-for-accountability-for-private-security-companies-and-reparations-for-victims-at-un-negotiations-on-a-regulatory-framework/ Visit the related web page
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