An evitable catastrophe: reclaiming humanity from the nuclear brink

Cenotaph at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

On August 6th and 9th 1945, Hiroshima and Nagasaki became the first – and so far only – targets of nuclear weapons in warfare, killing over 100,000 people instantly and devastating countless lives for decades to come. The humanitarian consequences of such weapons are unmatched in scale and severity. While legal and ethical arguments against the most horrendous weapons have existed since the 19th century, nuclear arsenals remain active and are even expanding, as global discourse shifts away from nuclear disarmament toward renewed reliance on deterrence.

In this post, ICRC Policy Adviser Dominique Loye traces the evolution of legal and humanitarian objections to nuclear weapons, from the 1868 Saint Petersburg Declaration to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). He argues that despite hopeful legal and diplomatic milestones, the world is once again drifting towards catastrophe. With the 2026 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) Review Conference on the horizon, the time is now to reframe global security around humanity – not annihilation – and to take urgent, collective steps to reduce nuclear risks and prevent their use. This article is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.

READ OR LISTEN

📹 Rethinking Our Future in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons

📜 Joint Statement: A call to eliminate nuclear weapons

World War II. Hiroshima Nakaku. After the explosion of the atom bomb

“Let all the souls here rest in peace for we shall not repeat the evil.”

These are the words carved into the stone monument at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. Eighty years after the world witnessed the horrifying tragedy caused by nuclear weapons, we must ask ourselves: Are we taking this pledge seriously? Are we doing enough to ensure the memory of what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki is not forgotten? And, critically, are enough efforts being made to rid the world of these devastating weapons?

READ THE FULL STATEMENT

📘 Critical Readings

Humanitarian Law and Policy Blog on nuclear

Read through our Humanitarian Law & Policy blog articles on nuclear weapons covering insights on the legal, policy, and humanitarian dimensions of nuclear weapons.

International review of the red cross on nuclear

Explore peer-reviewed articles on nuclear weapons in the International Review of the Red Cross, dating back to 1869 covering legal, humanitarian, and policy perspectives.

🔗 Additional Resources

ICRC Library on Atomic Weapons

Find comprehensive legal scholarship on atomic weapons in the ICRC Library’s collections, from the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the implementation of the TPNW.

View of the ICRC on interpretation of the TPNW

Unpack the debates surrounding the TPNW regarding the interpretation of some of its provisions, including the ICRC’s analysis of the issues.

3rd Meeting of States Parties to the TPNW

Hear the ICRC’s call to reject nuclear threats and fulfill the TPNW’s promise, as no humanitarian organization can address the catastrophic impacts of nuclear weapons.

Was this email forwarded to you?

Subscribe here to receive ICRC's monthly Law & Policy Newsletter.

An evitable catastrophe: reclaiming humanity from the nuclear brink

An evitable catastrophe: reclaiming humanity from the nuclear brink

📹 Rethinking Our Future in the Shadow of Nuclear Weapons

📜 Joint Statement: A call to eliminate nuclear weapons

📘 Critical Readings

🔗 Additional Resources

Was this email forwarded to you?

Was this email forwarded to you?

BLOG

EVENTS

REVIEW

FOLLOW US