UN Disarmament Week event

The United Nations and the Climate-Nuclear Disarmament Nexus

A special event during UN Disarmament Week, 2021 in preparation for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in November 2021 and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in Januay 2022.

Thursday October 28. 1:15 - 2:45pm Eastern Time USA / 7:15-8:45pm Central Europe Time
Thursday, October 28, 2021 | Online event

This event will look at key initiatives and United Nations processes on climate protection/stabilization, nuclear risk reduction and disarmament, the connections between these issues and the ways in which legislators and civil society can make an impact.

Click here to register for the event. Click here for the event flyer.

Co-chairs:

  • Kehkashan Basu, Member, World Future Council. UN Human Rights Champion. 2016 Winner of the International Children’s Peace Prize. Inaugural winner, Voices Youth Gorbachev-Shultz Legacy Award for Nuclear Disarmament.
  • Alyn Ware, Global Coordinator, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament. International Representative, Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace.

Speakers:

  • Maria Espinosa, Member, World Future Council. President of the 73rd UN General Assembly;
  • Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. Chair, Global Security Institute Nonpartisan Security Group. Former Director, US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency. Head of US Delegation to the 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference;
  • Renato Belfiore and Natália Vicente, World’s Youth for Climate Justice;
  • Tzeporah Berman, Founder, The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty initiative;
  • Vanda Proskova, Co-convenor, UNFOLD ZERO and Youth Fusion. Co-founder, NoFirstUse Global,


Co-sponsors
Basel Peace Office, Global Security Institute, NoFirstUse Global, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament, UNFOLD ZERO, World Future Council, Youth Fusion.

The Climate - Nuclear Disarmament Nexus

Climate change and nuclear weapons pose two existential threats to humanity and are two key issues for the United Nations.

There are strong links between the two issues. The impacts of both climate change and nuclear explosions are trans-border and transgenerational. Neither issue can be resolved solely at national levels, but require international cooperation and the building of common security. The use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict would likely create immediate and catastrophic climatic consequences far greater than the current impact of climate change emissions. And the human and financial resources currently devoted to nuclear weapons are desperately required to invest in carbon emission reduction and climate stabilization.