An inter-generational event during UN Disarmament Week

Nuclear disarmament, climate change and the UN Summit of the Future

The UN will hold a Summit for the Future in 2024. Nuclear weapons and climate change pose existential threats to current and future generations. How should these two issues be addressed in the Summit and the Pact for the Future to be adopted at the Summit?
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 | New York City, USA

An inter-generational event during UN Disarmament Week (Oct 24-30)
Includes presentation of the Protect People and the Planet Appeal

Wednesday October 26, 1:15pm-2:45pm.
In-person: UN Millennium Hilton Hotel, One UN Plaza, New York
Event flyer

Event recording: The event was live-streamed on Basel Peace Office facebook page . There is also a video message for the event from Mr. Kunihiko SHIMADA, Principal Director of Hiroshima Global for Peace (HOPe).

Co-Chairs:

  • Ms Ariana Smith (USA)
    Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy
  • Mr Alyn Ware (New Zealand/Czech Republic)
    Director, Basel Peace Office. Member, World Future Council. PNND Global Coordinator

Speakers:

  • Mr Chris King (United Nations)
    Deputy Chief, Weapons of Mass Destruction Branch of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
  • Ms Vanda Proskova (Czech Republic)
    Co-convenor, Youth Fusion. Member UN #Leaders4Tomorrow initiative. Co-convenor UNFOLD ZERO.
  • Mr Jeffery Huffines (USA)
    Senior Adviser, Coalition for the UN We Need.
  • Prof Emilie Gaillard (France)
    Professor of Human Rights and Environmental Law.
    General Coordinator, Normandy Chair for Peace.
    Board Member, International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.

Outline:
On September 8, 2022, the United Nations General Assembly decided (by resolution A/RES/76/307) to hold a “Summit of the Future: multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow” in September 2024 at the UN in New York, preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting to be held in September 2023. It is expected that the Summit will adopt a Pact for the Future and establish a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations.

Nuclear war and climate change pose existential threats to current and future generations. The Summit of the Future provides opportunities to reduce the risk of nuclear war, advance the legal and political requirements to eliminate nuclear weapons, stabilize the climate and protect the most vulnerable communities already impacted by climate change.

Our Oct 26 event will focus on nuclear disarmament, climate change and the UN Summit of the Future. It will include presentation of the civil society appeal Protect People and the Planet: Appeal for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World which makes the connection between nuclear abolition and climate protection, and calls for the total elimination of nuclear weapons to be achieved no later than 2045, the 100th anniversary of the United Nations.

Event co-sponsors:

Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace, Basel Peace Office, Coalition for the UN We Need (C4UN), Global Governance Innovation Network, Global Security Institute, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, NoFirstUse Global, Normandy Chair for Peace, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (PNND), UNFOLD ZERO, World Federalist Movement Canada, Word Future Council and Youth Fusion.

Resources on the Summit of the Future