Events

Friday January 26, 2024. 10:00-12:00  CET
Wohnzimmer, 2nd floor K-Haus, Kasernenstrasse 8, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
A hybrid side event of the Basel Peace Forum 2024

Friday January 26 at 4pm - 5:30pm Central Europe Time / 10am-11:30am Eastern Time
Online - Registration required.

3 prizes of €5000 each. The 9 finalists will present their projects. The audience then votes to determine the winners.

 

Applying human rights law to address existential threats to humanity
In-person event. Thursday July 6. 15:00-16:00
Sidley Austin Law Firm, Rue du Pré-de-la-Bichette 1 Geneva 1202

Registration

 

Nuclear Stories Pre-Premier
Zurich and online
Wednesday April 26, 2023
7pm - 8:30pm Central Europe Time.
Click here to register. No cost to join.
The event is held in conjunction with International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day

Human Rights and the Doomsday Clock
Using international human rights law to address existential threats
posed by nuclear weapons and climate change.

A side event to the UN Human Rights Council 42nd Universal Periodic Review

Wednesday January 25. 1:15 – 2:45pm
Sidley Austin Law Firm, Geneva.

Registration required: RSVP to alyn@pnnd.org or Ph/SMS to +41 788 912 156

 

January 20. 11am – 12:30pm
A side event of the Basel Peace Forum 2023

Online by zoom and in-person at K-Haus, Basel, Switzerland

Registration required.

 

Saturday January 21
4:30pm-6pm Central Europe Time / 10:30am-12noon Eastern Time USA
Online. Click here to register.
3 prizes of €5000 each. The 9 finalists will present their projects. The audience then votes to determine the winners.

Youth initiatives for a sustainable future

Join the 2022 PACEY Award Winners and Youth Fusion, winners of the Gorbachev/Schultz Legacy Youth Award
K-Haus, Kasernenstrasse 8, 4058 Basel
6pm-8pm. Tuesday November 8.
Followed by an apero

[Simultaneous interpretation in English and German]

Register at https://forms.gle/1sH37wqpQbN4vZBb9

 

Using international human rights law to address existential threats.
A side event to the UN Human Rights Council 50th Regular Session.

Friday July 1. 13:15 - 14:45. (In-person event)

Montreux Room, Varembé Conference Center (CCV). 9-11 Rue de Varembé, Geneva

Register for the event

 

The 3rd in a series of webinars on the youth-led campaign to take the issue of climate change to the International Court of Justice (World Court).

Friday March 4, 2022

Session 1: Timed for Asia/Pacific. 8am - 9:30am Central Europe Time. Event in English. Click here to register.

Session 2: Timed for the Americas/Europe/Africa/Middle East. Simulataneous translation in English/French/Spanish. Click here to register.

Friday Jan 21, 2022. 8:30am – 10am CET

Description: Peace, nuclear Abolition and Climate Engage Youth (PACEY) Award event

Two prizes of €5000 Euro each will be awarded to exemplary youth projects or initiatives to advance peace, climate protection and/or disarmament, especially nuclear disarmament.

Registration

Thursday Jan 20, 2022 8:00 pm – 9:30pm CET

Description: From youth vision and enthusiasm to policy change. An intergenerational forum between policymakers (legislators) and youth activists on the Climate / Nuclear Disarmament nexus. The event is held in conjunction with the Basel Peace Forum 2022.

Registration

A public in-person event featuring the two winning projects of the 2021 Basel PACEY (Youth) Awards.

Wednesday November 24, 18:30 – 20:00
Basel University ‘Old’ Campus
Rheinsprung 9, 4051 Basel

Register

Methods and examples of nonviolent actions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. An online event to commemorate the International Day of Nonviolence and the 152nd anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

Saturday October 2. 10am-12 noon Eastern Time USA / 4-6pm Central Europe Time / 7:30-9:30pm Delhi.

Simultaneous translation in English/French

Register for the event at https://bit.ly/nonviolence21century

Toward an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal responsibility to ensure a stable climate for future generations

Webinar 2: What question to ask the Court? What sources of law to use?

Tuesday August 24, 2021
8am-10am Pacific Time USA / 11am-1pm Eastern Time USA / 4pm-6pm London / 5pm-7pm Central Europe

Simultaneous translation English/French. Click here to register.

An Inter-generational Forum followed by the PACEY Plus Youth Award

January 19, 2021. 15:00 – 19:15 Central Europe Time

A forum of youth, experts and policy makers discussing actions and effective policies for peace, disarmament, the climate and public health especially in times of pandemic. The event will be held in three sessions of 1¼  hours each with a short break between each session. 

Click here to register.

Session 1: Timed for Asia and the Pacific.
Thursday December 10. 8am Central Europe Time (10 am Moscow, 1pm Dhaka, 4pm Tokyo/Seoul, 7pm Suva)
Program and other information will be posted on the Session 1 event facebook page. Click here to register.

Session 2: Timed for the Americas, Europe and Africa.
Friday December 11. 11:30 Eastern time USA/Canada. (5:30pm CET)
Program and other information will be posted on the Session 2 event facebook page. Click here to register.

Webinar: Monday November 2, 2020
10am – 11:30am Eastern Time USA. 4pm-5:30pm Central Europe Time
Click here to register. Click here for the event flyer.

TheoSounds Concert to commemorate the International Day for Peace.
Sunday September 20 in Theodorskirche (Theodorskirchpl. 5, 4058 Basel) at 16:00

The concert is Schubert Notturno Op. 148 and Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 1.

Performed by the PlayforRights Chamber Trio: Fraynni Rui (violin), Joonas Pitkänen (Violoncello) and Aleck Carratta (piano).
Free entry. We invite you to attend.

September 21- October 2, 2020.

A series of UN and UN-related events and actions running from Sep 21 (International Day for Peace) until October 2 (International Day for Nonviolence)

International webinar. Thursday  July 30, 2020.
9:00 am
- 10:30 am EDT  (15:00-16:30 CET)

Part of the Abolition 2000 webinar series on issues and actions for nuclear abolition
Click here to register. Click here for the event flyer.

Dates:
Thursday, May 14, 2020. Time: 11am EDT, 5pm CET
Tuesday May 19, 2020. Time: 9am CET

Contact: Youth actions webinar

 

International webinar, Tuesday April  21, 2020. Held in conjunction with Earth Day 2020 and the Global Days of Action on Military Spending.

The webinar will address: Cutting nuclear weapons budgets. Ending investments in nuclear weapons & fossil fuels. Reallocating these to public health, climate protection and sustainable development.

January 9, 2020. 1pm – 5:30pm. Basel, Switzerland.

A roundtable meeting of parliamentarians & city leaders with youth campaigners from the European climate, peace and nuclear disarmament movements.

Organised in conjunction with the Basel Peace Forum 2020: Cities in Time of Conflict & Peace, January 9-10, 2020.

Conference languages: English and German. Click here for the conference flyer.

Contact: info@baselpeaceoffice.org

Divestment and other actions by cities, universities and parliaments to reverse the nuclear arms race and protect the climate

Basel, Switzerland. April 12-13, 2019

A European and trans-Atlantic conference organised by Basel Peace Office.
Co-sponsored by IPPNW Switzerland and the Basel-Stadt Kanton, in cooperation with Mayors for Peace (Europe) and Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament.

Political and financial policies to protect future generations from climate change and nuclear weapons.

Monday January 14, 2019. 6pm-7:45pm
Hörsaal (Room) 215, Seminar fur Soziologie,
Basel University, Petersgraben 27, Basel, Switzerland

Click here for the program (pdf).
Contact info@baselpeaceoffice.org

 Thursday December 7.
Basel University, Hörsaal 001
18:00 - 20:00

Premier screening of the award-winning movie 'Where the Wind Blew' about the impact of nuclear tests in Nevada and Kazakhstan. Screenign is followed by discussion with representatives of Kazakhstan.

Basel University, September 14 - September 17

An international conference on the human impact of nuclear weapons and power, legal cases on behalf of victims, and protection of future generations.

Monday Jan 16. 16:30-18:30. Sydney Room, Floor 2, Messe Center, Messeplatz 21, Basel.

Europe could be caught in nuclear cross-fire between Russia and the United States. Join us for a discussion with Swiss and international speakers on new threats from nuclear weapons and what can be done about it.

Kazakh Room (Cinema XIV), Palais des Nations, Geneva.
September 27, 2016. 15:00 - 17:00.

Special event featuring
* Ela Gandhi (grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi and Co-President of Religions for Peace);
* Chain Reaction 2016 video, a series of nuclear disarmament actions and events around the world;

* Presentation of the Astana Vision declaration to the United Nations.

Please register at info@unfoldzero.org by September 22

Issues and proposals for taking forward nuclear disarmament
Framwork Forum roundtable for invited governments
April 18, 2016
Hosted by the Permanent Mission of Canada to the UN, Geneva
Co-sponsored by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung

From the NPT to the UN General Assembly: Filling the legal gap to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons

Geneva, 1 September 2015, 13:15-18:00

Restaurant Layalina 121 rue de Lausanne, and Auditorium Jacques Freymond, rue de Lausanne 132       

Sponsored by Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Middle Powers Initiative, Basel Peace Office and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Geneva
Supported by the Right Livelihood Award Foundation and World Future Council

Screenings in various locations in Switzerland during the week September 21-26

Directed by Peter Anthony
Featuring: Stanislav Petrov, Kevin Costner, Sergey Shnrynov, Matt Damon, Natalia Vdovina & Robert de Niro

On the night of September 26, 1983, Stanislav Petrov disobeyed military protocol and probably prevented a nuclear holocaust. He says that he is not a hero. 'I was just in the right place at the right time.' You decide!

 

Wave goodbye to nukes! 24 hours of actions in capitals and other cities around the world April 26-27, 2015

Framework Forum roundtable
Monday September 8, 2014, 13:00 – 18:00
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
Auditoire Jaques Freymond, rue de Lausanne 132 , Geneva

By invitation only
Contact info@baselpeaceoffice.org

Kazakh Room (Cinema Room XIV),
Palais des Nations, United Nations, Geneva
September 25, 16:00 - 17:30
followed by refreshments

Organised by UNFOLD ZERO and the Basel Peace Office
Hosted by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs

A UN pass is required to attend. Contact info@unfoldzero.org

18 August to 15 October 2014
Oberer Rheinweg, Basel, Between Mittlere Brücke (Middle Bridge) and Wettstein Bridge

Late October until early December 2014
Theatrestrasse, Basel. From Elizabethenkirche to Barfusserplatz

www.makingpeace.org

Sunday August 17, 6pm – 9pm
Im Fluss stage on the Rhine
Oberer Rheinweg, Basel

Free

PLAYforRIGHTS presents a Youth Music Performance to commemorate World Humanitarian Day

A range of live music featuring ERROR 404 brass band ensemble from Musik Akademie Basel

July 4 - 5
Basel, Switzerland

Hosted by Guy Morin, President of the Basel-Stadt Canton
Organised by the Basel Peace Office

Mayors, parliamentarians and civil society!
Join us in Basel to share initiatives, network with others and advance the cooperative security framework for peace, prosperity and nuclear disarmament.

Chernobyl exhibition and the Rhine
Kleinbasel, Basel
Sunday April 13, afternoon

With Basel Peace Office and Environmental Award laureates participating in the 3rd International Convention of Environmental Laureates.

13:00: Photo exhibition of Chernobyl nuclear disaster
by Alexander Hofmann
Basel Art Center, Riehentorstrasse 33, Basel
Discounted group rate 15 CHF (normal entry is 22 CHF)

13:50 Lunch
Merian Spitz Cafe, Rheingasse 2

15:30. Rhine Promenade, water-powered ferry, Munster

RSVP to alyn@pnnd.org or +41 788 912 156

International Day of Sport for Peace and Development
Sunday April 6, 2014

Carton Blanc photo event and short peace run/cycle in Basel
Followed by an informal talk on peace and sport – peace bike rides

3pm: Run/cycle along the Rhine from Oberer Rheinweg (under Wettstein Bridge) to the Three Countries Corner
4pm: Carton Blanc photo event at Three Countries Corner, Dreiländereck
5pm: Light meal and talk at Restaurant Schiff

Contact info@baselpeaceoffice.org

Act now to encourage your country to engage in the OEWG. Organize a public event with motive of “opening the door to a nuclear weapons free world”!

Tuesday 21 May, 2013
13:15 – 14:45
Room XI, Building A, UN Geneva

Side-event of Open Ended Working
Group on Nuclear Disarmament

Launch of the 2nd edition of the Nuclear Abolition Forum
Tuesday, 9 April 2013
12:30 – 14:00
Geneva Centre for Security Policy
WMO/OMM Building Avenue de la Paix 7bis, Geneva

Featuring:
Ambassador Urs Schmid (Switzerland)
Ambassador Nobuyasu Abe (Japan)
Jean-Marie Collin (PNND, France)
Marc Finaud (Program Adviser, GCSP)
Alyn Ware (Founder, Nuclear Abolition Forum, New Zealand)
Teresa Bergman (Researcher, Basel Peace Office)

6pm, Friday May 24
University of Basel, Lecture Hall 001
Petersgraben, Basel

Featuring:
Wilson Kipketer, runner. Current world record holder for the 800 and 1000 meters (indoors).
Spokesperson for L’organisation pour la Paix par le Sport (Peace and Sport)
Paol Hansen, Special Adviser UN Office on Sport for Development and Peace
Carola Szemerey, Youth Future Project
Henk Van Nieuwenhove, Flanders Peace Field project  (the 1914 Soccer Truce)

 

The Doomsday Clock and Switzerland as a neutral country

Food-for-thought paper on
Opportunities for Switzerland to advance nuclear risk reduction and disarmament in the period 2023-2024

Click here for the pdf version

Summary

The government of Switzerland recognises the severe threat to humanity posed by nuclear weapons and is a leading advocate of nuclear-risk reduction, i.e. the promotion of measures to prevent nuclear war arising from crisis escalation, miscalculation, misinformation or accident. Swiss actions include being the co-author of a UN General Assembly resolution on de-alerting, serving as a Champion on Reducing Nuclear Risks for the UN Secretary-General’s Initiative Securing our Common Future, and joining with 15 other countries in the Stockholm Initiative to propose a package of nuclear risk reduction measures at the 10th NPT Review Conference (August 2022).

This ‘food-for-thought’ paper explores political opportunities for the Swiss government to further advance nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament over the next 2-3 years. It puts forward policy proposals that would have significant impact on the practices of the nuclear armed and allied states in order to contribute to the global prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons. The paper focuses on:
a)    multilateral processes and forums including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, Non-Proliferation Treaty, UN Security Council, Human Rights Council and upcoming UN Summits (Summit on Sustainable Development and Summit for the Future);
b)    specific policy approaches that could be effectively advanced in these forums.

The purpose of this paper is to provide background to some of the Basel Peace Office projects for 2022-2023, and to provide a basis for discussion with other Swiss organizations on advocacy for effective Swiss government action on these issues.
 

Introduction

In January 2022, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists set the Doomsday Clock to 100 Seconds to Midnight, indicating the high level of existential risk to humanity from climate change, nuclear policies, rising nationalism and international tensions that could erupt into armed conflict. One month later, Russia launched a ‘military operation’ (an illegal invasion) against Ukraine and has repeatedly warned the West that interference in Russia’s ongoing military operation (war against Ukraine) could face a nuclear response. This has elevated the risk of nuclear war, and graphically demonstrated the use of ‘nuclear coercion’ in international relations. Nuclear threats have also risen in East Asia through the conflict of China and USA over Taiwan, and with further nuclear weapons and missile developments of North Korea.

Responses to these nuclear threats, and action for the more ambitious goal of the global abolition of nuclear weapons, have been advanced in several multi-lateral processes during 2022. These include the First Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (June 21-23), the 10th Review Conference of States Parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (August 1-26) and various sessions of the UN Security Council, Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly.

Opportunities in the multi-lateral forums arising in 2023 – 2024 include:

  1. Switzerland’s membership of the UN Security Council (January 2023 – December 2024);
  2. 2023 meeting of States Parties to the TPNW (assuming Switzerland joins the treaty);
  3. 2023 and 2024 preparatory meetings for the 2025 NPT Review Conference;
  4. Human Rights Council Universal Period Review Sessions;
  5. UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit (September 2023)
  6. UN Summit of the Future (Ministerial Meeting Sep 2023 and the Summit Sep 2024).

 

Forums and policy proposals

1.    UN Security Council

The UN Security Council is the principal security body of the United Nations. Its membership includes five of the nuclear armed states (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and the USA). Its decisions/resolutions are binding on UN member states.

A downside of the SC is that a right of veto for the nuclear armed states gives each of them the power to block the adoption of resolutions that might impact on their interests. However, Security Council deliberations are very influential even when they do not result in the adoption of a resolution. Sometimes, the use of veto power in the Security Council paves the way for important UN General Assembly resolutions on key security matters, e.g. the UNGA resolutions on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Ukrainian territory.

The election of Switzerland to the UN Security Council provides a unique opportunity for Switzerland to make an impact on key security issues over the coming two years. Switzerland could use this position to raise issues/questions/proposals on nuclear risk reduction and disarmament at any time. In addition, Switzerland has specific opportunity to exercise leadership when they assume the presidency of the Security Council for the months of May 2023 and August 2024. During these two months, Switzerland can:  
a)    initiate and preside over special thematic discussions on key security topics;
b)    introduce draft Security Council resolutions for adoption on policy options/issues that are not necessarily connected to a specific country, region or armed conflict.

PROPOSAL 1:
Switzerland could advance nuclear risk reduction and nuclear war prevention at the Security Council in 2023;

In January 2022, the five nuclear weapon states on the UN Security Council released a Joint Statement on Preventing Nuclear War and Avoiding Arms Races, in which they agreed that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” This was followed by a joint statement of November16, 2022 of the G20 countries (including the five nuclear weapon states) which affirmed that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.”  

These statements provide an opening for Switzerland to bring the issue of nuclear risk reduction and nuclear war prevention to the UN Security Council, especially during its Presidency in May 2023, and facilitate a strong global challenge on the nuclear weapon states to bring their policies and practices in line with their joint statements and legal obligations. This could include a push at the UN Security Council for all nuclear armed states to adopt no-first-use policies as an important nuclear risk reduction and disarmament measure. (See NPT Review Conference below for background on the increased momentum for the adoption of no-first-use policies).
 

PROPOSAL 2
Switzerland could advance, at the Security Council in 2024, a commitment by nuclear weapon states for the timebound, global elimination of nuclear weapons and a framework for fulfilling this commitment.

In 2010, the States Parties to the NPT, which includes the five nuclear weapon States, agreed that:

"All States need to make special efforts to establish the necessary framework to achieve and maintain a world without nuclear weapons. The Conference notes the Five-Point Proposal for Nuclear Disarmament of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which proposes inter alia the consideration of negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention or a framework of separate mutually reinforcing instruments backed by a strong system of verification"

Non-nuclear states have undertaken extensive work to fulfil this obligation by, amongst other things, establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones and negotiating the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Switzerland could use the opportunity of its second year on the Security Council, and especially during its Presidency in August 2024, to build a timebound commitment from the nuclear weapon states to achieve the global elimination of nuclear weapons (e.g. no later than 2045, the 100th anniversary of the United Nations) and to facilitate deliberations on a protocol to the TPNW, framework agreement or nuclear weapons convention in order to secure and sustain a nuclear-weapon-free world (For further background, see Frameworks for a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World).

Switzerland will preside over the Security Council in August 2024. This timing is very suitable for building momentum on this initiative just prior to the UN Summit of the Future and the adoption the new UN Agenda for Peace (See UN Summit of the Future below).

 

2.    Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons


The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was negotiated by non-nuclear weapon states in 2017 and entered-into-force in January 2020. Currently there are 68 States parties to the treaty. The treaty prohibits States parties from developing, testing, producing, acquiring, possessing, stockpiling, using or threatening to use nuclear weapons. The Treaty also prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons on national territories of States parties, and the provision of assistance by States parties to any other State in the conduct of prohibited activities.

The nuclear armed and allied states have all opposed the treaty and have decided not to join. As such the obligations established by the treaty do not apply to them. Never-the-less, the treaty serves as a strong symbol of opposition to nuclear weapons by non-nuclear states.

Switzerland and the TPNW
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) examined the TPNW after its adoption in 2017, and presented its assessment in a report issued on 30 June 2018, where it affirmed that “from today's perspective, the arguments against joining the TPNW outweighed the potential opportunities of joining.” This was followed by advocacy by civil society and parliamentarians calling on the FDFA to change its position and sign the treaty. This included a resolution, introduced by PNND Member Carlo Sommaruga and adopted by the Swiss Council of States, calling on the government to sign and ratify the treaty (Vote: 24 in favour, 15 against and 2 abstentions).

It is understood that one of the reasons the Swiss FDFA has been reluctant to date to agree to signing the TPNW was so that Switzerland’s influence in the 10th NPT Review Conference would not be undermined (see NPT Review Conference below). Now that the Review Conference has concluded, it appears as though the Swiss government might be more ready to sign, and has indicated that its federal council will decide on this at the beginning of 2023.

Opportunities to elevate the impact of the TPNW
As indicated above, the TPNW does not apply to States that are not parties, which includes all of the nuclear armed and allied states. They therefore have no political or legal obligations to adhere to any of the provisions in the treaty. TPNW ratification by additional non-nuclear states such as Switzerland will not change this.

However, there are measures that could be taken by States Parties to the TPNW that would impact directly on the nuclear arms race and on the practices of the nuclear armed countries. States Parties to the TPNW could, for example, decide to implement their obligations under the treaty by prohibiting any national/federal financing of nuclear weapons and by prohibiting the transit of nuclear weapons through their territories (including land, territorial waters and airspace). Such actions would demonstrate full compliance with the TPNW prohibition on “assistance by States parties to any other State in the conduct of prohibited activities.”

A prohibition on financing of nuclear weapons by TPNW members would contribute significantly to the global nuclear weapons divestment campaign, undermining the economic and political power of the nuclear weapons industry. A prohibition by TPNW members on nuclear weapons transit would impact directly on the deployment of nuclear weapons by the nuclear weapon states, curtailing their freedom of nuclear weapons movement and elevating public attention to the weapons and where they are deployed.

To date, none of the States that have joined the TPNW have undertaken such actions to implement their TPNW obligations. However, Switzerland has already demonstrated the feasibility of prohibiting national financing of nuclear weapons through the Swiss War Materials Act of 2013. Three other countries have taken similar divestment action outside of the TPNW (Lichtenstein, New Zealand and Norway). A prohibition on transit of nuclear weapons has been implemented by some of the regional NWFZS as a whole and by national legislation adopted by countries within other NWFZs. No such prohibitions on transit currently apply in Europe.  

PROPOSAL 3:
Switzerland could join the TPNW and use the opportunity of the 2nd Meeting of States Parties of the TPNW in Mexico to encourage other States Parties to end all public financing of nuclear weapons in their national/federal jurisdictions and to give consideration to prohibiting transit of nuclear weapons across their territories.

 

3.    NPT Review Conference and preparatory meetings (2023 and 2024)


The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) provides the only treaty-based obligation on nuclear weapon states (and their allies) to achieve comprehensive nuclear disarmament (Article VI of the NPT). This obligation is reinforced by customary international law as affirmed by the International Court of Justice in 1996 and the UN Human Rights Committee in 2018.

The NPT Review Conferences, and the two-week long preparatory meetings for them, provide important opportunities for non-nuclear States like Switzerland to affirm legal obligations and elevate political influence on the nuclear armed and allied states in order to make progress.

The 8th NPT Review Conference, for example, by adopting the language proposed by Switzerland on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, provided a mandate for the International Conferences on the Humanitarian Consequences (Norway, Mexico and Austria) which helped build momentum for a treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons. The 8th NPT Review Conference also affirmed the obligation of all States Parties to build the framework for establishing and maintaining a nuclear-weapon-free world.

The 9th NPT Review Conference, building on the two strands highlighted above, provided the impetus for negotiations on the TPNW to begin. It also provided the impetus for the UN Conference on a Middle East Zone Free from Nuclear Weapons and other WMD which opened in 2018 and will hold sessions until a treaty establishing such a zone is adopted.

Considerable progress was made at the 10th NPT Review Conference on nuclear risk-reduction measures and on importance of upholding international law, with Switzerland playing a leading role in this, including through the Stockholm Initiative, a high-level group of 16 countries (non-nuclear and allied).

There are opportunities to build on these developments and to advance important nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament work through the NPT Preparatory Meetings in 2023 and 2024.

PROPOSAL 4:
Switzerland could take an active role in the 2023 NPT Review Conference Preparatory Meetings by calling on the States parties to the NPT (in position statements and working papers) to:

  1. Implement the agreed dictum that ‘a nuclear war cannot be won and so must never be fought’ by supporting/adopting no-first-use policies, removing all nuclear weapons systems from launch-on-warning, and reaffirming the G20 Heads of Government statement that “The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible.” (Paragraph 4, G20 Bali Leaders Statement, 16 November, 2022);
  2. Undertake concrete work to establish the framework for a nuclear-weapon-free world either by adopting protocols to the TPNW that would enable their ratification of the treaty, agreeing on a framework convention for the global elimination of nuclear weapons (similar to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), or commence negotiations on a nuclear weapons convention;
  3. Commit to achieving the global elimination of nuclear weapons no later than 2045, the 75th anniversary of the NPT and the 100th anniversary of the United Nations.


Background documents:


4.    Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (Ongoing)

In 2018 the UN Human Rights Committee affirmed that the threat or use of nuclear weapons is incompatible with the Right to Life, and that States parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) have obligations to refrain from developing, acquiring, stockpiling and using them, and also have obligations to destroy existing stockpiles and pursue negotiations in good faith to achieve global nuclear disarmament.

All of the nuclear armed and allied states are parties to the ICCPR (except China which has signed but not yet ratified the convention) and are therefore legally bound by its provisions. The UN Human Rights Committee undertakes a review, on a rolling (periodic) basis, of each State’s adherence to and implementation of their obligations under the ICCRP. The UN Human Rights Council undertakes a review of each UN member State’s implementation of their human rights obligations under all international human rights law (treaties, the UN Charter and customary law), also on a rolling/periodic basis.

UN member states and civil society organizations are able to submit information, raise issues, ask questions and make proposals for the periodic reviews of any other UN member state. If issues/questions are picked up by the Members of the Committee and Council and presented to the country under review, the country is obliged to address them.

Engaging in these human rights process for nuclear disarmament can be very effective as it brings a new dimension to the nuclear disarmament debate which cannot be easily dismissed by the nuclear weapon and allied states, and it engages a whole new community in nuclear disarmament – the human rights community, which is much larger and more influential than the nuclear abolition community.

Basel Peace Office (and our partners) have already made use of this process by lodging submissions for the periodic reviews of Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Japan Netherlands, North Korea, Russia, South Korea the United Kingdom and the United States. However, we have not had capacity to build support from UN member states to take forward nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament proposals in these submissions.

PROPOSAL 5:
Switzerland could engage in the Universal Periodic Reviews of the nuclear armed and allied states in order to question the implementation of their obligations under international human rights law to refrain from the threat or use of nuclear weapons, destroy existing stockpiles of nuclear weapons and engage in negotiations for the global elimination of nuclear weapons.


5.    UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit (2023)

The UN General Assembly will host a Sustainable Development Goals Summit in September 2023 during the High-Level period, when Heads of State and Government are present. In addition to government leaders, the Summit will bring together political and thought leaders from international organizations, private sector, civil society, women and youth and other stakeholders to carry out a comprehensive review of the state of the SDGs, respond to the impact of multiple and interlocking crises facing the world, and provide high-level political guidance on transformative and accelerated actions leading up to the 2030 deadline for achieving the SDGs.

Nuclear policies and practices subvert the achievement of the SDGs in a number of ways:
Firstly, the massive budgets and scientific/human investments in the nuclear arms race drain the resources required for sustainable development.
Secondly, the adversarial international relations created by nuclear threats between states hamper the cooperation required to address the SDGs.
Thirdly, if there is any use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict, the catastrophic humanitarian and economic consequences would reverse progress made on the SDGs and make them impossible to achieve.

PROPOSAL 6
Switzerland could raise the issues of nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament at the UN SDG Summit, and call particularly for a) reduction and nuclear weapons budgets and an end to investments in the nuclear weapons industry in order to free-up resources to help achieve the SDGs, b) inclusion of the goal of nuclear abolition in the post 2030 SDGs (2030-2045) including a commitment to the global elimination of nuclear weapons by 2045.
 

6.    UN Summit of the Future (2024 – Ministerial Meeting in 2023)

The United Nations General Assembly will hold a Summit of the Future in September 2024 (full title is Summit of the Future: Multilateral solutions for a better tomorrow) to address a range of critical issues impacting on the future, including peace, security, the climate crisis and sustainable development.

The Summit will establish a UN Envoy for Future Generations and adopt a Pact for the Future negotiated by UN Member States. In addition, the UN Secretary-General will use the occasion of the Summit of the Future to release a new Agenda for Peace, prepared through consultation with governments and civil society.

The Summit and its preparatory process (which includes a high-level Ministerial meeting in September 2023), provide unique opportunities for civil society and like-minded governments, such as Switzerland, to advance the nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament agenda. Switzerland is especially well placed to make a significant contribution as they will be serving as President of the Security Council in August 2024, the month prior to the UN Summit of the Future.

PROPOSAL 7
Switzerland could:
a)    Advance nuclear risk-reduction and disarmament as key issues in the UN Summit of the Future and the preparatory Ministerial Meeting, including to highlight that the threat and use of nuclear weapons threatens current and future generations;
b)    Call on the Pact for the Future and the new Agenda for Peace to reaffirm the illegality and unacceptability of the threat and use of nuclear weapons. and include the goal of achieving the global elimination of nuclear weapons no later than 2045, the 100th anniversary of the United Nations.



 

Share