A generation after the end of the Cold War has not brought about the end to nuclear weapons. There are still more than 23,000 nuclear weapons in the world. These deadly weapons are officially possessed by five countries- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Of these, Russia and the United States have more than 90% of all the nuclear weapons in the world. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea also have nuclear arsenals. The world still lives under the threat of nuclear weapons. IKV Pax Christi considers continued reliance on the threat of nuclear destruction of human life morally unacceptable.
A world free of nuclear weapons is a question of political will. President Obama’s Prague speech in April 2009, where he pledged "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons" put nuclear disarmament back on the political agenda. With the signing of the START treaty between the US and Russia, and upcoming international discussions on strengthening international law around nuclear weapons, the time to build political will for a nuclear weapons free world is at hand.
Nukes, what about them?
What's the problem with nuclear weapons? Is it legal to use them? Is it legal to have them? And why are they still around? You will find the answers to these questions in our booklet 'Nukes, what about them?'.
Download the booklet here or send us an e-mail to order copies.
Newsletter 'What's new in nukes'
No Nukes' e-mail newsletter 'What's new in nukes' comes out four times a year. Would you like to subscribe? Please do so by filling in your name and e-mail:
Fact sheet about tactical nuclear weapons in Europe
To foster a well-informed discussion about US tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, IKV Pax Christi has
published a fact sheet about tactical nuclear weapons in Europe. This factsheet contains information
about the history of these weapons, which are based in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Italy and
Turkey. It also elaborates on the amount of weapons, the discussion in these five countries about
tactical weapons and the opportunities for disarmament in the future.
themoral rejection of nuclear weapons that the peace movement has maintained for decades, offers
an analysis of opportunities and issued a call that is the core of our campaign against nuclear weapons.
Nuclear weapons: What's the problem?
Appeal
Now is the time for action! We support the international call for nuclear disarmament and call upon our government:
to declare officially that it supports the call for a nuclear-weapons-free world by 2020
to express its support for a Europe free of nuclear weapons by 2015 at the latest
to terminate the Dutch air force's nuclear weapon related tasks.
Read the full text of the appeal here. For provisional translations of the appeal in 32 different languages, click here.
In due time, this appeal will be presented to the Dutch government.
Q&A on nuclear weapons
More on nuclear weapons in 17 questions and answers. Read on.
NPT Review Conference 2010
IKV Pax Christi has worked diligently to ensure a balanced outcome for the 2010 NPT Review Conference. In preparation of the conference IKV Pax Christi had written this recommendations paper. In it, you will find our recommendations for the three NPT pillars- disarmament, non proliferation and peaceful uses- as well as our recommendations towards a weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East, strengthening the NPT, and engaging with civil society. You can read about the outcomes of the NPT conference in this analysis paper. You can also read our paper with the analysis of the outcome of our recommendations.
Read on about nuclear disarmament in our online catalogueof articles, studies, speeches and other documents related to the topic.
