Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies I am honored to address you on the occasion of the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
As long as these weapons exist, this day reminds us that humanity continues to live under the shadow of nuclear warfare and its immense suffering and humanitarian consequences. Yet this sword of Damocles is our own creation —and it is within our power to eliminate it, once and for all.
In August this year, the world marked the 80th somber anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – cities reduced to ash in seconds, and tens of thousands perishing instantly. Eight decades later, the gruesome impact on the lives and health of millions is still a present reality. To this day, the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital and Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital and its equivalent in Nagasaki continue to treat survivors of radiation-related illnesses. That this devastation, witnessed by the Japanese Red Cross Society and the ICRC, could be tragically repeated today is unconscionable.
Excellencies,
No State or international organization could mount a humanitarian response capable of adequately addressing the catastrophic aftermath if a similar nuclear weapon were used today in or near a populated area. The detonation of a single high-yield bomb, or the use of multiple smaller bombs, would have even more far-reaching humanitarian impacts. The effects would be felt across human health, the environment, climate, food production, and socio-economic development, leaving irreversible harm for generations.
But this future is not inevitable. Existing international treaties chart a pathway to remove this threat. What is needed is the full commitment of States to turn these agreements into action.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) offers a straight avenue to the total elimination of these horrendous weapons. With 73 States parties and 25 additional signatories, more than half of the world’s States have already chosen this course. We continue to urge all other States that have not yet done so to join the TPNW without delay. We also urge States to sign and ratify the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the regional treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones. Together, they are all part of the broader nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation framework.
In parallel, all States must work hard to achieve meaningful results at the 11th Review Conference of the NPT, to be held in 2026. In an era of heightened geopolitical tensions globally, the importance of multilateral collaboration has never been greater. The 2010 NPT Action Plan commitments remain a solid basis for all States to advance their treaty obligations, including those on nuclear disarmament. States with nuclear weapons bear a particular responsibility to pursue concrete, transparent, and irreversible steps towards the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals, while their allies should diminish reliance on nuclear deterrence in their security doctrines and thereby contribute to creating the necessary conditions for sustained nuclear disarmament progress.
There is an urgent need to reverse the alarming trends of rising nuclear rhetoric and expansion programs. Humanity must not allow this course to continue. The choice is ours. The future is not written. Together, we can ensure that the shadow of nuclear weapons never darkens our world again.
Thank you.
