1991 World Congress

Stockholm Declaration

IPPNW Tenth World Congress
Stockholm, Sweden ­ 30 June 1991

From Stockholm, host city for its 10th World Congress, IPPNW affirms its principal mission ­ the prevention of nuclear war ­ and to that end maintains its commitment to the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.

In spite of recent dramatic reduction in East-West confrontation, and modest reductions in nuclear arsenals, the nuclear threat is still acute. Huge nuclear arsenals remain. The testing and development of more refined and more sophisticated nuclear weapons continues. Regional conflicts invite nuclear powers to deploy their nuclear weapons, battle-ready. The inexcusable failure to achieve a comprehensive test ban encourages the spread of nuclear weapons and threatens the Non-Proliferation Treaty. IPPNW will seek dialogue with nuclear weapons decision makers, and will continue to demand an immediate and complete ban on all nuclear explosions.

In 1980, when IPPNW was founded, the chasm between the world's two largest powers was deep, and the threat of nuclear war omnipresent. As physicians, we focused first on the most acute symptoms of a fractured planet, sounding the alarm that humankind was perched on the edge of a terrible disaster.

During the Gulf War, more than 1,000 nuclear weapons were brought to the region, and their use was seriously considered. In today's world any regional conflict threatens to spark nuclear war. The lesson of the Gulf War is that in order to fulfill our mission ­ the prevention of nuclear war ­ we must also work for the prevention of war. Non-violent measures for the resolution of conflict must be sought and actively promoted.

As a federation we stand apart from narrow national self-interest to side only with the victims of war. Our moral and humanitarian commitment transcends national borders.

At this Congress, through delegates from the Developing World, we have been made aware of new voices of frustration, distress and despair which plead for the patient attention and compassionate response which is the hallmark of the caring physician. As a specific contribution, IPPNW initiated SatelLife, a project designed to improve the flow of medical information especially in the Developing World. SatelLife will soon launch its own satellite to link physicians around the world in continuing and immediate exchange of practical information for the betterment of human health.

The impact on our fragile planet of war and preparations for war has been overlooked by many. There are countless ways in which war and militarism wreak their havoc, from the enormous consumption of fossil fuels by military equipment to the deliberate destruction of crops, forests or oil wells. IPPNW intends to bring these issues to the attention of the United Nations Conference on the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. More than two years ago, IPPNW created a Global Commission to investigate the health and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons production and testing. The Commission's first report, Radioactive Heaven and Earth, provides essential information about the environmental threat posed by the arms race, war and militarism.

In Stockholm, we have charted a new era in the history of our organization. We moved to a future more committed than ever to confront militarism and its insidious effects on human health and the environment, and, in so doing, redouble our efforts to prevent nuclear war.