Preventing
Nuclear Catastrophe: Where Do We Go From Here?
By
Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA Director General and 2005 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
From
IAEA.ORG
International Conference on the Prevention of Nuclear Catastrophe
May
24, 2007, Luxembourg
Below is an exerpt from Dr.
ElBaradei's concluding statement, in which he mentions IPPNW's ICAN launch. Click
here for the full text.
Exerpt from "Conclusion:
A New Security Paradigm"
It is therefore clear that a security strategy
rooted in "Us versus Them" is no longer sustainable. Every country,
irrespective of its ideology or orientation, will do what it takes to feel secure,
including through seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. This is the stark reality,
moral equivalence aside. What makes this more dangerous is that, in an era of
globalization and interdependence, the insecurity of some will inevitably lead
to the insecurity of all. The solution, therefore, in my view, lies in creating
an environment in which nuclear weapons are universally banned, morally abhorred,
and their futility unmasked.
The prospects for progress in preventing nuclear
catastrophe will remain grim unless we begin working on a new security paradigm.
A security paradigm in which no country relies on nuclear weapons for its security.
A system with effective mechanisms for resolving conflicts. A system in which
longstanding regional tensions, like those in the Middle East, are given the priority
and attention they deserve. A system that is equitable, inclusive and effective.
Last
month, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear
Weapons was launched in Melbourne, Australia. The campaign calls for a Nuclear
Weapons Convention - a convention to outlaw nuclear weapons worldwide, much like
the conventions on biological and chemical weapons.
In July 1996, the International
Court of Justice (ICJ) declared that "the threat or use of nuclear weapons
would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed
conflict, and in particular the principles and rules of humanitarian law."
As
with the convention on anti-personnel landmines, public involvement could provide
the momentum to make the Nuclear Weapons Convention a reality. Christopher Weeramantry,
a former judge of the International Court of Justice who took part in its landmark
1996 advisory opinion on nuclear weapons, has written that, "if we want more
than the kind of snail’s pace action of the past 50 years, we need a public
campaign worldwide that is vocal enough to force swift action".
We
are at a crucial juncture. The system is faltering. We need serious commitments
on nuclear disarmament, with clear milestones and accountability. We need an effective
approach for dealing with proliferation threats. We need to develop a multinational
approach to the nuclear fuel cycle. We need a universally robust verification
system. We need an effective system for the security of nuclear material. And
above all, we need to start serious work towards a new collective security paradigm.
If we want to prevent a nuclear catastrophe, the deadline for action is now.