Disarmament in Review
On 9 October, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, together with the Permanent Missions of Ireland and New Zealand, as well as Princeton University, held a side event of the General Assembly’s First Committee to consider the role of the scientific community in understanding the impacts of nuclear war.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Noel White of Ireland emphasized the need for a comprehensive and full appreciation of the impact of nuclear war, and that the scientific community has a key role to play in this regard.
High Representative Nakamitsu’s remarks underscored the role that scientists have historically played in strengthening the knowledge base regarding and raising awareness about the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons. She recalled that the most recent General Assembly-mandated study on the climatic and other global effects of nuclear war was published 35 years ago. Since this time, major advances have been made in climatic and scientific modeling, which will be to the benefit of a new study on the impacts of nuclear war.
Zia Mian of the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton University provided a historical overview of the study of nuclear war impacts and the role of the scientific community. Neta Crawford of Oxford University outlined the implications of such studies for nuclear weapons policies. Lili Xia of Rutgers University showcased recent research on the impacts of nuclear war on global food security. Finally, Sebastien Philippe of the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton University presented various models based on hypothetical nuclear attacks and the radiological consequences of nuclear war.
During the Q&A session, the panelists discussed the critical components that a new study on the impact of nuclear war could address. These included the environmental, ecological and socio-economic consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, the impact nuclear war on international trade and governance and the relationship between nuclear and conventional deterrence. Ambassador Lucy Duncan of New Zealand provided concluding remarks.
