NUCLEAR disarmament campaign group International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has won the Nobel Peace Prize this year for its efforts to rid the world of the atomic bomb. More than 70 years since atomic bombs were first used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Nobel committee sought to emphasize ICAN’s tireless non-proliferation efforts as nuclear-related crises circulate around North Korea and Iran. The announcement came at such a tense moment when we are on the verge of a war. The decision sent a strong message when President Trump has threatened to tear up a 2015 deal curbing Iran’s nuclear abilities. And the US President last month alarmed delegates at the UN General Assembly by warning that he may be forced to “totally destroy” North Korea because of its atomic weapons programme.
Founded in Vienna in 2007, ICAN comprises of more than 400 NGOs and has mobilized public supporters in its cause. It was a key player in the adoption of a historic nuclear weapons ban treaty, signed at the UN by 122 countries in July. But the major concern is none of the nine known world nuclear powers put their names down. The USA, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea are all thought to possess Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). But after Trump’s speech over North Korea and Iran, tension increased of a nuclear warfare.
Although the total number of nuclear weapon has been reduced over the years, from around 64000 in 1986 to little more than 9000 in 2017, but the number of nuclear-armed nations has grown.
The award was given at a time when a global nuclear deal with Iran is under increasing pressure from Trump. The agreement in 2015 between Iran and World powers considerably limited Tehran’s nuclear enrichment capability in return of lifting of punishing economic sanctions. Iran denies ever pursuing a bomb, insisting its nuclear programme is for peaceful energy production only. But Trump has criticized Iran’s behaviour, telling military leaders in Washington that Tehran has “not lived up to the spirit of the agreement”. Tensions have also roused between the US and North Korea, which has test-fired two missiles over Japan and conducted a string of apparent underground nuclear tests this year.
The attempt of ICAN is definitely praiseworthy but doubt arises whether they can assure complete disarmament of nuclear weapons? Many warlike nations are now thinking of launching their own nuclear weapons programme. It is true that the world is now living under a threat of nuclear attack. Even then let us hope ICAN, winning the Nobel for Peace, would STEP up its efforts to convince the World leaders and the entire human race that it is simply foolishness for War Lords to engage in such a war which is basically self-destructive for the mankind.
