International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons observed

26 September: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons

International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was observed on 26 September 2016. The Day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a high priority.

It also provides an opportunity to educate the public—and their leaders—about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons, and the social and economic costs of perpetuating them.

Present scenario of Nuclear Weapons

As per a report of United Nations, some 15000 nuclear weapons are available in the world. Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half of the world’s population still lives in countries that either have such weapons or are members of nuclear alliances.

As of 2016, while there have been major reductions in deployed nuclear weapons since the height of the Cold War, not one nuclear warhead has been physically destroyed pursuant to a treaty, bilateral or multilateral, and no nuclear disarmament negotiations are underway. 

Meanwhile, the doctrine of nuclear deterrence persists as an element in the security policies of all possessor states and their nuclear allies. This is so—despite growing concerns worldwide over the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the use of even a single nuclear weapon, let alone a regional or global nuclear war.

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