Hiroshima Anniversary: “Nuclear Weapons Do Not Offer Security. It Is High Time to Dispense With This Myth”
AUSTRIA, August 4 - Foreign Minister Schallenberg demands tangible progress towards nuclear disarmament
On the occasion of the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg is once again calling for nuclear disarmament.
The Hibakusha – the victims and survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – vividly remind us of the devastating risks and inhuman effects of nuclear weapons. Nuclear threats are not a thing of the past – they still, and especially today, remain a real danger for all of humanity,
emphasises Foreign Minister Schallenberg.
We have not been this close to escalation since the Cold War. Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has been accompanied by overt threats to use nuclear weapons. This is a clear violation of the UN charter, which is completely irresponsible and absolutely unacceptable. The current situation in particular shows that nuclear weapons do not offer any security and put us all in danger. It is high time to dispense with the myth that constant threats to use weapons of mass destruction can be a stable foundation for international security.
Austria is taking a leading role in advancing nuclear disarmament and reinforcing international law. It is one of the states that helped drive forward the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), and continues to support it. The treaty, which came into force in 2021, represents the first prohibition under international law on the possession, use, and threat to use nuclear weapons. Similar laws already exist for biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction.
The TPNW sets a new standard against the logic of nuclear deterrence that the nuclear powers are continuing to pursue, and it shows that most states do not accept this logic. Consequently, the treaty must be the beginning of the end for these destructive and dangerous weapons,
said Foreign Minister Schallenberg.
The priorities are equally clear for the 10th Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference, which began on 1 August in New York. Austria is advocating that the existing commitments to disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons be fulfilled and strengthened. The TPNW signatories are taking an essential step towards implementing the NPT disarmament and non-proliferation directives. Hence, the TPNW supports and strengthens the NPT.
Particularly now, in such a dangerous security environment, this remains a central political priority for Austria. The international regime for disarmament must base its work on scientific findings regarding the catastrophic humanitarian impact and unacceptable risks of nuclear weapons. We are strengthening this regime and showing how urgent it is to make progress towards nuclear disarmament, especially at this time. The TPNW offers a substantial contribution from the majority of states, which clearly reject a new nuclear arms race,
concluded Schallenberg.
