Urooj NazirLeaders and specialists from all over the world gathered in Oslo this week for the Nobel Peace Forum to discuss the growing threats of nuclear weapons and the deterioration of disarmament agreements. As geopolitical tensions rise, the event emphasized how urgent it is to stop a new arms race.
Keynote speakers emphasized the possible repercussions of not fortifying international non-proliferation accords, especially when developing nations update their armaments. António Guterres, the former UN secretary-general, urged a renewed dedication to arms control agreements such as New START, cautioning that failure to do so might have disastrous results.
The duties of big powers were the subject of intense debates between representatives of nuclear-armed and non-nuclear states. Larger powers stressed the need for balanced measures that take national security considerations into account, while delegates from smaller countries urged for the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
Presenting information on the humanitarian effects of nuclear explosions and promoting disarmament, civil society organisations were a major force at the meeting. Nations were urged to change their focus from deterrence to dismantlement by campaigns like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
A global ban on the development of new nuclear weapons and improved international monitoring systems were among the concrete measures that were called for at the forum’s conclusion. Notwithstanding the participants’ inability to agree, the gathering was an important step in promoting discussion on one of the most important security issues facing the globe.
