If just one of the world's 19,000 nuclear weapons were detonated, be it intentionally or accidentally, not only would it kill thousands of people instantly, but, as the International Committee of the Red Cross has concluded, first responders would be unable to provide the emergency relief so urgently needed. This makes the continued existence and deployment of nuclear weapons one of the most serious humanitarian challenges of our time.
To demonstrate that a treaty banning nuclear weapons is both possible and urgently needed, ICAN will host a Civil Society Forum on 2–3 March 2013. We have invited hundreds of people from all corners of the world to give inspiring speeches, informative workshops, engage in lively discussions and, of course, to have fun.
On 4–5 March 2013, the government of Norway will host an international conference on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. That conference should see greater recognition that the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapon use would be unacceptable, and we hope it will inspire states to begin the work of outlawing these weapons.
The Conference on humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons hosted by Norway will be held at an expert level and is not open to the public. The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) will coordinate the civil society participation at the Conference.
For more information, please write to [email protected]