iinternationalnternational hhumanitarianumanitarian llawaw magazine IssueIssue 2, 2 2011 nnuclearuclear wweaponseapons: a uuniquenique tthreathreat ttoo hhumanityumanit y Inside this issue Editorial status of the world’s nuclear arsenal This edition of our international humanitarian law magazine – by Tim Wright, Australian director, focuses on the most dangerous weapons of all: nuclear International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons. The disastrous effects of nuclear weapons were made Weapons (ICAN) – page 3 violently clear during the fi nal stages of the Second World War, the legal framework regulating when two atomic bombs were deployed against the cities of nuclear weapons – by John Carlson, Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since that time there has been an Visiting Fellow at the Lowy Institute, and alarming proliferation of these weapons and today they remain a counsellor to the Washington-based Nuclear uniquely destructive threat to all of humanity and the environment. Threat Initiative (NTI) on non-proliferation, The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has been at the disarmament and verifi cation issues centre of the nuclear weapons debate from the very outset. From – page 4 1945 to 2011, the Movement has consistently voiced its deep nuclear war - the environmental concerns about these weapons of mass destruction and the impacts – by Ira Helfand, emergency need for the prohibition of their use. Red Cross’ role in developing physician and past president of Physicians IHL led to the creation of the Additional Protocols to the Geneva for Social Responsibility – page 7 Conventions in 1977. Key provisions of the Additional Protocols reaffi rm and strengthen the IHL principles of distinction between nuclear weapons: a threat to combatants and civilians, and that no unnecessary suffering survival and health – by Tilman Ruff, is caused in times of war. It would be impossible to imagine Associate Professor in the Nossal Institute for Global Health, University of Melbourne circumstances in which nuclear weapons would abide by these and Australian Red Cross International principles. Medical Advisor – page 10 This year, Australian Red Cross is launching a campaign to raise nuclear weapons: use and progress awareness of the unacceptable humanitarian consequences of towards eradication – page 12 nuclear weapons and the imperative necessity of the prohibition of their use. Part of our campaign includes this magazine, blinded by the bomb: the story of which has articles detailing the humanitarian and environmental Yami Lester – page 14 consequences of nuclear weapons, the current legal framework the ICRC’s approach – by Peter Herby, surrounding their use, a personal account of an individual whose Head of the Arms Unit in the Legal Division life was forever changed by their destructive effects, and Red of the International Committee of the Red Cross’ role to date in raising awareness around the issue. I Cross – page 16 would like to sincerely thank all the contributors for their time and expertise and also note our appreciation to Mallesons for their the nuclear weapons case – by support of this magazine. Reverend Professor Michael Tate AO, former Federal Minister for Justice and Despite its overwhelming humanitarian appeal, convincing States Ambassador to the Netherlands – page 18 to prohibit nuclear weapons will not be without its challenges. In no way, however, should this dissuade us in our efforts. In an raising awareness about the era where the number of nuclear powers is growing, it is time for humanitarian consequences of the international community to ensure that nuclear weapons are nuclear weapons – by Petra Ball, made a thing of the past rather than a threat to our future. International Humanitarian Law Offi cer for Red Cross in South Australia and Chris Kwong, co-opted member of the National Youth Advisory Committee – page 20 Cover Image: Robert Tickner The Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, better Chief Executive Offi cer know today as Gembaku Australian Red Cross Domu or Atomic Bomb Dome, in Hiroshima was one of the few buildings left standing within a two kilometre radius when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city in Disclaimer: The articles contained within represent the views of the August 1945. UN Photo. authors and not necessarily those of Australian Red Cross. status offth the world’s nuclear arsenal Tim Wright is the The military doctrines for using The explosives Australian director of the nuclear weapons differ from one International Campaign country to another. China, for used in all wars to Abolish Nuclear example, has said that it would throughout human Weapons (ICAN). only be prepared to use its nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear history amount There are still at least 20,000 nuclear attack and never as a preventative weapons in the world. They have a measure, while others have to around combined destructive force equivalent expressed a willingness to use 10 Mt. The largest to approximately 150,000 Hiroshima nuclear weapons pre-emptively bombs. Around 3000 of them are against a variety of threats, including nuclear explosion maintained on launch-ready alert at chemical, biological and conventional. ever detonated, all times. A global norm has developed against Nine countries possess nuclear the testing of nuclear weapons. The in Russia on weapons. In addition, fi ve European North Korean tests in 2006 and 2009 30 October 1961, nations host nuclear weapons on their are the only critical nuclear tests to territory as part of a NATO nuclear- have taken place in the last decade. was 50 Mt in size. sharing arrangement. More than 20 However, the United States continues other countries, including Australia, to test nuclear weapons ‘sub- Ukraine – while a number of others have maintain military doctrines that rely on critically’, that is, no chain reaction abandoned programs to develop them. nuclear weapons. occurs. The last such test took place More than 140 nations have called for a treaty to outlaw and eliminate all nuclear Unlike other weapons, they derive in March 2011. weapons in a verifi able, irreversible and their explosive force from nuclear Since the end of the Cold War, four time-bound manner. fi ssion (the splitting of a large atom countries have done away with their into smaller ones) or nuclear fusion nuclear weapons – South Africa, (the fusing of two or more lighter Belarus, Kazakhstan and the atoms into a large atom). The core ingredient of a nuclear bomb Global nuclear forces in 2011 is either highly enriched uranium or No. of plutonium. The former is a naturally Country warheads occurring element, while the latter United States 8500 is a by-product of nuclear power generation. A basic nuclear weapon Russia 11,000 design uses around 15kg of uranium Britain 225 or 5kg of plutonium and has an explosive yield 20 times that of the France 300 Hiroshima bomb. China 240 Nuclear weapons can be launched India 80-110 from the ground, air or sea. Their Top: The United States’ B2 bomber can carry up Pakistan 90-110 delivery vehicles are typically to 16 nuclear bombs. US Air Force Photo. (intercontinental) ballistic missiles, Israel 80 Above: Little Boy was the name given to the nuclear heavy bombers or submarines. There North Korea <10 weapon dropped on Hiroshima. Here it is in a bomb are more than 110 bases with nuclear pit on Tinian Island before being loaded into Enola Total >20,520 weapons worldwide. Gay’s bomb bay. Photo courtesy US Government. IHL magazine 3 the legal framework regulating nuclear weapons By John Carlson – Although the imperative to eliminate monopoly on nuclear weapons and Visiting Fellow at nuclear weapons was recognised share nuclear secrets with the Soviet the Lowy Institute, at the very outset of the nuclear Union, in exchange for: and counsellor to age, currently there is no general • an agreement against developing the Washington- prohibition against the possession further nuclear weapons; or use of nuclear weapons. The based Nuclear Threat fi rst resolution of the United Nations • establishment of an inspection Initiative (NTI) on General Assembly – Resolution 1 system; and non-proliferation, of 24 January 1946 – established • punishment for violations, not disarmament and the United Nations Atomic Energy subject to Security Council veto. verifi cation issues. Commission to address ‘the problems The Soviet Union responded that the raised by the discovery of atomic United States should eliminate its energy’. The Commission was to nuclear weapons fi rst, before controls United Nations Secretary-General Ban make proposals for, inter alia, ‘the and inspections could be considered. Ki-moon urges nations to make nuclear elimination from national armaments The United States, however, insisted disarmament targets a reality during the of atomic weapons’. 2010 review conference of the on retaining nuclear weapons until Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the Commission the United States satisfi ed with the effectiveness UN Photo. presented proposals to abandon its of international control. So this fi rst attempt to eliminate nuclear International Atomic Energy Agency • 1995 Bangkok Treaty weapons failed, and relations safeguards on all their nuclear (South East Asia); between the United States and the material to verify observance of the • 1996 Pelindaba Treaty (Africa); and Soviet Union degenerated into the commitment against the further Cold War and a nuclear arms race. proliferation of nuclear weapons. • 2006 Semipalatinsk Treaty (Central Asia). Following the Soviet Union’s fi rst In 2008 the UN Secretary-General nuclear test in 1949, attention issued a Five-Point Proposal for In addition, in 1992 Mongolia declared turned to how to stop the further Nuclear Disarmament urging all NPT itself a single-State nuclear-weapon- proliferation of nuclear weapons. Parties to fulfi ll their NPT obligation free zone. These efforts eventually led to the to undertake negotiations on Nuclear arms negotiation of the Nuclear Non- effective measures leading to nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which was disarmament. He noted they could control treaties pursue this goal by agreement on opened for signature in 1968.