Background
Nuclear weapons pose an existential threat to humanity, capable of causing catastrophic destruction on a scale unimaginable in any other form of warfare. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 resulted in immediate mass casualties, long-term radiation effects, and intergenerational health impacts. Beyond these historical cases, nuclear testing has caused widespread environmental contamination and disproportionately affected marginalized communities, indigenous populations, and the Global South.
Despite commitments to non-proliferation and disarmament, nuclear-armed states continue to modernize their arsenals, perpetuating an arms race and undermining progress toward a nuclear-free world. The continued existence of these weapons contradicts fundamental principles of the shared flourishing rooted in the understanding of interconnectedness among all beings and the reverence of the sanctity of life, environmental sustainability including the international law. Nuclear weapons not only pose direct risks to human life but also cause irreversible ecological harm, destabilizing ecosystems and undermining sustainable development.
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), which entered into force in 2021, is a landmark legal instrument that categorically prohibits nuclear weapons. It builds on and complements the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). However, major nuclear-armed states and their allies have yet to join, necessitating further efforts to universalize and strengthen the norm against nuclear weapons. With 94 state parties and 73 signatories, continued advocacy is needed to increase adherence and stigmatize nuclear weapons as illegitimate under international law.
Faith-based advocacy plays a critical role in advancing nuclear disarmament. Religious teachings emphasize the sanctity of life, justice, and the protection of creation, principles fundamentally incompatible with weapons of mass destruction. By supporting the TPNW, faith communities contribute to global efforts to delegitimize nuclear weapons and promote a security paradigm grounded in human dignity and collective well-being.