NUCLEAR WEAPONS MUST BE TOTALLY & URGENTLY BANNED

September 26 is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a day for all nations to confront a sobering truth: nuclear weapons are ticking time bombs in our midst, and there are strong reasons to ban them.

Nuclear weapons are not just tools of war; they are instruments of annihilation. Designed for mass death, they indiscriminately kill civilians, destroy ecosystems, and leave radioactive legacies that last centuries. Their use cannot be justified.

In August 1945, hundreds of thousands of people were killed when the US detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It marked the dawn of the nuclear age, a moment when humanity gained the power to destroy itself. This threat is still present, in fact more than ever today. Nuclear weapons have come close to being used again more than a dozen times since the US first used them 80 years ago.

Current statistics on nuclear weapons paint a sobering picture of global security and underscore the urgent need for disarmament. Nine countries – the US, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israel – now collectively possess over 12,000 nuclear warheads, many on high alert. Over 80% of warheads are held by Russia and the US. The warheads on just one US nuclear-armed submarine have seven times the destructive power of all the bombs dropped during World War II, including the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan.

These weapons pose a grave threat to humanity. A single detonation – accidental or intentional – could trigger mass casualties, environmental devastation, and irreversible climate effects. But instead of being reduced or eliminated, nuclear weapons continue to proliferate. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported in June 2025 that the world’s nuclear arsenals are being enlarged and upgraded – the nine nuclear-armed states continued intensive nuclear modernisation programmes in 2024, upgrading existing weapons and adding newer versions.

This dangerous new nuclear arms race is emerging at a time when arms control regimes are severely weakened. A global legal framework for a nuclear-free future exists but it lacks the teeth and political will to make disarmament a reality.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which came into force in 1970, is one of the most widely adopted arms control agreements in history. Signed by 191 countries, it is a landmark international treaty aimed at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons (non-proliferation), advancing nuclear disarmament, and promoting peaceful uses of nuclear energy. But nuclear armed states like China, Russia and the US, that signed the treaty are failing on their commitment to disarm. Instead, they continue to fund, modernise and expand nuclear arsenals. In 2024 alone, global nuclear weapons spending exceeded $90 billion – money that went to perfecting the art of destruction.

In 2017, the United Nations (UN) adopted another treaty, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), that comprehensively bans nuclear weapons, prohibiting their development, production, testing, use, and stockpiling. Championed by non-nuclear states and civil society, the TPNW aims to make nuclear weapons illegal under international law and contributes to a norm that they are unacceptable. But the treaty lacks bite as the five original nuclear weapons states – the US, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom – refused to sign.

There are fears that nuclear proliferation is likely to increase rapidly across Europe and Asia as more countries may want to go nuclear. Countries like South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia are so-called nuclear latent states that could potentially build nuclear weapons quickly – as are Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, says a Foreign Policy report.

Blindly continuing on the current path is a form of madness. In a world increasingly defined by geopolitical tension, environmental fragility, and humanitarian crises, the continued existence of nuclear weapons poses an existential threat that can no longer be ignored. Nuclear war is now a looming global concern. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, the risk of nuclear weapons being used is the highest it has ever been since the Cold War. The UN itself has publicly stated that nuclear war is possible, especially given recent developments in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

British author Mark Lynas, who has spent two decades pushing for action on climate emissions, now says that nuclear war is an even greater threat to humanity than the climate crisis. Further raising the nuclear risk levels are advancing technologies, like artificial intelligence (AI) which can dangerously automate the command and control of nuclear weapons.

The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic timepiece adopted by atomic scientists, showing how close we are to ‘destroying our world with dangerous technologies of our own making’. It is a universally recognised indicator of the world’s vulnerability to global catastrophe caused by nuclear weapons, bioweapons, climate change, infectious disease, and AI. The closer it moves to midnight, the closer humanity is to the end of the world. The Clock is now 89 seconds to midnight.

A nuclear war would lead to incalculable human suffering, with catastrophic repercussions for all nations, more so as we live in an increasingly interconnected world that is vulnerable to cascading crises. The consequences include mass casualties from the initial blasts and subsequent radioactive fallout, widespread global famine due to climate disruption and agricultural collapse, collapse of social and economic systems, and potential environmental disasters like ocean and marine current disruption.

The UN and all its member states, especially the nuclear states, have the prime responsibility to pull the world back from the brink. The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls on the UN to take immediate action to eliminate nuclear weapons as was conceived in the NPT. We urge the Malaysian government to speak up on the matter and urge the UN to implement the NPT’s original aim of eliminating all nuclear weapons.

World leaders should seriously commence good-faith discussions about current nuclear threats. There is a dire need to reinvigorate global diplomacy and create new forums that include emerging nuclear powers like India, Pakistan and China – not just legacy players.

Civil society must put pressure on political leaders to prioritise nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation. Individuals must raise their voices – through education, activism, and voting – for leaders who prioritise peace over power.

Today is not a day of celebration, it’s a day for us to envision a world where security is rooted in diplomacy, justice, and shared survival. A day that reminds us that nuclear weapons – the most dangerous weapons on earth – must be totally banned without delay.

Mohideen Abdul Kader
President
Consumers Association of Penang

Letter to the Editor,  26 September 2025