Courtesy: ICAN

Humanitarian Pledge

In light of the important facts and findings that have been presented at the international conferences in Oslo, Nayarit and Vienna, and after careful consideration of the evidence,We, the States supporting and/or endorsing this pledge, have come to the fol lowing inescapable conclusions and make the subsequent pledge to take them forward with interested parties in available fora, including in the context of the NPT and its 2015 Review Conference:

Mindful of the unacceptable harm that victims of nuclear weapons explosions and nuclear testing have experienced and recognising that that the rights and needs of victims have not yet been adequately addressed,

Understanding that the immediate, mid- and long- term consequences of a nuclear weapon explosion are significantly graver than it was understood in the past and will not be constrained by national borders but have regional or even global effects, potentially threatening the survival of humanity,

Recognizing the complexity of and interrelationship between these consequences on health, environment, infrastructure, food security, climate, development, social cohesion and the global economy that are systemic and potentially irreversible,

Aware that the risk of a nuclear weapon explosion is significantly greater than previously assumed and is indeed increasing with increased proliferation, the lowering of the technical threshold for nuclear weapon capability, the ongoing modernisation of nuclear weapon arsenals in nuclear weapon possessing states, and the role that is attributed to nuclear weapons in the nuclear doctrines of possessor states,

Cognisant of the fact that the risk of nuclear weapons use with their unacceptable consequences can only be avoided when all nuclear weapons have been eliminated, Emphasizing that the consequences of a nuclear weapon explosion and the risks associated with nuclear weapons concern the security of all humanity and that all states share the responsibility to prevent any use of nuclear weapons,

Emphasizing that the scope of consequences of a nuclear weapon explosion and risks associated raise profound moral and ethical questions that go beyond debates about the legality of nuclear weapons,

Mindful that no national or international response capacity exists that would adequately respond to the human suffering and humanitarian harm that would result from a nuclear weapon explosion in a populated area, and that such capacity most likely will never exist,

Affirming that it is in the interest of the very survival of humanity that nuclear weapons are never used again, under any circumstances,

Reiterating the crucial role that international organisations, relevant UN entities, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, elected representatives, academia and civil society play for advancing the shared objective of a nuclear weapon free world,

We regard it as our responsibility and consequently pledge to present the facts -based discussions, findings and compelling evidence of the Vienna Conference, which builds upon the previous conferences in Oslo and Nayarit, to all relevant fora, in particular the NPT Review Conference 2015 and in the UN framework, as they should be at the centre of all deliberations, obligations and commitments with regard to nuclear disarmament,

We pledge to follow the imperative of human security for all and to promote the protection of civilians against risks stemming from nuclear weapons,

We call on all states parties to the NPT to renew their commitment to the urgent and full implementation of existing obligations under Article VI, and to this end, to identify and pursue effective measures to fill the legal gap for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons and
we pledge to cooperate with all stakeholders to achieve this goal,

We call on all nuclear weapons possessor states to take concrete interim measures to reduce the risk of nuclear weapon detonations, including reducing the operational status of nuclear weapons and moving nuclear weapons away from deployment into storage, diminishing the role of nuclear weapons in military doctrines and rapid reductions of all types of nuclear weapons,

We pledge to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders, States, international organisations, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements, parliamentarians and civil society, in efforts to stigmatise, prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons in light of their unacceptable humanitarian consequences and associated risks.

List of signatory countries:

  1. Afghanistan
  2. Andorra
  3. Angola
  4. Antigua and Barbuda
  5. Argentina
  6. Austria
  7. Bahamas
  8. Bahrain
  9. Barbados
  10. Belize
  11. Benin
  12. Bolivia
  13. Botswana
  14. Brazil
  15. Brunei
  16. Burundi
  17. Cabo Verde
  18. Central African Republic
  19. Chad
  20. Chile
  21. Colombia
  22. Congo
  23. Cook Islands
  24. Costa Rica
  25. Côte d’Ivoire
  26. Cuba
  27. Cyprus
  28. Djibouti
  29. Dominica
  30. Dominican Republic
  31. Ecuador
  32. Egypt
  33. El Salvador
  34. Eritrea
  35. Ethiopia
  36. Fiji
  37. Grenada
  38. Guatemala
  39. Guinea-Bissau
  40. Guyana
  41. Haiti
  42. Honduras
  43. Indonesia
  44. Iran
  45. Iraq
  46. Ireland
  47. Jamaica
  48. Jordan
  49. Kenya
  50. Kiribati
  51. Kuwait
  52. Lebanon
  53. Lesotho
  54. Liberia
  55. Libya
  56. Liechtenstein
  57. Macedonia
  58. Madagascar
  59. Malawi
  60. Malaysia
  61. Malta
  62. Marshall Islands
  63. Mauritius
  64. Mexico
  65. Nicaragua
  66. Nigeria
  67. Niue
  68. Palau
  69. Palestine
  70. Panama
  71. Papua New Guinea
  72. Paraguay
  73. Peru
  74. Philippines
  75. Qatar
  76. St. Kitts and Nevis
  77. St. Lucia
  78. St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  79. Samoa
  80. São Tomé and Príncipe
  81. San Marino
  82. Saudi Arabia
  83. Senegal
  84. Serbia
  85. Seychelles
  86. Sierra Leone
  87. Singapore
  88. Somalia
  89. South Africa
  90. Sri Lanka
  91. Suriname
  92. Swaziland
  93. Tajikistan
  94. Thailand
  95. Timor-Leste
  96. Togo
  97. Trinidad and Tobago
  98. Tunisia
  99. Tuvalu
  100. Uganda
  101. United Arab Emirates
  102. Uruguay
  103. Vanuatu
  104. Venezuela
  105. Viet Nam
  106. Yemen
  107. Zambia
  108. Zimbabwe
(Last updated 1 June 2015)