Two years ago today, the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force. To mark the occasion, doctors from IPPNW Europe today issued a joint statement on the current threat of nuclear war. At the end of their meeting in Hamburg, the doctors from all over Europe call on the nuclear weapon states to fulfill their disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to dismantle their nuclear arsenals and to clear the way for the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

"We acclaim all states that have signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Most of them are located outside Europe. Therefore, we call on all European countries to follow the progressive example of these states and sign and ratify the GCT without further delay," the statement said.

The nuclear powers would have to take their nuclear weapons off heightened alert immediately to minimize the risk of nuclear war. Military actions on the European continent would have to be stopped immediately and diplomatic solutions would have to be sought. To this end, it is essential to implement joint international security structures.
 
The European physicians also reaffirmed their decades-long commitment within the worldwide IPPNW movement to work together as physicians and health professionals across all borders to prevent nuclear war and its consequences for the health of people around the world and thereby achieve a peaceful Europe and a peaceful world.
 
It goes on to say, "We reject the concept of nuclear deterrence because it exposes civil societies to an unacceptable risk of nuclear annihilation - whether by accident or by malicious political will." With the Hamburg Declaration, the European Section of IPPNW, would like to encourage physicians* and health professionals to join the global IPPNW movement in its commitment to end the nuclear weapons age.
 
The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons prohibits the development, production, possession, deployment and transfer of nuclear weapons, as well as the use and threat of weapons of mass destruction. A majority of the international community supports the treaty. Nearly 70 countries have already signed it. To mark the anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, protest actions are taking place across Germany today.

Further information:
The original version of the Hamburg Declaration can be found here: ippnw.de/commonFiles/pdfs/Atomwaffen/20230122_Hamburg_Declaration_AVV.pdf.

Information about the Germany-wide actions: nuclearban.de

Photos of the European Congress and the action in Hamburg: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ippnw/albums/72177720305393285

Video report from euronews.: https://www.euronews.com/video/2023/01/23/demonstrators-gathered-in-hamburg-against-threat-of-nuclear-confrontation-in-ukraine


Contact:
Lara-Marie Krauße, IPPNW press officer, Tel. 030 / 69 80 74 15, Email: krausse@ippnw.de

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