On 5 March, the world marks the International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, a day to confront one of the greatest threats to humanity: the continued existence and expansion of nuclear weapons. This year, the urgency could not be clearer.
Just weeks ago, the Doomsday Clock—a chilling measure of how close humanity is to catastrophe—was moved to 89 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been. This is not a relic of Cold War paranoia; it is a stark warning that nuclear annihilation remains a real and growing danger. The world stands at a perilous crossroads, where geopolitical tensions, modernisation of nuclear arsenals, and reckless rhetoric increase the risk of a devastating conflict.
Nuclear weapons are often framed as necessary for national security, but history tells a different story. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 nearly led to global nuclear war. There have been dozens of documented incidents where human error or technical failure almost triggered catastrophe. The belief that peace can be maintained through the perpetual threat of destruction is not only dangerous but inherently unstable. A single detonation—whether by design, miscalculation, or accident—could kill millions, poison entire ecosystems, and alter the planet’s climate, leading to mass starvation and economic collapse.
Meanwhile, vast sums of money continue to be funnelled into nuclear weapons programmes, diverting resources from urgent human needs. While millions lack access to healthcare, education, and housing, governments spend billions maintaining and modernising their arsenals. The arms race never truly ended; it merely evolved, with nations developing more advanced and deadly weapons while global inequalities deepen. The cost of war is always paid by ordinary people, yet the machinery of destruction expands unchecked.
The recent shift of the Doomsday Clock is a warning that must not be ignored. Diplomacy, disarmament, and international cooperation are not lofty ideals but essential steps for survival. The world needs verifiable, irreversible commitments to nuclear disarmament—not empty rhetoric or symbolic reductions. Governments must be held accountable, and the outdated logic of deterrence must be challenged. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) provides a concrete path forward, but it remains ignored by the very nation’s most responsible for nuclear escalation. More countries must ratify it, and nuclear-armed states must be pressured to engage with its principles.
Disarmament will not happen overnight, but it will also not happen unless people demand it. Public pressure has repeatedly shifted the course of history, from the civil rights movement to the end of apartheid. The same must happen with nuclear weapons. This is not just an issue for policymakers or diplomats—it is a matter of human survival.
This International Day for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Awareness, let the Doomsday Clock be more than a symbol of despair. Let it be a call to action. The countdown to catastrophe is real, but it is not inevitable. A world free of nuclear weapons is not just possible—it is essential.
The future of humanity depends on it.
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