Summary
Is it time to banish nuclear weapons? For six days in June 2022 in Vienna, as their threatened use in the war in Ukraine has permeated public concern, delegates from around the world will address nuclear dangers and risks, and rally behind a year-old UN treaty calling for their prohibition.
The central events of this week are the 2022 Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons – providing an accounting of the consequences were they put to use – on 20 June, and the the first Meeting of States Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) called by the UN Secretary-General, hosted by Austria from 21 to 23 June. Preceding these events is a civil society conference, the Nuclear Ban Forum, organized by ICAN on 18 and 19 June.
Atomic Reporters is organizing an international team of young citizen journalists to cover the events and share from their point of view more knowledge about nuclear dangers and why measures to curb them are failing. This series of events is going to be supported by different social media campaigns.
Meet our team and stay tuned for more!
Timeline of Events
18 – 19 June | ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum
20 – 21 June | Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapon
21 – 23 June | TPNW Meeting of States Parties
Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons
The Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons (HINW22Vienna) will take place on 20 June 2022 in the Austria Center Vienna. The conference will bring together state representatives, international organizations, the scientific community, survivors and civil society to discuss and explore established and new research on the humanitarian consequences and risks of nuclear weapons.
Building on the Conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in Oslo (March 2013), Nayarit (February 2014) and Vienna (December 2014), the HINW22Vienna will provide an overview of their findings and discussions, and provide additional insight and new research conducted since. The aim is to further advance the common factual and scientific foundation for the global discussion on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Learn more about this event here.
TPNW Meeting of States Parties
The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force on 22 January 2021. Article 8, paragraph 2, of the Treaty specifies that “the first meeting of States Parties shall be convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations within one year of the entry into force of this Treaty.”
Originally scheduled to be held in January 2022, States Parties subsequently decided to hold the Meeting from 21 to 23 June 2022 at the Austria Center Vienna. On 4 April 2022, the Secretary-General of the United Nations circulated a Note Verbale convening the Meeting of States Parties and inviting States not party to the TPNW to attend the Meeting as observers (available in English, Français & Español).
Learn more about this event here.
ICAN Nuclear Ban Forum
Kicking off the Nuclear Ban Week in Vienna, ICAN is holding its Nuclear Ban Forum on 18 and 19 of June 2022.
Learn more about this event here.