Nuclear weapons policy is controlled by a small group of powerful nations, policy elites and private contractors. 

But the costs are paid by everyone else, through reduced public services, militarised societies, and the silencing of marginalised groups and civil movements.

Global voices missing

Many countries without nuclear weapons are advocating for disarmament, but nuclear states refuse to listen. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has been signed by 94 countries, yet nuclear states have failed to engage with the process.

Colonial legacies

The debate on nuclear weapons is closely tied to the pernicious legacy of colonialism and global economic and racial inequalities in shaping the nuclear order, from the historical testing of nuclear weapons on areas inhabited by Indigenous and colonised populations, to the two-tier system of nuclear haves and have-nots established under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Women and young people sidelined in nuclear policy

Women remain underrepresented in nuclear diplomacy and policymaking, despite the proven benefits of gender-inclusive negotiations. All heads of nuclear states are men and half of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conferences have no women delegates at all. Similarly, young people are inheriting the nuclear threat but there are few avenues available for them to contribute to decision-making.  

Public opinion ignored

Despite popular support for nuclear disarmament in most nuclear states and aligned countries, nuclear policy is rarely a contested issue during elections. When it is discussed, debate is often framed around candidates' willingness to use these weapons of mass destruction, rather than reducing the risks the create.

History proves that when the public, activists and civil society work together we can push leaders to change course.