Africa's role in mitigating the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons

The roundtable examined how African states could prepare for the multilateral conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in Vienna in December 2014.

Date: 2014-11-26

Venue: Conference room , ISS Pretoria

This roundtable focused on the potential role of African states in mitigating the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons. It drew participants’ attention to the recent humanitarian initiative – a global movement that has once again placed the potential catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons on the international agenda.

The initiative argues that all states need to ensure that nuclear weapons are never again used, preferably through a treaty prohibiting their manufacture and by eliminating current stockpiles.

The roundtable was co-hosted by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the Oslo-based International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI) and the Pretoria Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

It was opened by Amelia Broodryk, senior researcher at the ISS and chaired by Noël Stott, a senior research fellow in the Transnational Threats and International Crime division of the ISS.

The speakers were:

• Mr. Matthias Radosztics, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Austria in South Africa
• Sarah Swart, Regional Legal Advisor, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
• Torbjørn Graff Hugo, Project Coordinator, International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI)

Reframing nuclear disarmament as a humanitarian imperative has enabled non-nuclear-armed states to re-assert the imperative of a world free of nuclear weapons. There is little doubt that the effects of a nuclear explosion would be felt across the globe. Participants highlighted that nuclear disarmament is a direct concern for the African continent.

The discussions noted that the African continent would still suffer from impacts such as reduced agricultural production and the secondary impact of a shift in humanitarian resources. In particular, the effects would be felt disproportionately in developing countries that currently rely on international organisations for development aid and humanitarian assistance as many of those resources would be diverted elsewhere. In addition, many of these countries do not have strong domestic infrastructures or first responder capabilities.

The roundtable examined how African states could prepare for the multilateral conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, which was held in Vienna in December 2014, and what kind of actions African states could be taken in 2015 and beyond. In this regard, an outcomes document was drafted in preparation for the Vienna Conference.