Weapons of mass destruction

An increasing threat

Efforts must be made to prevent the use of weapons of mass destruction, and disarmament must be a priority for all nations. The consequences of inaction could be catastrophic, not only for those directly impacted but for the entire planet.

Despite disarmament efforts and reduced arsenals, the threat of nuclear war persists, and may even be closer today than a decade ago. The immediate effects of a nuclear conflict would be the catastrophic destruction of lives and cities, and long-term effects could include an ecological collapse and famine of unprecedented proportions.

Biological and chemical warfare has been waged for centuries, from poisonings in antiquity to germ warfare in the second world war and nerve gas attacks in the Iran-Iraq war. While previous attacks have been locally contained, technological advances in synthetic biology and genetic engineering now pose an increasing threat. New genetically modified pathogens risk causing global pandemics.

Recommended reports and analyses