NUCLEAR ABOLITION / ICAN PROGRAM REPORT IPPNW 21 st WORLD CONGRESS, ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, AUGUST 25 30, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: JOHN LORETZ

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1 NUCLEAR ABOLITION / ICAN PROGRAM REPORT IPPNW 21 st WORLD CONGRESS, ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, AUGUST 25 30, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: JOHN LORETZ August 19, 2014 Since the Board and International Council met in Hiroshima, IPPNW s medical message about the effects of nuclear weapons and the consequences of nuclear war has become the driving force behind a new Humanitarian Impacts movement (HINW) that has laid the foundation for a treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Such a treaty, which would pave the way for the rapid elimination of nuclear weapons globally, is the cornerstone of ICAN s political strategy. IPPNW has contributed substantially to this shift toward humanitarian-based arguments for abolition in the following ways since the Hiroshima Congress: As the founder of ICAN and now the campaign s lead medical NGO, IPPNW has had a major voice in shaping a political strategy for banning and eliminating nuclear weapons based upon the medical, environmental, and humanitarian consequences. ICAN materials, including publications, posters, videos, campaign advertisements, and online resources draw heavily from IPPNW s published work. While ICAN has expanded far beyond its origins in IPPNW, our core medical/humanitarian message is the fundamental rationale for a global ban treaty. IPPNW Co-President Tilman Ruff recently concluded a term as ICAN Co-Chair. Program Director John Loretz is serving as facilitator of a newly restructured International Steering Group through October, when the position will rotate among other ISG member organizations. Tilman, John, Bob Mtonga, and Josefin Lind currently represent IPPNW on the ISG. We provided substantial input to the first two conferences on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons, held in March 2013 in Oslo, Norway, and in February 2014 in Nayarit, Mexico. The conference programs reflected IPPNW s principal areas of expertise and featured senior IPPNW physicians as speakers, including Ira Helfand, Masao Tomonaga of JPPNW, and Sir Andy Haines of Medact. Our nuclear famine findings a focal point at both conferences made a powerful impact on the participants. Other key speakers, such as IPPNW science adviser Alan Robock, and Bruce Blair of the Princeton Program on Science and Global Security and Global Zero, also addressed the conferences on our recommendation. By working closely with colleagues at the ICRC and in the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement, we were able to ensure that the final statements in both Oslo and Nayarit emphasized our common conclusion that a medical, humanitarian response to the use of nuclear weapons is neither available nor possible, leaving only abolition as a responsible option. We have begun consultations with the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to help shape the agenda of the third HINW conference, scheduled for December in Vienna. IPPNW has maintained a close and collegial working relationship with the ICRC and the Red Cross Red Crescent movement. In addition to productive collaborations on the Oslo and Nayarit HINW conferences, we have continued to consult with international and national RC leaders on their four-year Action Plan to implement the 2011 RC resolution on nuclear weapons. We continue the practice of participating, whenever appropriate, at each other s meetings. A senior ICRC field officer, for example, is speaking at the Astana Congress, and IPPNW made presentations at the Red Cross Red Crescent national societies meeting held in conjunction with the HINW conference in Nayarit. SECTION V: PROGRAMS NUCLEAR ABOLITION / ICAN JOHN LORETZ Page 1 of 3

2 In November 2013, IPPNW and PSR published a second edition of Nuclear Famine, written by Ira Helfand. The revised report Nuclear Famine: Two Billion People at Risk Global Impacts of Limited Nuclear War on Agriculture, Food Supplies, and Human Nutrition includes new research by Alan Robock, Lili Xia, and others showing that in addition to the one billion people in the developing world who would face possible starvation from the climate effects of a limited, regional nuclear war, 1.3 billion people in China would confront severe food insecurity. Ira subsequently made numerous presentations about the nuclear famine findings and their relationship to the overall medical and humanitarian case for abolition the Nobel Peace Laureates Summit, the Nayarit HINW conference, the PNND World Assembly, members of the US Congress and European parliamentarians, the Israeli Knesset, Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, and US chapters of Rotary International among them. IPPNW participated in the 2014 NPT PrepCom, providing input to the content of the NGO presentations joining ICAN in an effort to secure strong Member State statements in favor of the humanitarian impacts initiative and the upcoming HINW conference in Vienna. John Loretz spoke during the formal NGO session as part of a civil society panel discussing practical pathways to the abolition of nuclear weapons, including HINW and the ban. Other new resources on nuclear weapons produced since the Board meeting in Hiroshima include a 14-minute YouTube video on nuclear famine and other climate effects of nuclear war, narrated by Ira Helfand; video clips from the Oslo and Nayarit HINW conferences, and a 28-minute video version of a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on the medical, humanitarian, and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons and nuclear war, also on the IPPNW1 YouTube channel. The IPPNW Peace and Health Blog is our most active public platform for news and opinion from the Federation. We have published 152 articles on the Blog since the Hiroshima Congress, including policy statements, conference reports, issue analyses, and expert commentaries. Our in-house authors are joined by guest writers, such as historian Lawrence Wittner, who is a frequent contributor. The Peace and Health Blog had nearly 20,000 visits in 2013, and has had about 15,000 as of August 19, We have several important opportunities between now and the end of 2015: Our highest priority is to ensure a successful third HINW conference this December in Vienna. ICAN s goal is to ensure that this conference makes the transition from education about the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons to political action specifically a treaty banning nuclear weapons and paving the way for their elimination. We are preparing a campaigners kit on the medical facts about nuclear weapons and nuclear war, as one IPPNW contribution to ICAN s engagement with the Vienna conference. IPPNW affiliates have a critical role to play in pressing States to send strong, motivated delegations to Vienna who are ready to take these next steps despite opposition from the nuclear-armed States. Our work with the Red Cross Red Crescent movement is an ongoing priority, and we will add outreach to national medical associations and national chapters of Rotary International to the mix. The World Medical Association will consider a new resolution on nuclear weapons at its General Assembly in Durban in October. Passage of the resolution will provide IPPNW affiliates with new opportunities to SECTION V: PROGRAMS NUCLEAR ABOLITION / ICAN JOHN LORETZ Page 2 of 3

3 collaborate with other physicians in their countries to raise the profile of the nuclear weapons issue. IPPNW and PSR have compiled a list of international speakers who have expressed their willingness to make presentations about HINW and ICAN at Rotary meetings. The Mt. Kilimanjaro climb, which is being organized by a number of African affiliates led by IPPNW-Kenya, is an exciting project that has the potential to energize the region and the entire federation, and to bring worldwide visibility to our nuclear abolition and war prevention messages. The climb is being planned for May 2015, and there will be numerous opportunities for all affiliates to participate and provide support. SECTION V: PROGRAMS NUCLEAR ABOLITION / ICAN JOHN LORETZ Page 3 of 3

4 AIMING FOR PREVENTION PROGRAM REPORT IPPNW 21 st WORLD CONGRESS, ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, AUGUST 25 30, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: MARIA VALENTI Highlights of accomplishments for the past two years included the following. Please see the AfP Strategic Planning Document for Discussion Helped pass historic Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) through health leadership on Steering Board of international Control Arms Coalition and in actions at the national level. Included organizing a Nobel Laureates letter to President Obama, participation, presentations, policy papers at the ATT 2012 and 2013 PrepComs, ATT 2012 and 2013 Diplomatic Conferences, signing and ratification ceremonies 2013, Continued health leadership on the Steering Board of the Cluster Munitions/ICBL Coalition. Health leadership on the U.N. Programme of Action on Small Arms (PoA) including participation, presentations, policy papers at the 2 nd Review Conference 2012, 5 th Biennial Meeting of States Health leadership in international policy forums, including the Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, and other regional coalitions on armed violence prevention. Development and distribution of policy papers on health and armed violence including How Healthy is the UN PoA: Doctors Take the Pulse of Progress, and Prescriptions for Prevention: A Public Health Approach to the ATT. Presentations at major scientific conferences, including the American Public Health Association. Publishing on health effects of armed violence, such as the Journal of Public Health Policy. SECTION V: PROGRAMS AIMING FOR PREVENTION MARIA VALENTI Page 1 of 4

5 Support for affiliate armed violence projects, including planning and conducting support for the IPPNW Germany international congress on small arms trade Human Target in May 2013; advisory support to the development of the Finland/Nigeria Radio Outreach on Small Arms project; advisory support to Kenyan affiliate projects on Radio Outreach, Medical Peace Work and other initiatives. Active participation in the World Health Organization s Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA). Leadership of the VPA Member Assets Database Working Group, participation in the VPA Research Working Group, presenting at the annual VPA meetings in 2012 and 2013 in the U.S. and Mexico City. Collaboration with other NGOs, researchers including Small Arms Survey, the World Bank Hive, and the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms. Development of publication for SAS on hospital-based research in Liberia (Expected publication date: Fall 2014). Support for field research projects including North/South partnership between IPPNW Austria and IPPNW Zambia to help improve care for victims of violence in Lusaka, Zambia in collaboration with local social service agency and police partners; development of paper on results; publication currently being sought with interest from Injury Prevention journal. Capacity-building, support for affiliates and medical students working on Aiming for Prevention priority issues including gun control, nonviolent conflict resolution, and public outreach. SECTION V: PROGRAMS AIMING FOR PREVENTION MARIA VALENTI Page 2 of 4

6 AFP STRATEGIC PLANNING IPPNW 21 st WORLD CONGRESS, ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, AUGUST 25 30, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: MARIA VALENTI Please review in preparation for discussion at the BOD AFP Session in Kazakhstan. Check projects you would like to participate in, or could help support in otherways. Policy Advocacy Dialogues with Decision Makers collaborative project with Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) to improve health approaches to implementation of the UN Programme of Action on SALW led by women physicians/women MPs but open to all to participate. IPPNW is a partner in a proposal submitted to the UN Trust Facility Supporting Cooperation on Arms Regulation. Decision expected Nov Support ratification, adherence to and strengthening of the ATT. Help prepare strategies where IPPNW can have an impact at national level. Support WHA resolution Strengthening the role of the health system in addressing violence, in particular against women and girls, and against children through projects at the national, local levels. Project ideas need development. Your idea: Research Replicate Austria/Zambia victim assistance research project. Need medical student volunteers from North/South, physician supervisors, some funding. Research and develop more One Bullet Stories. Need access to gun violence patients at hospital or clinic, medical care costs etc. Participate in an NGO ATT Monitor program. Once the regime is developed by Control Arms, provide data from national level on injuries and deaths from gun violence etc. Participate in national gun violence research, use for advocacy. Need affiliates to undertake. Your idea: SECTION V: PROGRAMS AIMING FOR PREVENTION MARIA VALENTI Page 3 of 4

7 Education Develop posters on the cycle of gun violence for your country from manufacture to use around the world. Use Austria posters as template. Help affiliates publish in journals. Submit abstracts to present at public health and other conferences. Educate peers, medical students about medical consequences of armed violence at medical schools and other health institutions. Need volunteers to speak at medical schools. Participate in annual Global Week of Action against Gun Violence. Your idea: Collaborations and Capacity Building Continue to actively participate and present the medical perspective on armed violence in the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance, present at relevant meetings and conferences. Can do with current resources Seek additional collaborations with public health and medical entities. Needs a strategy at national levels. Your idea: Improve Campaigning Outreach Develop and produce new medical-related campaigning materials. Ideas? What else???? SECTION V: PROGRAMS AIMING FOR PREVENTION MARIA VALENTI Page 4 of 4

8 MEDICAL STUDENTS REPORT IPPNW 21 st WORLD CONGRESS, ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN, AUGUST 25 30, 2014 SUBMITTED BY: KARIN HARADA AND NILOUFAR RAHIM, CO-ISRS This report has not been submitted. SECTION V: PROGRAMS MEDICAL STUDENTS REPORT Page 1 of 1