Nuclear Weapons – (Il)legality, Consequences, and Prospects for Disarmament
Is it possible to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons in accordance with international law? If nuclear weapons were used again, what would be the consequences? Would a humanitarian response be possible? How do nuclear weapons impact women differently and how are gendered dimensions taken into account in nuclear disarmament?
These concerns will be addressed on Mach 19, when we will discuss the legality and impact of nuclear weapons from various perspectives. We will start at 5pm with refreshments. The official part of the event will run at 6 – 8pm and will consist of introductory presentations on nuclear weapons from different perspectives followed by an interactive Q&A session with the participants.
5-6pm Refreshments, Quiz, and Video Screening
6-6.20pm (Il)legality of Nuclear Weapons by Brian Drummond
Brian Drummond is an independent researcher and the author of “UK Nuclear deterrence policy: an unlawful threat of force” in Journal on the Use of Force and International Law. He will introduce the legal aspects of the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons. The talk will cover the legal issues surrounding nuclear weapons, in the framework of the International Criminal Court Advisory Opinion of 1996 and the relevant categories of international law. Brian Drummond will further talk about his research focus regarding the legality of nuclear deterrence.
6.20-6.35pm Nuclear Weapons and the Humanitarian Initiative by Michael Orgel, M.D.
Michael Orgel is a former NHS specialist and a member of Medact Scotland, Medact’s Nuclear Weapons Group, and Don’t Bank on the Bomb Scotland. His presentation will cover the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, how these were addressed by the humanitarian nuclear disarmament initiative, and how this led to the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017.
6.35-6.50 Nuclear Weapons, TPNW, and Gender Equality by Janet Fenton
Janet Fenton is a Quaker feminist, international campaigner of International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Parliamentary Liaison of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and the Secretary of the Scottish Parliament Nuclear Disarmament Cross Party Group. She will talk about the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and focus on the gendered dimensions to nuclear weapons; this includes the disproportionate impacts nuclear weapons have on women, but also how these impacts are addressed in the TPNW, and the links between nuclear weapons and feminism in general.18.50-18.10
6.50-7.05pm Hierarchies and Identities Reproduced Through Nuclear Discourse by Luba Zatsepina-McCreadie
Luba Zatsepina-McCreadie is a PhD Candidate and Tutor at the University of Edinburgh. Her research emphasises the role and significance of ideas, beliefs and identities in nuclear decision-making. She is going to talk about hierarchies and identities that are reproduced through nuclear discourse, and how these identities are used to maintain an “Us v Them” dischotomy between Western and non-Western nuclear States.
7.05-8pm Interactive Q&A Discussion
8pm –> Socialising continues, details to be announced
G.03. 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9JU.
Please Register for the event on EventBrite (not required but helps us to plan quantities of food to provide etc.): https://nuclearweapons-illegality-consequences-disarmament.eventbrite.com
Organised by:
