Side Event Report: Youth Perspectives on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons

Report by

Lizzie Lappin, Thomas Huckans, Nicholas Bollman | Nuclear Age Peace Foundation/Reverse The Trend  

On Tuesday, 23 July, the Mission of Kiribati, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, its youth initiative, Reverse The Trend: Save Our People, Save Our Planet, the Marshallese Educational Initiative, and the Human Rights, Conflict & Peace Student Initiative co-hosted an event titled “Youth Perspectives on the Humanitarian Impacts of Nuclear Weapons.” Stella Rose, Youth Advisor for Reverse The Trend, moderated the event. The speakers were: H.E. Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin of Kazakhstan, the Chair of the 2024 NPT PrepCom; H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito, Permanent Representative of Kiribati; Veronique Christory, Senior Arms Control Adviser of the ICRC; Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; Benetick Kabua Maddison, Executive Director of the Marshallese Educational Initiative; Aigerim Seitenova, Project Manager of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy; Brock Walker, NAPF/RTT Nuclear Justice Campaign Manager; and Christian N. Ciobanu, NAPF Policy and Advocacy Director, RTT Project Coordinator, and TPNW Advisor for Kiribati. 

The moderator, Stella Rose underscored the newfound role of “vital stakeholder” within disarmament diplomacy for the 1.2 billion people between the ages of 15-24 globally. Finally, Rose stated that as part of creating a nuclear-free future, the environmental and humanitarian consequences of nuclear testing must be taken seriously.  

As the keynote speaker, H.E Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin recounted Kazakhstan’s history and his own experiences of nuclear testing at the Semipalatinsk site. Today, Kazakh citizens continue to suffer from birth defects, cancers, and autoimmune diseases from the radioactive fallout of testing. He connected his recognition of the need for nuclear justice with the integral role of youth’s drive in advancing disarmament and nuclear justice efforts. H. E. Ambassador Rakhmetullin also mentioned the collective efforts by Kazakhstan and Kiribati to recognize the humanitarian impacts internationally through their UNGA resolution entitled Addressing the Legacy of Nuclear Weapons and Articles 6 and 7 of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 

 H.E. Ambassador Teburoro Tito of Kiribati emphasized that Kiribati was ravaged by nuclear testing but was not alone in the region: the Marshall Islands and French Polynesia were also victims of tests, He further highlighted Kiribati and Kazakhstan’s work as the co-chairs of the working group on victim assistance, environmental remediation, international cooperation and assistance. Ending his statement with a short song: “Together we will build a better world,” Ambassador Tito expressed optimism for the future of nuclear justice through victim assistance and environmental remediation. 

 Veronique Christory of the ICRC stressed the vital importance of youth engagement and the greater inclusion of women in disarmament discussions, particularly considering the disproportionate impact of ionizing radiation on women and girls. Christory mentioned that the ICRC is “extremely doubtful” of nuclear weapons ever being used in accordance with IH.  

 Dr. Ivana Nikolić Hughes of NAPF spoke about the urgent danger that nuclear weapons still pose to humanity. Hughes mentioned that there is upwards of a 50% chance that a child born today will experience a nuclear war in their lifetime.  

 Beginning the segment of representatives from affected and frontline communities, Benetick Kabua Maddison of MEI recounted his deeply personal connection to and family history of nuclear testing. He shared that U.S. doctors treated the citizens of the Marshall Islands as test subjects to observe the humanitarian and medical impacts. Finally, Maddison highlighted the educational work of the Marshallese Educational Initiative in translating the TPNW into his native language. 

 Aigerim Seitenova of the Centre for Feminist Policy highlighted the various impacts that nuclear testing in Kazakhstan had on her family, including premature deaths to mental health due to exposure to radiation from the Semipalatinsk test site. She spoke about how, due to the humanitarian dangers that nuclear weapons represent, she was disheartened about the continued presence of nuclear arms. Specifically, she mentioned, “for me, the struggle for a world free of nuclear weapons feels like crawling towards a light that at times feels so unreachable.” Seitenova concluded her remarks by calling on all youth to stand with victims to advocate for a world without nuclear weapons. 

 The next speaker was Brock Walker of NAPF/RTT, a native of Las Vegas who has deep connections with the nuclear testing and nuclear waste treatment near the Nevada Test Site.  He called attention to the US’ disregard for downwinders in the American Southwest, causing generational health complications, particularly amongst Indigenous communities. Walker specifically criticized the expiry of the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) because the bill only provides $50,000 per person, which barely covers even one leukemia treatment.  

 To wrap up the panel, Christian Ciobanu of NAPF/RTT/Kiribati mentioned Kiribati and Kazakhstan’s joint resolution on addressing the legacy of nuclear weapons (UNGA Res. 78/24). He also explained that numerous states submitted their views on victim assistance, environmental assessment, and remediation to the U.N. Ciobanu expressed regret that nuclear-armed states claimed in these statements that their obligations for victim assistance and environmental remediation are complete.