WCC NEWS: WCC marks 5th anniversary of entry into force of Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The World Council of Churches, on 22 January, marked the 5th anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. 10 December 2017, Oslo, Norway: In the evening of 10 December some 4,000 people from around the world gathered in central Oslo for a torch light march for peace. The event took place after the Nobel Peace Prize award 2017, awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), for "its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons". Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 22 January 2026 Since nuclear weapons were first used over Hiroshima and Nagasaki over 80 years ago, the WCC has always stood in categorical opposition to nuclear weapons. Those who convened at the founding assembly of the WCC in 1948, declared that war with nuclear weapons is a “sin against God and a degradation of man,” and in the following years began to place particular attention on the situation of peoples suffering from the toxic legacy of nuclear testing programmes in the Pacific and elsewhere – and to the racism and colonialism inherent in nuclear weapon states’ choices of locations for their tests. The WCC continues to advocate with churches at the national and international levels to prohibit the development, testing and use of nuclear weapons, and works with churches to impress upon their government the immorality of nuclear weapons and need for their total elimination.  “As we enter 2026, both the threats to use nuclear weapons, as well as the threats to increase the number of such weapons by a very small handful of countries, have the potential to result in catastrophic harm to the entire planet,” said Jennifer Philpot-Nissen, WCC programme executive for Human Rights and Disarmament. “It is estimated that today's nuclear arsenals globally – even after the reductions achieved through all the arms control treaties to date – exceed the combined explosive force of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs together with all the weapons used during World War II by almost 400 times.” She noted that there would be no winners or losers following a detonation of any nuclear weapon.  “A large proportion of the world’s population would starve in a famine caused by a nuclear winter, which would show no respect to national boundaries,” she said, adding that the existence of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has helped to expose how fundamentally flawed the doctrine of nuclear deterrence really is.   “The doctrine is based on a presumption that the population of a nuclear weapon state, or a ‘nuclear umbrella’ state would actually contemplate nuclear weapons being used on their behalf to annihilate entire cities, entire populations, and entire ecosystems, under any circumstances,” she said. “From both a general ethical point of view as well as a  Christian moral perspective – this warrants close interrogation.” At this frightening time, Philpot-Nissen concluded, the WCC choses to focus on hope. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons has now been ratified by 74 states, and signed – ahead of expected ratification – by a further 21, indicating that a majority of the world’s countries are taking steps to actively pursue the complete abolition of nuclear weapons.  See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland