S-1998-01-1998_OVE
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L’ASSOCIATION MEDICALE MONDIALE, INC ASOCIACION MEDICA MUNDIAL. INC
THE WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION. INC.
B. P. 63 • 01212 FERNEY·VOLTAIRE Cedex, France
28, avenue des Alpes· 01210 FERNEY.VOLTAIRE, France
.. Telephone: 0450407575
FIx : 04 50 40 59 37
October 1998
Cable Address:
WOMEDAS, Ferney·Voltaire
E-mail addreS&: wma@iprolinkJr
17/270
Original: English
WORLD MEDICAL ASSOCIATION DECLARATION
ON
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Adopted by the 50th
WMA General Assembly
Ottawa, Canada, October 1998
PREAMBLE
1. In October 1990, the World Medical Association (WMA) adopted a WMA Declaration
on Chemical and Biological Weapons (17.Y) in which it condemned, and asked all
governments to refrain .from, the..development and use of these weapons, and urged .
National Medical Associations to join the WMA in actively supporting the Declaration.
In this Declaration the WMA acknowledged the dangers and health hazards ofthe use of
these weapons, including the indiscriminate and long lasting effects on civilian
populations and on the environment, and argued that existing health care services,
technology and manpower may be helpless to relieve the suffering caused by the
weapons.
2. The effects of nuclear weapons may be even more catastrophic, more indiscriminate,
and longer lasting than chemical and biological weapons. These effects, based on
studies of affected populations and on studies ofthe consequences of radioactive fallout
from nuclear test explosions in the atmosphere, have been widely documented over the
years.
3. At least 40% of the population of Hiroshima and 26% of the population of Nagasaki
were killed in the nuclear attacks on these two cities. Modem nuclear weapons are
much more destructive, and the casualties today would be much higher.
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4. Apart from the immediately lethal effects of blast, heat and radiation, many of the
survivors would perish from the latent effects of ionising radiation (leukaemia, cancer,
and genetic effects) as well as the infectious diseases like cholera, tuberculosis and
dysentery arising from the breakdown in local services.
5. Sunlight-absorbing particulate matter generated by fires following a massive nuclear
attack involving many weapons exploding at many different sites would reduce the
penetration of sunlight to the earth’s surface and change the physical properties of the
earth’s atmosphere, leading to prolonged periods of darkness and devastating effects on
agricultural production.
6. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed many health professionals, destroyed
all hospitals and infrastructure, such as electricity and water supply, and made it
impossible for medical services to function at a time when they were most needed.
7. The International Court ofJustice (ICJ), in its recent advisory opinion on the .legal status
of nuclear weapons, declared that the threat or use of nuclear weaponsis contrary to the
United Nations Charter and to the rules ofintemationallaw applicable in armed conflict,
and in particular to the principles and rules of humanitarian law.
8. The ICJ, in view of the current state of international law, however, could not conclude
definitively whether the threat or use of nuclear weapons would be lawful or unlawful in
an extreme circumstance of self-defence, in which the very survival ofa State would be
at stake.
9. The WMA Declarations of Geneva (17.A), ofHelsinki (17.C) and ofTokyo (17.F) make
9. The WMA Declarations of Geneva (17.A), ofHelsinki (17.C) and ofTokyo (17.F) make
clear the duties, responsibilities and sacred mission of the medical profession to
preserve and safeguard the health of the patient and to consecrate itselfto the service of
humanity.
RECOMMENDATIONS
10. The WMA considers that, with its unique position of influence in society, it has a duty e
to work for the elimination ofnuclear weapons. Therefore the WMA:
.i) condemns the development, testing, production, deployment, threat and use of
nuclear weapons;
ii) requests all governments to refrain from the development, testing, production,
deployment, threat and use of nuclear weapons and to work in good faith towards
the elimination of nuclear weapons; and
iii) requests all National Medical Associations to join the WMA in supporting this
Declaration and to urge their respective governments to work towards the
.elimination ofnuclear weapons.
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