VIENNA, 25 March 2024 – “Nuclear Armageddon: How close are we?” is a BBC documentary that brings to the foreground a topic that is of relevance to all of us - the threat of nuclear escalation. Starting her journey in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the first nuclear explosion occurred, Corbin explores the nuclear tensions of the last 80 years. The film reveals how many of the global agreements and safeguards that have constrained the spread of nuclear weapons since the 1970s are currently under threat, and also considers the new situation since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the film, experts come to the same conclusion: the world is in an exceedingly critical state.
After the screening an enriching discussion took place which covered topics such as the proliferation risks, the role of civil society over the years and the role of the United Nations in disarmament affairs.
Alexander Kmentt, Director for Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation at the Austrian Federal Ministry for Europe and International Affairs spoke about the urgency of disarmament: “The threat is not only about the countries that have these weapons threatening one another, they threaten the destruction of the entire planet, and life on this earth.“
In a similar manner, Rebecca Jovin, Chief of Office of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) Vienna, emphasized that disarmament is in the DNA of the United Nations and that “nuclear weapons are the only existential threat to humanity, alongside climate change”.
On a different note, Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the International Institute for Peace (IIP), raised a point about the role of civil society by mentioning that women have been a part of this topic from the very beginning and have contributed to successful outcomes. Elena Sokova, Executive Director of the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP) called for more discussions like the one held at the Cine-ONU event to inform the public about the risks of nuclear weapons.
Photo: BBC Current Affairs
