UNfold Zero, a new United Nations platform to gather support for a nuclear-free world, was launched in the run up to International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26th.
As part of a new campaign, Unfold Zero is asking: How many nuclear weapons do you think there are in the world?” as well as “How many nuclear weapons do you think there should be in the world?”
URI Founder and President Bishop William Swing answered, saying:
"There are between 16,000 to 19,000 nulcear weapons in the world. There ought to be 15,000 and then 1,200 and then 1,000 and then 750 and then 500 and then 100...and then we ought to work very hard to get down to zero."
To learn how you can help, or to answer the question yourself, click here to learn more.
Unfold Zero is working to “unfold the path to zero nuclear weapons through effective steps and measures facilitated by the UN General Assembly, UN Security Council, UN Secretary-General and other UN bodies.” UNFold Zero is a project of PragueVision, PNND, Basel Peace Office, Mayors for Peace 2020 Vision Campaign, Aotearoa Lawyers for Peace and Global Security Institute.
At the UNfold Zero launch in May, Director of the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs Virginia Gamba said, "I believe the goal of achieving a truly global ban on nuclear weapons must be pursued at the world’s common meeting place, the United Nations, even when the times are rough."
Guy Quinlan of the NGO Committee on Disarmament chaired the UNfold Zero launch event at the United Nations, which featured Mr. Daniel Tumpal S. Simanjuntak (Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and Alyn Ware (PNND and Basel Peace Office).
At a Peace Memorial in Nagasaki, Japan last year, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, "Nuclear disarmament is one of the greatest legacies we can pass on to future generations."
