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Nuclear weapons and the human rights of children in armed conflict
Nuclear weapons have an unmatched potential to damage human health and the environment. They pose specific risks to children both during armed conflict and in preparations for nuclear war, the activities for which nine nuclear-armed countries are engaged. The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) is the only international legal instrument outlawing the use, and threat of use, of nuclear weapons. ICAN encourages the High Commissioner to draw attention in the report to the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to children, especially in light of children’s greater vulnerability to harm from ionising radiation and their higher risk of life-threatening burn and blast injuries from nuclear explosions.
In response to the call for input to inform the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts, to be presented at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in September/ October 2025, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), prepared this submission.