Obscured Milestone: Expansion of UN Treaty on Nuclear Weapons

On Tuesday, three additional countries ratified the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, an event largely unreported by mainstream media outlets. The treaty, initially adopted in 2017, represents a legally binding agreement aimed at the ban on nuclear weapons development, testing, acquisition, stockpiling, and use. Despite its potential implications for global peace, its expansion continues to garner minimal attention from leading news organizations.

Mathilda Mallinson and Helena Wadia, reporters for Byline Times, have criticized the media’s reluctance to cover stories questioning the existing nuclear deterrence narrative. They argue that this oversight reveals a deeper bias, with the mainstream press often dictated by political rather than humanitarian priorities.

One of the undercurrents challenging this perspective is Dr. Ira Helfand, co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in promoting the anti-nuclear movement. Helfand has been critical of the media’s portrayal of nuclear deterrence as a reliable security method, stating, “We have survived this far into the nuclear weapons era not because deterrence works but because we lucked out.” He emphasizes the unpredictable nature of nuclear deterrence and the multiple close calls historically recorded.

Another voice contributing to the conversation is Yumiko Sakuma, a Japanese peace activist, who points out the lack of human suffering imagery in media portrayals and entertainment, such as in the recent film “Oppenheimer.” She noted the potential desensitization caused by such omissions and by commercial efforts like the ‘Barbenheimer‘ marketing stunt. “We actively avoid talking about real human suffering,” Sakuma asserts, emphasizing the importance of survivor stories from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which are often marginalized or overlooked.

This year’s expansion of the treaty, now ratified by 92 countries since its inception, underscores the growing international support for nuclear disarmament, despite the silence from major platforms like BBC News and The New York Times. Helfand poignantly noted, “Nuclear weapons aren’t a force of nature. We made these, we know how to take them apart,” highlighting the human agency involved in both creating and potentially dismantling nuclear arsenals.

The conversation on nuclear disarmament remains overshadowed by a lack of media coverage, which continues to frame the global nuclear landscape in terms of deterrence rather than disarmament. Media voices advocating for an expanded discourse on nuclear issues, like Byline Times’ podcast episode “Nuclear Weapons: Is there really no other way?,” strive to illuminate alternative perspectives often neglected in mainstream narratives.