蜜桃交友

By Devin Watkins

Participants in a conference on the risk of nuclear war have signed a statement appealing for nations to avoid recourse to nuclear weapons and to respect the territorial integrity and political independence of other States.

The declaration was released on Friday as part of an international conference hosted by the Pontifical Academy for Sciences (PAS) on the risk of nuclear war.

Excessive mistrust among nations

The statement鈥檚 signatories make known their opposition to the 鈥渢errible, inhuman, sacrilegious, and senseless war鈥� in Ukraine, quoting the words of Pope Francis.

They warn especially against the various ways in which nuclear technology could cause mass devastation, including destructions of nuclear power plants, leakage of nuclear waste, the threat posed by nuclear posturing, and the use of nuclear weapons, even of so-called tactical ones.

The members of the PAS lament the rise in 鈥渕istrust and suspicion between nations鈥� and call for more serious dialogue between the East and West.

Scientific duty to improve life

The statement also warns against the use of chemical and biological weapons in Ukraine, as well as the misuse of robotics and artificial intelligence on the battlefield.

Scientists, add the signatories, must be used to help humanity 鈥渢owards a life of flourishing, fulfilment, and peace,鈥� rather than push it down the path of destructive war.

鈥淚t is the duty of scientists to speak out and help prevent the perversion of their achievements and to stress that the future of humankind depends on the acceptance by all nations of moral principles transcending all other considerations,鈥� the statement reads.

Collective security without nuclear weapons

The Holy See statement then calls on world leaders to uphold their 鈥済rave responsibility鈥� to avoid nuclear war and even the use of 鈥渆xcessive conventional forces.鈥�

In nine points, the scientists urge all nations to refrain from threatening the territorial integrity and political independence of other nations; to avoid using force to settle conflicts; to offer shelter for refugees fleeing war; to cease the proliferation of nuclear weapons; to never preemptively use nuclear weapons and deescalate the arms race; to keep peaceful uses of nuclear energy from being used to build weapons; to do everything possible to reduce the possibility of nuclear war; and, to observe existing arms limitation agreements.

Duty of all to seek peace

Finally, the PAS members appeal to the international community to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.

Scientists, they urge, should do their part by employing their creativity to better human life, not worsen it.

Religious leaders, the statement adds, must continue to 鈥減roclaim forcefully and persistently the grave human issues at stake, so that these are fully understood and appreciated by society.鈥�

And everyone, concludes the PAS statement, is called to reaffirm our faith in the 鈥渄estiny of humankind,鈥� while insisting that the duty to avoid war is a common responsibility.