Warheads to Windmills at the NPT Review Conference
The Eleventh Review Conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has been the source of much frustration among those who seek nuclear disarmament. But it has also been an opportunity for civil society, including Warheads to Windmills Coalition members, to gather, push for concrete outcomes, and pursue open dialogue.
The NPT Conference activities kicked off on Sunday with a lively march through Midtown Manhattan, followed by a civil society conference “Tectonic Geopolitical Changes”. Massachusetts and New York Peace Action were among the sponsors of the conference principally organized by the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Common Security. The conference framed the upcoming UN meeting with reminders of the devastation of nuclear weapons, and panels discussing what to expect and how to make the most of the upcoming NPT. It closed with remarks by the president of Peace Action, Kevin Martin. You can find transcripts and recordings of the conference here:
Throughout the NPT conference so far, Warheads to Windmills members have organized or participated in events and held meetings and dialogue to push disarmament, highlight the nexus of climate and nuclear, and put pressure on the profiteers behind these existential threats. We’ve spotlighted just a few of these events below. More information on the NPT and a full list of civil society side events can be found on Reaching Critical Will.
Watch: Warheads to Windmills Dialogue
Warheads to Windmills hosted this event on the first day of the NPT to connect with The People’s Summit for a Fossil Free Future which occurred simultaneously in Santa Marta. Civil society at both conferences met in this event to discuss the pursuit of a treaty to phase out fossil fuels, the role of civil society in diplomatic processes, de-siloing nuclear and environmental issues, and what we see going forward in the pursuit of a world free from nuclear weapons and a world free from fossil fuels.
The event featured speakers from Peace Boat, Women’s International league for Peace and Freedom, The Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative, The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Warheads to Windmills, and more.
This event marked the third side event Warheads to Windmills has organized linking with climate activists during UN disarmament fora. The First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels was a groundbreaking moment on the road to a fossil fuel treaty. Learn more here:
The Choose Hope side event was co-sponsored by Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Soka Gakkai International, as well as the missions of the Philippines, and Kiribati.
The event aimed to reinvigorate the NPT community with a sense of hope, especially on Article VI commitments. Speakers addressed nuclear disarmament through the lens of the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons, highlighting medical and environmental impacts, lived experience, and underscoring the disarmament obligations within the NPT.
Anduin DeVos joined the panel to highlight the environmental impacts of nuclear weapons and the lessons that can be learned by breaking down silos that keep nuclear and climate issues separated.
Genocide, Omnicide, Those Who Profit
Presented by Veterans for Peace, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and Pax Christi International
The discussion, featuring Ivana Nikolic Hughes, William Hartung, Mohsen Mahdawi and Anastasia Shakhidzanova explored how the global war economy and nuclear weapons production are connected, and how profits get in the way of disarmament and accountability.
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation organized many more events at the conference. See pictures from these events and more here.
The New Don’t Bank on the Bomb Report is out now! PAX and ICAN examine the financial institutions backing nuclear weapons.
WILPF and the Fossil Fuel Treaty analyze how reallocation of military spending could finance a just transition.
Alliance for Nuclear Accountability- DC Days!
DC Days 2026 will take place in-person on May 31 – June 3, 2026. Advocates will gather to lobby on nuclear weapons, waste, and energy issues.
On June 3rd, the last day of DC Days meetings, there will be a celebration to mark the 45th anniversary of the vigil for peace and nuclear disarmament that continued round-the-clock across from the White House until September 2025, when President Trump ordered the vigil removed.
If you are in the area, please join the anniversary celebration at St. John’s Church, on Black Lives Matter Plaza, beginning at noon on Wednesday, June 3rd.
Join the celebration to honor the people still vigiling, remember those who are gone, and speak our minds about what’s going on in this country and the world. Members of the American University Archives team will be in attendance to interview people about their memories and collect an audio history.
Other Upcoming:
Faith Leaders’ Summit Dialogue on Nuclear Weapons Abolition
The Pax Christi New England Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (PCAN) is presenting a virtual summit in four sessions beginning this weekend! May 16th at 10am ET.
