Towards the Prohibition of Nuclear Arms? The Nobel Peace Prize and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)

The proposition that the use of nuclear arms leads to catastrophic consequences is the basis for their deterring effect. Indeed the horror experienced by the victims of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings was tangible proof of this. In 2017, the anti-nuclear NGO ICAN (the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons), which has exploited this theme, was rewarded with the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize, several months after the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The benefits of this Treaty for international peace and security are uncertain. However, it could certainly threaten the advancement of nuclear disarmament.