At this critical time in European and global history, the European affiliates of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear war (IPPNW) have come together in Geneva – city of diplomacy and birthplace of our federation 45 years ago – to reaffirm our shared mission: to protect life and health, prevent nuclear war and to work together for peace.
Founded by physicians from both the United States and the Soviet Union, IPPNW has always stood above political and ideological divisions. Today, as a global federation including affiliates in most Western states, in the Russia Federation, China, and many countries of the Global South, we are uniquely positioned to speak across divides.
We meet under the dark shadow of intensifying geopolitical tensions, an ongoing war in Ukraine and the Middle East with unimaginable human suffering, and alarming signs of a new arms race in Europe. The willingness to massively expand military budgets – even to the detriment of health, social infrastructure, and climate goals – and the increased rhetoric about European nuclear weapons threaten the fragile architecture of peace.
As physicians, we are united by the profound ethical imperative to protect life. We know: in the event of a nuclear war, there will be no help. No health system can cope with the scale of destruction. No response is possible to the irreversible effects on health, environment, food security, and climate. Therefore, nuclear weapons must never be used—and must be abolished.
While we recognize the diversity of our national contexts and strategies, we are committed to working together and supporting one another. This includes advocacy for:
Immediate measures to reduce the risk of nuclear war, including no-first-use policies as a first step and de-alerting nuclear arsenals.
Stronger support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and its universalization.
Increased efforts to educate health professionals and the public about the health and humanitarian consequences of nuclear war and nuclear weapons and how to find pathways and tools to give peace a change and reduce violence escalating into war.
Concrete action on the health impacts of conflict, the climate crisis, and forced displacement.
Collaborative engagement with international institutions such as WHO and the United Nations.
We call on all governments, especially in Europe, but also in the Middle East and elsewhere, to abandon policies of confrontation and to reject the dangerous logic of deterrence. Preparing for war leads to war. Instead, security must be based on cooperation, justice, respect and the fulfilment of human rights and international law – not on nuclear menace. The path to lasting peace requires a transition from military alliances to a new system of common security that includes all parties and replaces mutual threats with mutual guarantees. To begin with, we propose a peace conference aiming to establish lasting peace and security for all nations on our continent.
To better coordinate our work across Europe and strengthen our voice within IPPNW and toward international bodies, we commit to enhancing our regional cooperation. The Geneva IPPNW office shall play a central role as a hub for networking, coordination, and advocacy.
In this city of peace, we as medical doctors aim to lay the foundation for a stronger European voice within the global IPPNW family.
We leave this meeting with a renewed sense of urgency—but also with hope. The path to peace requires courage, clarity, and commitment. We stand together in this effort.
Geneva, April 13, 2025
Intervention by Carlos Umaña, IPPNW Co-President / IPPNW European Regional Meeting in Genf
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