On 26 May 2025, the resolution ‘Effects of Nuclear War on Public Health’ was adopted by a large majority at the WHO General Assembly. The German government voted against the new study, along with Russia, the UK, France, Hungary and North Korea, among others. Russia and the USA had previously tried to prevent the resolution. Although the USA no longer supports the WHO, it urged other NATO states to vote against it.
The resolution instructs the World Health Organisation (WHO) to systematically investigate the health and
environmental effects of nuclear war and to significantly expand research in this area. Specifically, the groundbreaking WHO reports from 1983, 1987 and 1993 on the health consequences of nuclear war and nuclear testing are to be updated.
At the end of 2024, the UN General Assembly already voted overwhelmingly in favour of setting up a 21-member independent scientific panel to conduct a new comprehensive study on the effects of nuclear war. The panel will examine the climatic, ecological and radiological effects of a nuclear war and their consequences for public health, global socio-economic systems, agriculture and ecosystems.
Voting Result - World Health Assembly, Pillar 3, 18.1 “Effects of Nuclear War on Public Health”
Yes - 86
Dominican Republic, Guyana, Algeria, Maldives, Burkina Faso, Bahamas, Tajikistan, Thailand, Brazil, Cuba, Paraguay, Malta, Kiribati, Nauru, Philippines, Iraq, Marshall Islands, Angola, San Marino, Ghana, Tuvalu, Ireland, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Brunei Darussalam, Honduras, Mozambique, Eswatini, Cyprus, Libya, Oman, Bahrain, Benin, Japan, Sri Lanka, Ecuador, Andorra, Chile, Eritrea, Mongolia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Malawi, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Central African Republic, Micronesia (F.S.), El Salvador, Liberia, Lesotho, Gambia, Fiji, Chad, Barbados, Costa Rica, Qatar, Samoa, Kuwait, Tunisia, Jordan, Nigeria, Nepal, Ethiopia, Republic of Korea, Panama, New Zealand, Guatemala, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, Egypt, Uzbekistan, Congo, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Jamaica, Iran (I.R.), Bangladesh, Austria, Namibia, South Africa, Vanuatu, Peru, Singapore
No - 14
North Macedonia, Poland, Hungary, DPR Korea, Czech Republic, Monaco, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Russian Federation
Abstain - 28
Luxembourg, Israel, Belarus, Albania, Portugal, Croatia, Montenegro, Morocco, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Turkiye, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Pakistan, India, Slovenia, Denmark, Netherlands, China, Canada, Georgia, Belgium, Republic of Moldova, Iceland
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