International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons

International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Occupation	Nuclear disarmament advocacy
Known for	Advocacy for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; recipient of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (2017)
Website	[http://www.icanw.org/ Official site]

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN, pronounced Template:IPAc-en) is a global civil society coalition dedicated to promoting adherence to and full implementation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Launched in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia, and now headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, ICAN operates through a broad network of partner organizations spread across the world — numbering 661 partner organizations in 110 countries as of 2022. The campaign played a central role in the diplomatic process that led to the adoption of the TPNW in 2017, a landmark multilateral treaty that categorically prohibits nuclear weapons under international law. In recognition of these efforts, ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 "for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons." The campaign's approach has been characterized by its emphasis on the humanitarian and environmental consequences of nuclear weapons, a framing that shifted international discourse away from traditional security-based arguments and toward the human impact of nuclear detonations. Under the leadership of Executive Director Melissa Parke, ICAN continues to advocate for universal adherence to the TPNW, monitor global nuclear weapons spending, and engage cities, financial institutions, and civil society groups in the effort to delegitimize nuclear arsenals.

Origins and Founding

ICAN was launched in 2007 in Melbourne, Australia, with roots in the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), an organization that had itself received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. The campaign drew inspiration from earlier successful disarmament efforts, particularly the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which had achieved the adoption of the Ottawa Treaty in 1997. ICAN's founders sought to replicate this model by building a broad-based civil society coalition that would pressure governments to negotiate a comprehensive treaty banning nuclear weapons.

The founding of ICAN reflected a growing frustration among disarmament advocates with the perceived stagnation of existing multilateral frameworks, particularly the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). While the NPT, which entered into force in 1970, committed nuclear-armed states to pursue disarmament, critics argued that progress had been insufficient and that nuclear-armed states showed little genuine commitment to eliminating their arsenals. ICAN was established with the explicit goal of filling this gap by pursuing a legally binding international prohibition on nuclear weapons, modeled on existing treaties banning other categories of weapons of mass destruction, including biological weapons and chemical weapons.

From its inception, ICAN adopted a decentralized organizational structure, functioning as a coalition of partner organizations rather than as a single centralized entity. This structure allowed the campaign to draw upon the expertise, networks, and legitimacy of hundreds of organizations across the globe, ranging from peace and disarmament groups to humanitarian organizations, environmental bodies, faith-based communities, and professional associations. The campaign's international reach was central to its strategy of building political pressure across a wide range of countries, including those that did not possess nuclear weapons but were affected by nuclear testing, nuclear weapons deployment, or the broader risks of nuclear conflict.

Campaign Strategy and Activities

Humanitarian Initiative

A defining feature of ICAN's approach was its emphasis on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. Beginning in 2010, ICAN and its allies worked to reframe the international debate on nuclear weapons by shifting the focus from deterrence theory and national security to the catastrophic humanitarian and environmental effects of any nuclear detonation. This approach, which became known as the "Humanitarian Initiative," drew upon scientific evidence regarding the medical, environmental, and climatic effects of nuclear explosions, including the concept of nuclear winter.

The Humanitarian Initiative gained institutional momentum through a series of intergovernmental conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. These conferences, held in Oslo (2013), Nayarit (2014), and Vienna (2014), brought together governments, international organizations, and civil society to examine the evidence regarding the consequences of nuclear weapons use. ICAN played an active role in organizing and mobilizing participation in these conferences. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which adopted a resolution in 2011 calling for the prohibition and elimination of nuclear weapons, was among the prominent international bodies that lent support to this humanitarian framing.

The Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons in December 2014 concluded with the issuance of the "Austrian Pledge" (later renamed the "Humanitarian Pledge"), in which the Austrian government committed to work toward the legal prohibition of nuclear weapons and called upon all states to do the same. ICAN actively promoted endorsement of the pledge, which was ultimately supported by a significant number of states.

United Nations Negotiations and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The momentum generated by the Humanitarian Initiative and the growing number of states endorsing the Humanitarian Pledge led to formal action within the United Nations. In 2016, the United Nations General Assembly approved a historic resolution establishing a mandate to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons. ICAN described the resolution as a pivotal step toward achieving a comprehensive ban. A majority of UN member states declared their intention to negotiate a ban on nuclear weapons in 2017.

Negotiations took place at the United Nations in New York in March and June–July 2017. On 7 July 2017, the TPNW was adopted by a vote of 122 states in favor, with one against and one abstention. The treaty comprehensively prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use, and threat of use of nuclear weapons. It also prohibits assistance with any of these prohibited activities. The treaty opened for signature on 20 September 2017.

The TPNW entered into force on 22 January 2021, ninety days after the fiftieth instrument of ratification was deposited. ICAN marked the fifth anniversary of the treaty's entry into force with renewed calls for universal adherence, noting that the treaty had made nuclear weapons illegal under international law.

At the First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) to the TPNW, participating states adopted the Vienna Action Plan, which outlined steps for further implementation and universalization of the treaty.

Nuclear-armed states — the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea — did not participate in the negotiations and have not signed the treaty. Several NATO member states and other countries under nuclear umbrella arrangements also did not participate. The Economist noted in 2017 that the ban treaty's prospects for advancing peace were debated, with skeptics arguing that banning nuclear weapons without the participation of nuclear-armed states would have limited practical effect.

Don't Bank on the Bomb

In addition to its treaty advocacy work, ICAN has engaged in campaigns targeting the financial sector. The "Don't Bank on the Bomb" project researches and publishes information about financial institutions that invest in companies involved in the production, maintenance, and modernization of nuclear weapons. The project aims to stigmatize nuclear weapons financing and encourage divestment, drawing upon the model of divestment campaigns that were used against apartheid in South Africa and against the fossil fuel industry.

Monitoring Global Nuclear Weapons Spending

ICAN publishes the only annual accounting of global nuclear weapons spending. In June 2025, the campaign reported that global spending on nuclear weapons exceeded $100 billion in 2024, reflecting ongoing modernization programs by nuclear-armed states. The report drew attention to the scale of financial resources devoted to nuclear arsenals at a time when the TPNW had established a legal norm against such weapons.

Cities Campaign

ICAN has also pursued engagement at the subnational level through its cities campaign. By 2025, numerous cities around the world — from Paris to Athens — had endorsed the TPNW or passed resolutions calling on their national governments to join the treaty. ICAN has characterized this as evidence that popular support for nuclear disarmament extends beyond the positions of national governments, particularly in states whose governments have not signed the TPNW.

Paper Crane Project

ICAN has also engaged in public outreach through initiatives such as the Paper Crane Project, which has received messages of support from prominent international figures. Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, sent a message in support of the project, underscoring the importance of grassroots engagement in nuclear disarmament efforts.

Nobel Peace Prize

On 6 October 2017, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017 would be awarded to ICAN. The committee cited the campaign's work "to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its ground-breaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons."

The Australian reported on the award, noting the Australian origins of the campaign. ICAN's founding in Melbourne and its growth into a global coalition were highlighted as part of the narrative of the prize.

The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN came shortly after the TPNW was adopted and opened for signature, and was interpreted by many observers as an endorsement by the Norwegian Nobel Committee of the treaty process and the humanitarian approach to nuclear disarmament. The prize also drew renewed international attention to the TPNW and the broader movement for nuclear abolition.

ICAN became one of a small number of organizations, as opposed to individuals, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Previous organizational recipients include the ICRC, the United Nations, and IPPNW.

Engagement with Japan

ICAN has pursued particular engagement with Japan, the only country to have experienced the wartime use of nuclear weapons. The Japan Times reported in 2018 on ICAN's grassroots efforts to persuade Japan and other countries to support the TPNW and the movement for a nuclear-free world. Japan, as an ally of the United States and a beneficiary of the U.S. nuclear umbrella, did not participate in the TPNW negotiations and has not signed the treaty, despite its unique historical experience with nuclear weapons and its longstanding advocacy for nuclear disarmament in other contexts.

Structure and Leadership

ICAN operates as a coalition campaign rather than a traditional hierarchical organization. Its international secretariat is based in Geneva, Switzerland, and coordinates the activities of partner organizations around the world. As of 2022, the campaign counted 661 partner organizations in 110 countries.

The campaign's executive director is Melissa Parke, a former Australian politician and diplomat. Previous leadership figures include Beatrice Fihn, who served as executive director during the period of the TPNW negotiations and the Nobel Peace Prize award, and who accepted the prize on behalf of ICAN alongside Setsuko Thurlow, a survivor of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

ICAN's partner organizations span a wide range of sectors, including healthcare (through the IPPNW network), environmental groups, faith-based organizations, peace and conflict resolution bodies, women's organizations, and academic institutions. The health sector has been particularly active in the campaign; a collective health appeal submitted to the UN Open-Ended Working Group in 2016 called upon governments to pursue a ban treaty, emphasizing the medical and public health consequences of nuclear weapons.

Context and Ongoing Challenges

The work of ICAN takes place within a broader geopolitical context marked by continuing nuclear weapons modernization programs, evolving security dynamics, and ongoing debates about the role of nuclear deterrence. As of 2024, global spending on nuclear weapons exceeded $100 billion, reflecting extensive modernization efforts by all nine nuclear-armed states.

Growing tensions between major powers have also raised questions about nuclear proliferation in new contexts. In 2026, amid strained relations between the United States and European allies, commentary emerged about the possibility of Europe pursuing greater nuclear independence. The U.S. controls nuclear weapons stationed in five NATO countries, but evolving transatlantic dynamics have prompted debate about European nuclear policy.

None of the nine nuclear-armed states — Russia, the United States, China, France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea — have signed or ratified the TPNW. ICAN has acknowledged this as a fundamental challenge but has argued that the TPNW establishes a legal and normative framework that can influence the behavior of nuclear-armed states over time, much as the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Mine Ban Treaty created pressure on non-signatories.

Legacy

ICAN's role in the adoption of the TPNW represented a significant development in the history of nuclear disarmament advocacy. The treaty, adopted in 2017 and entering into force in 2021, was the first multilateral instrument to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons under international law. ICAN's campaign strategy — centering the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons and building a broad-based civil society coalition — influenced the approach of subsequent disarmament and arms control advocacy efforts.

The awarding of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize to ICAN elevated the international profile of both the campaign and the TPNW. The prize was notable for recognizing a relatively young civil society campaign and for explicitly linking the award to the achievement of the treaty. ICAN's success in moving the TPNW from concept to adopted treaty within approximately a decade of the campaign's founding has been cited as an example of effective civil society engagement in multilateral diplomacy.

As of 2026, ICAN continues to work toward universal adherence to the TPNW, monitoring nuclear weapons spending, engaging financial institutions through the Don't Bank on the Bomb project, and mobilizing cities and subnational governments in support of the treaty. The campaign's fifth anniversary resources for the TPNW's entry into force highlight the ongoing nature of these efforts and the campaign's continued engagement with partner organizations worldwide.