Individuals and organizations from across the globe work together in Abolition 2000 Working Groups on various issues and campaigns to further the elimination of nuclear weapons. We invite you to join a Working Group to participate with others on an aspect of nuclear abolition that interests you or to share information and exchange resources on your current projects. If you are working on an issue not listed below, write to us for help in forming a new Working Group.
Active Working Groups:
Economic Dimensions of Nuclearism Working Group
Working to highlight the negative economic impact of nuclearism, cut nuclear weapons budgets, end investments in nuclear weapons corporatios and shift budgets and investments to support peace and sustainable development.
Interfaith
The Interfaith working group brings different religious and spiritual communities together to highlight the immorality of nuclear weapons and the responsibility of faith-based communities to work for peace, cooperative security and a nuclear-weapon-free world.
International Law
The group works to raise the profile of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), laws of peace and security, environmental law, human rights law, rights of future generations and other sources of law applicable to nuclear weapons.
Mayors for Peace
Enrolling mayors around the world in Mayors for Peace and encouraging them to participate in campaign actions for a nuclear-weapons-free world.
Moving Beyond Missile Defense and Space Weapons
Reporting on developments in missile technology and deployment, and the implications for security and nuclear disarmament. This includes evaluating, and promoting draft agreements on missile control.
Nuclear risk reduction
The world is at high risk with more than 1500 nuclear bombs in high alert status, ready to be launched by the US and Russia in less than 20 minutes.
This working group (formerly called the De-Alerting Working Group) promotes measures to reduce the risks of nuclear weapons being used and to lower the role of nuclear weapons in security doctrines. These include de-alerting, eliminating launch on warning, lowering threat postures and adopting policies of no-first-use and/or sole purpose.
Nuclear Weapon Free Zones
The Nuclear Weapon Free Zones (NWFZ) Working Group supports existing regional NWFZs and promotes the establishment of additional NWFZs including in the Arctic, Europe, Middle East and North East Asia.
Nukes Out of Europe
Nukes Out of Europe is a working group of Abolition 2000 comprised of NGOs working in NATO countries advocating the removal of the US nuclear weapons from Europe.
Parliamentary Outreach
The Parliamentary Outreach working group works with Abolition 2000 members to enroll their legislators/parliamentarians in Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and to join PNND initiatives and actions.
Peace, disarmament and SDGs: Global week of action Sep 21 – 27
This working group highlights the connections between peace, climate protection, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and disarmament (especially nuclear disarmament). The working group calls for a Global week for Peace, climate protection, sustainable development and nuclear abolition bringing together Sep 21: UN International Day for Peace; Sep 23: UN Climate Summit;Sep 24-25: Summit on SDGs and Sep 26: International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
United Nations disarmament agenda and a Nuclear Weapons Convention
This working group promotes the UN disarmament agenda and in particular the abolition of nuclear weapons under a nuclear weapons convention – a multilateral treaty which includes the nuclear-weapons possessors and provides a comprehensive and legally binding prohibition against nuclear weapons and a phased, verified and enforceable program for their elimination. The working group combines a previous working group focused on the nuclear weapons convention with the key program work of UNFOLD ZERO, an affiliated initiative.
Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space
Education, direct action and campaigns to prevent space weaponization and the use of nuclear power in space, and to keep space for peaceful purposes. The Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space serves as the Abolition 2000 working group on this issue.
Youth Network
Working to engage and educate youth about nuclear disarmament.
Inactive and subsumed working groups
These are working groups that are either no long active or are now subsumed in related working groups or in initiatives of member organisations.
Citizens Weapons Inspections
Establishing teams to inspect the nuclear weapons facilites of nuclear-armed States to check if they are disabling, dismantling and destroying their nuclear weapons as required under international law prohibiting nuclear weapons, especially the 1996 International Court of Justice decision. Inactive, but some Abolition 2000 members are following up by undertaking ‘ploughshares’ actions at nuclear weapons facilities to directly ‘disarm’ the weapons. See Trident Ploughshares.
Depleted Uranium
Gathering and disseminating information and health data on the toxic effects of depleted uranium to human well-being and the environment. Calling for an end to the use of depleted uranium in weapons systems. Now subsumed by the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons.
Indigenous Peoples’ Issues
The Indigenous Peoples Working Group serves as a forum for the exchange of information, research and news on nuclear issues affecting indigenous communities across the globe. No longer active.
Fissile Materials
Supporting the adoption of a fissile material treaty. Compiling a “shadow inventory” of nuclear materials worldwide in lieu of the accounting for these materials which governments have so far failed to provide. Now subsumed by the International Panel on Fissile Materials.
ICAN Nuke U
Using the momentum and normative value of the ban treaty to advance nuclear disarmament in nuclear-armed and other nuclear-reliant States. Now subsumed by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Radiation / Health Effects
A network of experienced health workers, scientists, physicians, activists, and other experts on radiation effects, gathering information and issuing reports and documents on the truth about the toxic legacy of the nuclear age. Inactive although the issue is being advanced by some Abolition 2000 member organisations including The ATOM Project, Beyond Nuclear, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War and Nuclear Resource Information Service.
Sustainable Energy
Successfully advocated for the establishment of an International Renewable Energy Agency. Now working to promote the further development and use of safe, renewable energy sources to replace nuclear energy and fossil fuels. Subsumed by the working group on Peace, Climate, SDGs and Nuclear Disarmament.
UN High Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament
The aim of this working group is to build civil society, parliamentary and government support for the UN High Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament, and to influence the agenda and ensure success. On hold until a new date is decided for the High Level Conference.