Australia and the Doomsday Clock Preventing nuclear war, in particular through no-first-use policies

Event Date: 7th April 2026
Location: Online

Invitation to

 

We cordially invite you to join this discussion with parliamentarians, policy experts and civil society representatives. It will focus on the role that Australia, and other small and middle power countries, can play in today’s difficult security environment to prevent nuclear war and advance nuclear disarmament, including through adoption of NoFirstUse policies.

The event is being held in conjunction with the UN Day of Sport for Development and Peace, and in preparation for the 2026 Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference.

Speakers

Event outline

On January 27, 2026, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists set the hands of the Doomsday Clock to 85 Seconds to Midnight, indicating how close humanity is coming to a civilizational catastrophe from climate change, nuclear war, biological threats, misuse of AI or a global war triggered by rising authoritarianism, militarism and acts of aggression.

Non-nuclear countries, and countries in nuclear alliances such as Australia, have an important role to encourage the United States, Russia and other nuclear-armed and allied States to adopt policies and practices to prevent nuclear war.

Adoption of No-First-Use (NFU) policies would be one important step. The upcoming Review Conference of the States Parties to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (April 27 – May 22, 2026) provides an opportunity for Australia to join like-minded countries and civil society in advancing nuclear-risk-reduction measures.

The call for adoption of NFU policies received significant support at the 2023 Preparatory Meeting for the NPT Review Conference. This included presentation of Nuclear Taboo From Norm to Law, endorsed by over 1100 notables – former Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, Defence Ministers and parliamentarians, academics, scientists, religious leaders, youth and representatives of civil society organizations – including many from Australia. This has helped put NFU on the NPT Review Conference agenda.

Our April 7 event is being held in conjunction with the UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace and will include observation of the Peace and Sport #White Card for Peace.

Register for the April 7 event

UN Day of Sport for Development and Peace

Sports champions promoting the #WhiteCard for peace social media action for UN Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace was established by the UN General Assembly in 2013 in order to promote the role of sport to support peace, cooperation, solidarity, understanding, social inclusion and health at the local, national and international levels.

The theme for 2026 is Sport: Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers, underscoring sport’s unique capacity to foster connection, inclusion, and peace in an increasingly fragmented world.

NoFirstUse Global encourages people around the world to commemorate the UN Day of Sport for Development and Peace. One easy way to do so is to join the #WhiteCard for Peace social media action organised by Peace and Sport. Alyn Ware, Co-founder of NoFirstUse Global, doing the #WhiteCard for Peace at the Peace Mile in Tauranga, New Zealand to commemorate the UN Day of Sport for Development and Peace.