The word “Doomsday” comes from Old English for “Judgment Day”. The opening of this year’s Doomsday Clock is indeed a moment to pass judgment on our political leaders.
Year after year, they fail to overcome existential threats, such as nuclear weapons, climate crisis and pandemics, which threaten the future of life on Earth itself.
The decision of Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to move the hands of the Doomsday Clock to 90 seconds to midnight, the closest to the “zero hour” since it was first announced in 1947, underscoring the dangerous situation facing humanity.
We now live in a world of interconnected crises, each reflecting the reluctance of leaders to act in the right and long-term interests of their people.
In the past year, Russia’s war in Ukraine and President Vladimir Putin’s provocative rhetoric and posturing have raised the risk of an apocalyptic nuclear conflict to the highest level since the Cold War.
But while Russia itself is responsible for the aggression against Ukraine, the country is fraught with nuclear deterrence as a result of the actions, and inactions, of all nuclear countries and their allies for many years.
Through a combination of complacency, hubris and deliberate destruction, many critical architectures for nuclear arms control and non-proliferation have been weakened in recent decades, including the abandonment of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and the Open Skies Treaty by the United States and Russia.
At the same time, Washington and Moscow continue to invest in new technologies, such as hypersonic missiles and space-based systems, with the rapid and uncertain nature of technological development fueling distrust.
In this context, and despite the continued support of the West to Ukraine, the United States and Russia should reinforce risk reduction options, such as military-to-military contacts, to reduce the possibility of nuclear miscalculation, as established after the Cuban Missile Crisis. from 1962 and strengthened next.
Bilateral dialogue in good faith and multilateral cooperation are essential if we have any hope of addressing the existential threat highlighted by today’s Doomsday announcement.
The climate crisis, nuclear proliferation and pandemics cannot be solved by any single country, but demand multilateral action and courageous and ethical leadership.
Nelson Mandela remains an example of courageous and ethical leadership. He recognized the threat, and the need for a collective response, when in 2007 he founded The Elders, a group of former independent world leaders that he now chairs.
The events of the past 15 years have validated their analysis and explain why, in 2023, the Elders have a new focus on what world leaders must do to address this deadly global challenge.
No one will be swayed by the empty promises of populism or the naive demands of utopianism. They require hard, practical choices and a long-term commitment of resources and political capital, as well as some immediate steps that decision-makers can take in the coming months.
While there have been some recent signs of progress in the climate field, such as the decision on the financing of the so-called “loss and damage” fund for climate-vulnerable countries at the COP27 in November, lasting change will only come when the countries are right- actually deliver and implement commitments.
G7 leaders must keep their pledge to end all inefficient fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 and lead the world in accelerating the transition to net zero.
At the same time, international financial institutions, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, must be re-engineered to help raise the trillions of dollars needed to support vulnerable countries and address the climate crisis and other global challenges, as proposed below. “Bridgetown Initiative” from Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley.
Equality and solidarity must also characterize the ongoing global response to Covid-19 and efforts to prevent and prepare for future pandemics.
Strong global political leadership is needed from heads of state and government to implement the recommendations of the new independent panel into Covid-19. This should include supporting and strengthening the World Health Organization and a concerted push for a new pandemic agreement to address systemic barriers to equal access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, supported by significant financial investment.
It is a dire global agenda that demands urgent action if the hands of the Doomsday Clock are not to tire until midnight. World leaders must take the initiative and deliver for their people.
Even when the challenges seem insurmountable, we have no choice but to act. As Mandela himself said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, is the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and chair of The Elders. Follow The Elders on Twitter @thelders