An independent expert panel of the United Nations, tasked with assessing the potential impact of a nuclear war, held its first meeting for two days through Friday, with Masao Tomonaga, an 82-year-old hibakusha atomic bomb survivor and doctor from Nagasaki, selected as co-deputy chair.
"We hope to influence nuclear states by showing, through the power of science, that a nuclear war would annihilate the human race," Tomonaga told reporters. "Without breaking away from nuclear deterrence policies, it's impossible to realize a world without nuclear weapons," he also said.
The Scientific Panel on the Effects of Nuclear War was set up by a U.N. General Assembly resolution last December. It consists of 21 experts in various fields, such as nuclear and radiation science, medicine and agriculture.
Under the panel, seven working groups will conduct research, including examining existing papers. The panel will meet every three months and compile a report by autumn 2027.
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