Is a world free of nuclear weapons achievable? North Korea is actively developing its nuclear programme, the fate of the Iran nuclear deal is in the balance, and the United States and Russia are both seeking to modernise their nuclear forces. With the Nobel Committee’s decision to honour the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons with the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, the Committee sent a powerful message of concern. In the same year, the General Assembly decided to convene a UN conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination.

Bertha von Suttner was a 19th century author, peace activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate from Austria. Her most famous work, the anti-war novel titled ‘Die Waffen Nieder’, became an international bestseller. Upon the success of her novel, Von Suttner quickly rose to prominence within the international peace movement that was gaining ground in Europe and in the United States of America. She also played a significant role in helping the Peace Palace come in to existence.