Since the beginning of this century there have hardly been any wars between countries. Most conflict is now within countries between cultural, religious and language communities. All three of the world’s major ongoing wars – those in Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria – are being exacerbated by divisions between Islamist fundamentalists, and Shi’a and Sunni Muslims. The world’s seven minor wars – in Somalia, Nigeria, Iraq, Southern Sudan, Mali, the Sahel and Libya – likewise have their origins in the clashes between ethnic tribes, Islamist fundamentalists, moderate Muslims and Christians.

After so many decades of efforts to limit and eliminate nuclear weapons, it should be clear by now that none of the nuclear weapons states have the slightest intention of dispensing with their own nuclear weapons capability. There is, indeed, general agreement about the need to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons – and nuclear weapons states may from time to time be willing to enter into agreements regarding the rationalisation of their nuclear weapons arsenals – but there is no indication that they are prepared to do much more than give lip service to the elimination of this fundamental threat to human existence.