UK says it voted against UN nuclear war panel because consequences already known

A nuclear fallout shelter sign hangs on a building in New York. The US was among 30 UN member states to abstain in the vote. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

The UK was one of three countries to vote against creating a UN scientific panel on the effects of nuclear war because, the Foreign Office argued, the “devastating consequences” of such a conflict are already well known without the need for a new study.

The UK, France and Russia were the only countries to vote on Friday night against a UN general assembly committee resolution drafted by Ireland and New Zealand to set up an international scientific inquiry to take a fresh look at the multifaceted impact of nuclear weapons use.