Annan regrets death of Nobel Peace Laureate and disarmament advocate Joseph Rotblat

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today expressed sadness at the death of Joseph Rotblat, the 1995 Nobel Peace Laureate who was a founder of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs calling on scientists to accept responsibility for the consequences of their creations.

“The Secretary-General was saddened to learn of the death of Joseph Rotblat, the scientist, veteran disarmament campaigner and Nobel Peace Laureate,” Mr. Annan said through his Spokesman.

“In a long life, Mr. Rotblat went from working on the nuclear bomb to founding the Pugwash conference, and continued for the rest of his days to champion the principle of scientists taking responsibility for their inventions. He leaves a legacy of inspiration and courage to his many friends and colleagues around the world,” he said.

Mr. Rotblat, born in Poland in 1908, was living in Britain when he won the Nobel Peace Prize. He was one of 11 scientists who founded the Pugwash Conferences, based on a 1955 manifesto put out by British philosopher Bertrand Russell and American scientist Albert Einstein, and he became the institution’s major figure.