An international conference to discuss the catastrophic effects of nuclear arms will convene amid rising fears over Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons during its invasion of Ukraine.

The Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons will open in Vienna on Monday. It precedes by one day the start of the first meeting of the state parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

This is the first time the conference is being held since the treaty entered into force last year. Discussions at past conferences in Norway, Mexico, and Austria helped to bring the treaty into existence.

Conference participants will include representatives from governments, non-governmental organizations and other entities.
A Japanese government delegation is also expected to take part. Japan is not a party to the treaty.

Kido Sueichi, who experienced the 1945 atomic bombing of Nagasaki when he was 5 years old, will share his account at the conference.

Researchers will report on results of their latest studies on what impact the use of nuclear weapons would have on humanity and the environment.

Analysts say the Austrian government, the conference organizer, will seek to raise global awareness of catastrophic effects of nuclear arms to halt their use and development, and to highlight the treaty's significance.