2. 国际法院 1996 年关于“以核武器进行威胁或使用核武器的合法性”的咨询意见加强了《条约》中这一明确、一再重申的人道主义推动力。咨询意见中指出：核武器的破坏力在空间和時间上都是不可控制的。这种武器具有毁灭地球上一切文明和整个生态系统的潜力……为了把《宪章》中关于使用武力的法律以及在武装冲突中适用的法律，特别是人道主义法，正确地适用于本案，[国际法院]必须考虑到核武器的独特性，特别是核武器的破坏力、造成人类难以言状的痛苦的能力及对后代造成伤害的能力。2000 年审议大会通过的 13 个实际步骤也再次提到国际法院关于这个问题的咨询意见。
2. This clear and reiterated humanitarian impetus for the Treaty was reinfor ced by the terms of the 1996 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice with regard to the legality of threat or use of nuclear weapons, which observed that: The destructive power of nuclear weapons cannot be contained in either space or time. They have the potential to destroy all civilization and the entire ecosystem of the planet . . . in order correctly to apply to the present case the Charter law on the use of force and the law applicable in armed conflict, in particular humanitarian law, it is imperative for [the Court] to take account of the unique characteristics of nuclear weapons, and in particular their destructive capacity, their capacity to cause untold human suffering, and their ability to cause damage to generations to come. The advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in this matter is also recalled in the 13 practical steps adopted at the 2000 Review Conference.