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Portugal
Nuclear-weapon endorser
Has not yet joined the TPNW
Summary
Portugal has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
Portugal has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
In a statement to the United Nations in 2018, Portugal said that it “shares most of the concerns and frustration about the lack of concrete steps on nuclear disarmament that led to the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”.
Portugal supports the retention and potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf, as indicated by its endorsement of various alliance statements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), of which it is a member.
Political developments
The former Portuguese defence minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira was among the signatories to an open letter in 2020 calling on current leaders to “show courage and boldness – and join the [TPNW]”.
TPNW negotiations
Portugal did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption.
In 2016, Portugal voted against the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
In a document sent to NATO members ahead of the vote, the United States “strongly encourage[d]” members, including Portugal, to vote against the resolution, “not to merely abstain”. In addition, it said that, if the treaty negotiations do commence, allies and partners should “refrain from joining them”.
Nuclear-weapon endorser
Has not yet joined the TPNW
[HIGHLIGHTS]
Summary
Portugal has not yet signed or ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).
National position
Portugal has consistently voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution since 2018 that welcomes the adoption of the TPNW and calls upon all states to sign, ratify, or accede to it “at the earliest possible date”.
In a statement to the United Nations in 2018, Portugal said that it “shares most of the concerns and frustration about the lack of concrete steps on nuclear disarmament that led to the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons”.
Portugal supports the retention and potential use of nuclear weapons on its behalf, as indicated by its endorsement of various alliance statements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), of which it is a member.
Political developments
The former Portuguese defence minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira was among the signatories to an open letter in 2020 calling on current leaders to “show courage and boldness – and join the [TPNW]”.
TPNW negotiations
Portugal did not participate in the negotiation of the TPNW at the United Nations in New York in 2017 and thus did not vote on its adoption.
In 2016, Portugal voted against the UN General Assembly resolution that established the formal mandate for states to commence negotiations on “a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination”.
In a document sent to NATO members ahead of the vote, the United States “strongly encourage[d]” members, including Portugal, to vote against the resolution, “not to merely abstain”. In addition, it said that, if the treaty negotiations do commence, allies and partners should “refrain from joining them”.
[PARTNERS]
Portuguese Medical Association for the Prevention of Nuclear War
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Portuguese Medical Association for the Prevention of Nuclear War