Greetings ICAN friends!

Soon, ICAN partners, governments, experts, academics, affected community representatives, lawmakers, and others will gather in New York City for the third Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). 

ICAN is honored to continue as the civil society coordinator for the TPNW and its meetings. 

There has been a great deal of progress on the Treaty since the last Nuclear Ban week in New York. The ban treaty has grown with 4 ratifications (Sao Tome, Indonesia, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands) and one signature (Solomon Islands). And there has been a robust intersessional period advancing issues including victim assistance and the security concerns of states party to the Treaty. 

This is the 80th year since the invention of nuclear weapons and their first use, and the risks surrounding them have grown significantly. This week in New York, as we come together for the third Meeting of States Parties (3MSP), is an opportunity to use the meetings, panels, artistic and youth events to draw attention to these risks, and serves as a reminder that there is a solution through the TPNW. 

This guide is designed to help those who are unfamiliar with the city in getting around and making the most of this action-packed Nuclear Ban Week. You'll find practical information about entering the US, traveling from any of the city airports into Manhattan, how to get to the UN, and a preview of the exciting events and activities planned throughout the week. Finally, there is information on how to navigate New York.

We will begin our week at the iconic Riverside Church, in which U.S. civil rights leader (and Nobel Peace laureate) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr called out for those demanding civil rights to link hands with those calling for peace. This historic speech is relevant today, during this time of nuclear and climate risks, in which “We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”

As we welcome you to New York, we appreciate your willingness to move past indecision to action, and be part of the solution to the problem of nuclear weapons. 

Onwards,
Melissa Parke,
Executive Director

Download the Guide (PDF)