ICAN at the OEWG

The United Nations General Assembly voted in December 2015 to establish a special working group with a mandate to develop “legal measures, legal provisions and norms” for achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world. The Open-Ended Working Group (OEWG) – backed by 138 nations – focused its efforts on elaborating the elements for a global treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons.

The OEWG met in Geneva on 18-23 February, 2-13 May and concluded in August where it adopted a report with recommendations to the UN General Assembly to start negotiations in 2017 on a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

ICAN participated in all sessions of the UN working group, and coordinated advocacy and lobbying to push for government participation and support for the ban treaty.

Resources for August session

• *NEW* Final OEWG Draft Report (released August 23)
• Revised Draft OEWG Report (August 15)
• First (“Zero”) Draft OEWG Report
• ICAN Briefing Paper for August session (for Campaigners)

Advocacy resources

• Advocacy guide 
• Suggestions for parliamentary outreach
• Frequently asked questions about a ban
• Common misconceptions about a ban

Media and communications tools

• Images from ICAN’s flickr account
• Common misconceptions about a ban

Take action

• Prepare your government for the OEWG
• Engage your parliamentarians

Resources from May session

• Chair’s summary from the May session
• Proposal from “Like-Minded Group” to set up a Ban Treaty Negotiating Conference in 2017
• Proposal from Pledge countries for immediate negotiations of new treaty filling the legal gap
• Provisional Agenda for May Session
• Chair’s Synthesis Paper
• ICAN Briefing Paper for May Session (for Campaigners)
• ICAN Talking Points for May Session (for Governments)

Resources from February Session

• ICAN briefing paper for the OEWG (General)
• Summary of the first session of the OEWG
• Podcast about the first session of the OEWG



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