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New York — In a lightning leap forward to a typically snail-paced process, today at the United Nations four states simultaneously ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). This brings the total number of ratifications to 19. A further eight nations signed the Treaty at the UN signing ceremony, an essential step on the path towards their own ratifications.
A further eight nations signed the Treaty at the UN signing ceremony, an essential step on the path towards their own ratifications.
The addition of the new signatures and ratifications means the nuclear ban treaty is setting a record pace for the speed it is moving towards becoming law, when compared to other treaties on weapons of mass destruction, including conventions on chemical and biological weapons, and nuclear testing and proliferation.
The mass signing ceremony is being coordinated by the current Nobel Peace Prize Laureate the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), along with a cross-regional group of governments.
“The global consensus is a resounding rejection of nuclear weapons: 122 nations voting to adopt, 68 states signing and 19 ratifying the Treaty that bans nuclear weapons — with more to follow,” said Tim Wright, ICAN’s Treaty Coordinator.
“These inhumane weapons threaten to slaughter millions of innocent civilians. They are abhorrent and out of step with international opinion.”
Once 50 states ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons it will enter into force and become international law. As of today, the Treaty is nearly 40% of the way there in only 12 months of being open for signature.