The Permanent Missions of New Zealand, Austria, and Uruguay, in their capacity as Co-Chairs of the Informal Working Group on Universalisation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), in partnership with the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), have the pleasure to invite you to an in-person, lunchtime, First Committee side event, to provide an overview of the ongoing efforts to advance the treaty’s universalisation in the period leading up to the first Review Conference of the TPNW, which will take place in November 2026.

The side event will take stock of the current status of the TPNW, share information on the ongoing work to grow the TPNW’s membership, discuss efforts to promote the underlying rationale of the TPNW, and discuss efforts to articulate the security concerns that result from the existence of nuclear weapons. Panelists will also provide information on the legal and technical steps required to join the TPNW and provide an overview of support to do so.

Delegations are encouraged to share updates about the status of their procedure with regards to joining the TPNW and their efforts to promote its universalisation.

Date and place: Friday, 17 October 2025, from 1:15pm-2:30pm, United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 9

* Light lunch will be served

Preliminary Programme Outline:

● Introductory remarks from co-chairs of TPNW Informal Working Group on Universalisation

● Overview on status of TPNW

● Support for universalisation

● Towards the Review Conference and Regional Activities

● Updates by delegations and exchange of views