Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty Enters Into Force
Peace Action Statement on the Entry Into Force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Kevin Martin, President of Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund, issued the following statement:
“A distinct honor in my work is representing Peace Action at peace and disarmament conferences at the United Nations. I was there in 2017 when the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) was negotiated and signed by 122 countries, with support from civil society, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like Peace Action.”
“Honduras just became the 50th country to ratify the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, so the treaty will enter into force and become international law in January. The nine nuclear scofflaws – the US, Russia, China, France, UK, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea – and most of their allies have boycotted the treaty, and as a matter of fact are going in the wrong direction, as all are upgrading their nuclear arsenals at a cost of trillions of dollars. Which makes more sense, Banning the Bomb (thus saving resources for investing in more life-affirming priorities), or Bagging the Ban? Over 120 countries have signed onto the treaty, and most if not all will also ratify, so the treaty’s international stature will continue to grow, despite the opposition of the current U.S. Administration and other nuclear holdouts. Congratulations to peace activists and governments worldwide for this historic achievement!”
“Looking ahead a bit, the timing of the treaty’s entry into force just after the US presidential inauguration in January should be interesting.
Regardless of who is in the White House, U.S. and international nuclear weapons policy will be spotlighted by the TPNW and:
- the need to extend and possibly expand on the soon-to-expire New START agreement;
- opportunities to renew or rejoin other nuclear treaties from which the US has withdrawn;
- possible convening of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference;
- re-engagement in diplomacy with Iran and North Korea;
and an urgent need to devote resources to the Covid-19 pandemic, climate crisis, and domestic human needs. The TPNW provides the mechanism to the only solution to the existential threat posed by nuclear weapons, their complete and total elimination.”