The first nuclear-weapon-free treaty has entered into force and is considered a historic step to rid the world of its deadliest weapons.
UNITED NATIONS – The first nuclear-weapon-free treaty came into force on Friday, hailed as a historic step to rid the world of its deadliest weapons, but strongly opposed by the world’s nuclear-armed nations.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is now part of international law, culminating in a decades-long campaign to prevent a repeat of the US atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. But forcing all nations to ratify the treaty that requires them to never own such weapons seems daunting, if not impossible, in today’s global climate.
When the treaty was approved by the UN General Assembly in July 2017, more than 120 approved it. But none of the nine countries known or believed to have no nuclear weapons – the United States, Russia, Britain, China, France, India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel – did not support it, nor did NATO’s alliance with 30 nations. .
Japan, the only country in the world to have suffered nuclear attacks, also does not support the treaty, even though the elderly survivors of the 1945 bombings are pushing hard for it to do so. Japan, by itself, is giving up the use and possession of nuclear weapons, but the government has said that pursuing a ban on the treaty is unrealistic with nuclear and non-nuclear states so severely divided over it.
However, Beatrice Fihn, executive director of the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons, the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning coalition whose work has helped lead the treaty, called it “a truly great day for international law, for United Nations and for the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. ”
The treaty received its 50th ratification on October 24, triggering a period of 90 days before its entry into force on January 22.
On Thursday, Fihn told the Associated Press that 61 countries have ratified the treaty, with another possible ratification on Friday and “from Friday, nuclear weapons will be banned by international law” in all these countries.
The treaty requires all countries that have ratified “never, under any circumstances … to develop, test, produce, manufacture, purchase, possess or store nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices”. It also prohibits any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices – and threatens the use of such weapons – and requires the parties to promote the treaty to other countries.
Fihn said the treaty is “really, really significant” because it will now be a key legal instrument, along with the Geneva Conventions on the Conduct of Civilians and Soldiers in War and the Conventions Prohibiting Chemical and Biological Weapons and Mines. terrestrial.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the treaty demonstrates support for multilateral approaches to nuclear disarmament.
“Nuclear weapons pose increasing dangers, and the world needs urgent action to ensure their elimination and to prevent the catastrophic human and environmental consequences that any use would cause,” he said in a statement. video message. “The elimination of nuclear weapons remains the highest disarmament priority of the United Nations.”
But not for the nuclear powers.
As the treaty approached the 50 ratifications needed to trigger its entry into force, the Trump administration wrote a letter to the signatory countries saying it had made a “strategic mistake” and urged them to cancel their ratification. .
The letter said the treaty “turns the clock back on verification and disarmament” and will jeopardize the half-century-old nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which is considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation efforts.
Fihn countered at the time that the ban could not undermine non-proliferation because it was “the ultimate goal of the Non-Proliferation Treaty”.
Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, said the arrival of the treaty was a historic step forward in efforts to liberate the world from nuclear weapons and “we hope it will force renewed action by nuclear-weapon states to meet their commitment.” the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. “
Fihn said in an interview that the campaign sees strong public support for the treaty in NATO countries and growing political pressure, citing Belgium and Spain. “We won’t stop until we all get on board,” she said.
It will also campaign for divestment – pressuring financial institutions to stop providing capital between 30 and 40 companies involved in the production of nuclear weapons and missiles, including Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin.