Parliamentary CND and MEDACT deliver letter to the Foreign Office: urge attendance at nuclear ban conference

Posted: 26th May 2022

The forthcoming First Meeting of States Parties (1MSP) to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), presents a momentous opportunity for the government to liaise with the global majority who want a world without nuclear weapons.

The TPNW provides the first binding framework that prohibits nuclear weapons with the goal of their eventual total elimination.

So far the government has rejected the Treaty.

Today Parliamentarians and campaigners urged the government to attend 1MSP as an observer as other NATO states are doing.

Kirsten Oswald, SNP Member of Parliament for East Renfrewshire, and Chair of Parliamentary CND said:

“It is really important that the UK Government is represented at this important meeting, even if only as an observer, as other NATO states are doing.

“The nuclear threats being exchanged in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine make the need for progress on nuclear disarmament more urgent than ever.

“The UK government beginning to engage with the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons would indicate that they are serious about honouring the UK’s commitment to a world without nuclear weapons.”

CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said:

“The government is not only ignoring the pleas from the majority of the international community, it is going against the opinion of its own citizens. Across all demographics, 59% of the public support the UK government signing up to the Treaty.

“Global dialogue is needed if we are to truly avoid the existential threats that face the planet. Nuclear weapons are not a solution – they indiscriminately destroy. It is vital the government does everything possible to secure our future.”

Medact member Frank Boulton said:

“Nuclear weapons pose the greatest immediate threat to human health – there can be no effective treatment for a nuclear war. It is vital for the sake of prevention that the UK government engages with the nuclear ban treaty at this pivotal opportunity.”