What happened in Vienna
Posted: 25th July 2022
Posted on July 24, 2022 by beyondnuclearinternational
Conference Declaration reiterates humanitarian basis of the ban treaty and its moral, ethical and security imperatives.
From the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
The historic first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons concluded in Vienna on June 23 with the adoption of a political declaration and practical action plan that set the course for the implementation of the Treaty and progress towards its goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
States parties met amid heightened tension and growing risks of the use of nuclear weapons, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threats to use nuclear weapons. Addressing the opening session of the meeting, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The once unthinkable prospect of nuclear conflict is now back within the realm of possibility. More than 13,000 nuclear weapons are being held in arsenals across the globe. In a world rife with geopolitical tensions and mistrust, this is a recipe for annihilation.”