They did it! UN Treaty signed by 9 more countries and ratified by a further 5

Posted: 27th September 2019

 

Today was a big day for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW): at a High Level Ceremony at UN headquarters in New York, 9 countries signed and 5 ratified the Treaty, bringing it even closer to entry into force.

Watch the full ceremony

During the ceremony, which took place on the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear weapons and was hosted by states that are long-time champions of the Treaty, presidents and foreign ministers were able to stand up for a world without nuclear weapons. As Mr Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria, the newly-elected President of the UN General Assembly and first speaker during the ceremony, put it earlier today: “We commend states that have joined TPNW and urge those who have not done so to do join in this most vital action.”

The countries that signed the TPNW today are: Botswana, Dominica, Grenada, Lesotho, St Kitts and Nevis, Tanzania, Zambia. The Maldives and Trinidad and Tobago both signed and ratified the Treaty during the ceremony, and Bangladesh, Kiribati and Laos also submitted their ratification instrument. This brings the TPNW to 79 signatories and 32 States Parties.

When the Treaty reaches 50 states parties it will enter into force, making nuclear weapons illegal under international law. And we know that that day is coming. Over the past weeks, we’ve heard from several more countries that their ratifications are imminent.

Mitchie Takeuchi, ICAN Campaigner and second generation Hibakusha, said it best during her address to the UNGA on ICAN’s behalf today: “In an increasing climate of risk, the TPNW offers an alternative path forward to the irresponsibility and irrationality of world leaders with nuclear weapons. It outlaws nuclear weapons for everyone, for all time. This treaty is the future. It will enter into force.”

After today, the treaty is almost two-thirds of the way to its entry into force, and we know that our campaigners around the world will not stop until every country is on board.

Thank you for everything you do to help us get there.

Beatrice Fihn
Executive Director
International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons