Fifty Countries Approve UN Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty

A United Nations treaty to ban nuclear weapons has been approved by 50 countries but faced strong opposition from the United States.

The US had written to treaty signatories saying the Trump administration believes they made a “strategic error”, urging them to rescind their ratification.

The US letter, obtained by The Associated Press, said the five original nuclear powers (the US, Russia, China, the UK and France) and America’s NATO allies “stand unified in our opposition to the potential repercussions” of the treaty.

As of 23 October, the treaty had 49 signatories and the UN said the 50th ratification from Honduras had been received.

The move will trigger the treaty's implementation in 90 days and has been hailed by anti-nuclear activists.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saluted “the instrumental work” of civil society in allowing negotiations and pushing for ratification, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Mr Dujarric added that the UN Chief said the treaty’s entry into force on 22 January culminates a worldwide movement to highlight the “catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons”.

The UN Chief also said the treaty is a “tribute to the survivors of nuclear explosions” and “represents a meaningful commitment towards the total elimination of nuclear weapons”.

The treaty requires that all ratifying countries under no circumstances “develop, test, produce, manufacture, otherwise acquire, possess or stockpile nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices”.

It also forbids any transfer or use of nuclear weapons or nuclear explosive devices, and the threat to use such weapons, and requires parties to promote the treaty to other countries.

Once it enters into force, all countries that have ratified it will be bound by those requirements.

However the US letter says the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) “turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous” to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).

In an Associated Press interview on 21 October, UN Secretary-General Guterres said: “It is clear for me that we will only be entirely safe in relation to nuclear weapons the day where nuclear weapons no longer exist.”

The NPT sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five original weapons powers and is considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation efforts.

It requires non-nuclear signatory nations to not pursue atomic weapons in exchange by the five powers to move towards nuclear disarmament.