Just after 4pm UK time today, the UN in New York voted on a treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, supported by over two thirds of UN member states.
British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and French Ambassador Francois Delattre said in a joint statement that their countries do “not intend to sign, ratify or ever become party” to the treaty. “Therefore, there will be no change in the legal obligations on our countries with respect to nuclear weapons,” they said. Despite this continuing denial from nuclear weapons states, this is a significant victory in de-legitimising nuclear weapons and a massive step forward towards a nuclear free world.
We’ll know more in the coming days and weeks but for now hears a run down the best analysis we’ve seen so far on the treaty and where our campaign goes from here.
- Nuclear Information Service – Briefing on the UK and the Ban Treaty
- PNND – Parliamentary Action Plan for a Nuclear Weapon Free World: 2017–2020
The full text of the treaty can be found here.
The treaty finally got some news coverage from the Daily Mail to the Guardian.
Our first action should be to build on this momentum to demand that our Government sign up – write to Theresa May.
Update Monday 10th July
Here is a list of all UN member states and how they voted.
